Fizzy eggs
Easter is just around the corner, and I’ve got eggs on my mind. To the surprise of many people eggs make for a great ingredient in quite a few cocktails, giving the drink a lovely texture and an attractive head of foam. Despite what government health campaigns may have convinced you, the dangers of using raw eggs are relatively low. I won’t go in to detail, but instead point you to Robert’s excellent post on eggs in cocktails which covers the subject in more depth than I could ever hope to. In short though, don’t be afraid of eggs.
The Silver Lining
- 1½ shots / 45 ml / 1½ oz rye whiskey
- ¾ shot / 22.5 ml / ¾ oz Licor 43
- ¾ shot / 22.5 ml / ¾ oz lemon juice
- 1 egg white
- Shake all ingredients hard with ice and strain in to an ice-filled tall glass. Top off with soda water.
The Silver Lining comes courtesy of Keith, and originates from Little Branch, Milk & Honey’s sister bar, in New York. The cocktail is incredibly smooth and balanced, with the egg lending a wonderful mouthfeel. Rye and lemon dominate the drink, mixing nicely as usual to create a tangy, spicey flavour. The Licor 43 remains in the background, but adds hints of vanilla and other aromatics adding interest to the drink. Refreshing and relatively light, The Silver Lining is a great “pick me up” drink and very tasty too.
Morning Glory Fizz
- 1½ shots / 45 ml / 1½ oz Scotch whisky
- 1 shot / 30 ml / 1 oz lemon juice
- ¼ shot / 7.5 ml / ¼ oz absinthe
- 1 egg white
- 1 bar-spoon sugar
- 1 dash Peychaud’s bitters
- Shake all ingredients hard with ice and strain in to an ice-filled tall glass. Top off with soda water and garnish with a few dashes of Peychaud’s bitters.
I’ve made no secret of the fact I’m not the biggest fan of Scotch. Something about the smoky, peaty flavours just doesn’t appeal in the same way that the taste of a good Bourbon or rye does. However, after trying the Blood & Sand last year, I have been a little more open-minded about Scotch, and the Morning Glory’s combination of whisky and absinthe intrigued me.
Despite the small amount, the anise flavourings of the absinthe dominantes the drink. However, the smokiness of whiskey plays nicely with this, creating a complex flavour that works nicely. The Peychauds complements the absinthe whilst adding its own subtleties, and the lemon adds a background zing. Served up the flavours of this drink would probably be a bit too heavy, but the addition of soda water adds a lightness and sparkle that helps the drink work. Not a favourite, but definitely an interesting drink.
Posted in Absinthe, Aromatic Bitters, Cocktails, Lemon, Licor 43, Rye, Scotch
If you liked this, the barman recommends...
March 6th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
I find that the powdered egg whites do well and I can’t tell the difference – although I haven’t done a side-by-side taste test. I have no problem using raw eggs (I’ve licked my share of cake batter to no ill effect) but I feel a bit wasteful chucking the yolks. In drinks where a whole is called for (say a Royal Gin Fizz) I’ll go ahead and use the whole thing.
May 7th, 2009 at 2:35 am
Chuck the yolks? Horrors! They’re the start of your hollandaise for tomorrow morning’s eggs Benedict!