Egg white cocktails: Make a foam using nitrous oxide instead!

Egg white cocktails: We all love ’em for the silky texture and mouthfeel with the added bonus of that signature foam that gently settles on top, but most people shy away from this method due to possible cross contamination. We all know that raw egg is considered a hazardous substance in the kitchen (or bar!), and it is absolutely imperative to wash your hands after cracking and separating the eggs- adding a few minutes to the cocktail prep time for each one (which may slow the party down!). The solution: prep a batch of egg white foam in a cream whipper! It saves time because you only have to handle egg whites once (and use less of them), and the result will last for up to a dozen egg white cocktails! Let’s get started!

We’ll need 8 oz of egg whites for this recipe, which is roughly 8 medium sized eggs, and don’t worry if you don’t use it all at once- the foam will last for 3-4 days in the fridge.

Start by gently tapping the center of a cold egg on the rim of a cup or bowl, then slowly transfer the yolk back and forth between the shell halves, using the jagged shell to help separate the white from the yolk.

Once you have isolated the yolk in one of the halves, add it to a small cup and save them for later (omelette anyone?). Add the egg white to a measuring cup, and start with the next one. -It’s very important to make sure that no yolk mixes in with the whites- that’s why doing it a separate container before adding to the batch will ensure you don’t have to start all over again.

Add the egg whites to the cream whipper along with 2 oz of fresh citrus juice (lemon in this case!)  and 2 oz of cold ginger simple syrup (recipe below). Screw the top of the cream whipper on very tight, then turn an additional 1/4 turn to make sure you have a good seal. Add the charger to the housing and very slowly screw it in until the cartridge is pierced, then wait until all of the contents are injected. Slowly unscrew the cartridge housing and throw away the cartridge.

Shake the whipper very well for about 45 seconds, then turn it upside down (always make sure the cream whipper is upside down when dispensing contents, otherwise you’ll just be letting the pressure out) and dispense a bit onto a large spoon. If the foam comes out runny, then the ingredients were not cold enough to start- no problem, just pop it in the fridge for a half hour.  If your foam is pleasantly fluffy- pop it into the fridge while you prepare the cocktail.

For the cocktail itself- there are an infinite amount of possibilities to use your egg foam on, but my favorite spring treat is a basic sour! To make, just add 1 1/4 oz Clique Vodka to an ice filled rocks glass with 1/4 oz lemon juice, 1/4 oz lime juice and 1/4 oz ginger simple syrup. Transfer to a cocktail tin and shake a few times before pouring back into the glass. You should have about a half inch of space between the top of the cocktail and the top of the glass- carefully fill the glass with your egg white foam, and garnish with a piece of candied ginger! Try sipping just a bit of the foam for a fluffy contrast to the sour cocktail, or invite your guests to mix them together!

You can substitute any flavored simple syrup! (like basil, or raspberry hibiscus) for both the foam and/or the cocktail.

If you love a lot of foam- try straining into a cocktail glass first!

*For the Ginger Syrup: Bring 1/2 cup of peeled and chopped ginger to a boil with 1 1/4 cups of water. Cut the heat and let steep 10 minutes before stirring in 1 cup of sugar until dissolved. Let ginger syrup cool before straining.