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A guide to using egg whites in cocktails
Mar 25, 2024
To many home mixologists, using an ingredient like egg white in a cocktail recipe can be intimidating. After all, they are a raw animal product that we're generally more accustomed to baking into tasty treats or scrambling into a wholesome breakfast.
The thing is – they make an absolutely cracking cocktail. Here at Craft Gin Club, we don't want anyone to miss out on a tasty tipple, so we've written up a handy guide to help you through your first egg white cocktail experience.
Even if you don't consume eggs, we've got you covered with advice on a fantastic vegan substitute and tons of easy recipes to get you started using our favourite spirit – gin!
Some recipes have been carefully curated by our master mixologist, Maria Vieira, some our ginny classics and all are absolutely delicious!
Whether you want to mix up an egg-cellent tipple for Easter, have a taste for sumptuous sours or simply want to create a fabulous foam for your cocktails, you'll find everything you need to know below.
Why should you use egg whites in cocktails?
When used correctly, egg whites can brilliantly benefit the look, flavour and mouthfeel of your cocktails. Egg white tipples possess a gorgeous, velvety texture that make for a super smooth sip – often more luxurious than their egg-less counterparts.
Egg whites are also key in enhancing flavour. They’re a brilliant ingredient to balance harsh aromas and a high alcohol content, and also hold flavour longer on the palate. They can also intensify the smell of your beverage - particularly in gin-based cocktails, you’ll be glad to hear.
In short, they’re an egg-straordinary ingredient that should be a staple in every home bar. Okay, that’s all the egg puns for this post we promise…
Is it safe to use egg whites in cocktails?
In the same way that using any raw food can carry a risk, this applies to egg whites in cocktails as well. However, the risk is minimal – even Marilyn Monroe whisked raw eggs into milk for her breakfast every morning! Not that she's the poster girl for safe cooking, but she always looked fabulous so we'll take it.
The point is, egg whites are used every day by mixologists the world over with no dire consequences, and there are steps you can take to decrease the risk even more.
Make sure you’re using fresh eggs and have washed the shells before cracking them. Citrus and alcohol also act as sterilisers, so if your cocktail contains both of these, that's a good way to keep any risk super low.
And, of course, don't use any eggs that have exceeded their use by date or don't look or smell right!
What can you substitute for egg whites?
If you’re still not sure or you don’t consume eggs, aquafaba is a great alternative that will yield similar results to using egg whites.
Aquafaba is the water you find in a can of chickpeas – so it's vegan and poses no safety risk. Use two tablespoons of aquafaba to replace one egg white, and shake for around double the time to get a nice foamy top.
Some people swear by it, so have a dig around in your pantry for that long lost can of chickpeas you bought in your January health kick and put it to good use making a tasty tipple!
Which cocktails should you use egg whites in?
This is really our time to shine – here at Craft Gin Club, we know a thing or two about mixing up a craft cocktail, and that goes for egg white cocktails too.
We've compiled a list of some of the tastiest, easy-to-make egg white gin cocktail recipes that are the perfect way to practice using this gorgeous ingredient. Happy sipping!
8 Best Egg White Gin Cocktail Recipes
Gin Fizz
Ingredients
- 50ml gin
- 20ml freshly squeezed lemon
- 20ml simple syrup
- 20ml egg white
- About 50ml soda water
- Lemon wedge, to garnish
Method
Dry shake (without ice) your ingredients in a cocktail shaker for about three seconds, then wet shake (with ice) for about seven to ten seconds. Add soda water to the shaker – 50ml or more depending on how strong you want your drink – then strain it in to a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish and serve.
Clover Club
Ingredients
- 50ml gin
- 25ml dry vermouth
- 1 egg white
- 15ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 15ml raspberry simple syrup* or raspberry jam
- Fresh raspberries, to garnish
Method
Add all the cocktail ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with speared raspberries.
*To make the raspberry syrup, gently heat a handful of fresh raspberries with 250g caster sugar and 250ml water until a syrup forms, then strain and leave to cool.
Blackberry Sour
Ingredients
- 50ml gin
- 25ml lemon juice
- 25ml egg white
- 15ml blackberry syrup*
- Edible flowers, to garnish
Method
Add the gin, lemon juice, egg white and blackberry syrup to a cocktail shaker and dry shake. Add ice and shake again. Strain into a coupe glass, garnish and serve.
*To make blackberry syrup, combine 400g blackberries with one cup of caster sugar. Store in the fridge overnight. Sugar will extract the juice from the blackberries, so the longer you leave it, the more juice will be extracted. Strain the syrup and store in fridge.
Rhubarb Gin Sour
Ingredients
- 50ml gin
- 25ml lemon juice
- 20ml rhubarb syrup*
- 1 egg white (optional)
- Lemon twist, to garnish
Method
Add your gin, lemon juice, rhubarb syrup and egg white into a cocktail shaker and shake once, hard, without ice to emulsify the egg. Add ice, shake again and strain into a cocktail coupe. Garnish and serve.
*To make rhubarb syrup at home, finely chop three stalks of rhubarb and tip into a saucepan. Cover with 200ml of water and simmer until the rhubarb is mushy and the water is pink. Strain out the rhubarb pieces and add 200g of sugar. Simmer, stirring gently, until you have a syrup. Cool before using.
Sloe Gin Fizz
Ingredients
- 30ml sloe gin
- 10ml simple syrup
- 15ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Prosecco or champagne, to top up
- 1 egg white (optional)
Method
Add your sloe gin, simple syrup, lemon juice and egg white if using to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously for 30 seconds.
Strain into a long glass such as a champagne flute or highball glass, then top up with champagne. (You could also substitute the champagne for soda water, for a less punchy version!)
Earl Grey Martini
Ingredients
- 50ml gin
- 1 Earl Grey teabag
- 25ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 25ml sugar syrup (1:1 sugar and water)
- 1 egg white (optional)
Method
Infuse the teabag in the gin for 10 minutes at room temperature. Combine the tea-infused gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup and egg white in a cocktail shaker. Dry-shake to emulsify the egg, then wet shake until well chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, garnish and serve.
Gin Alexander
Ingredients
- 25ml gin
- 25ml crème de cacao (chocolate liqueur)
- 25ml cream
- 1 egg white (optional)
- Lightly grated nutmeg, to garnish
Method
First add your ingredients to a cocktail shaker and dry shake, then wet shake to chill. Strain into a chilled coupe glass, garnish and serve.
Minty White Lady
Ingredients
- 45ml gin
- 25ml crème de menthe blanche
- 15ml lemon juice
- 1 egg white
- Mint and lemon peel, to garnish
Method
Add all the ingredients to a shaker and dry shake. Add ice and wet shake. Strain into a coupe or rocks glass filled with ice, then garnish and serve.
