8 Excellent Egg Cocktails
With Easter coming up this Sunday, chances are your fridge is stocked with holiday staples — eggs being chief among them. But before you go hard-boiling and decorating the whole lot, make sure to reserve a few for making a Sunday brunch tipple. You know, for the 21-plus crowd who prefers to keep the Easter egg hunt contained to the bottom of the cocktail glass.
According to author William Grimes, the use of eggs in drinks dates back to around 1690, when Flips were introduced (though these typically used beer as a base, and mixed strong rum and sugar). Eventually, beer was phased out from the recipe — today's American bar guidelines stipulate one should include a spirit, egg, sugar, and spice — and variations now exist featuring everything from whiskey and brandy to gin and vodka.
While a Flip calls for a whole egg, more popular are those cocktails which use only the whites — an instrumental ingredient for creating stable, frothy foams. Indeed, that thick foam cap is a signature characteristic of such cocktails as the iconic Ramos Gin Fizz or the Pisco Sour.
For those home-bartenders who find working with eggs a tad intimidating, the master cocktail mixers behind Houston's Anvil Bar & Refuge have a whole post dedicated to the subject on their blog. In it they offer helpful suggestions like "don't blend the drink with ice," and words of encouragement, "Don't quit early. Egg cocktails require a ton of shaking."