How Raw Eggs Can Seriously Elevate An Average Cocktail

When it comes to after-dinner drinks (or just afternoon drinks, for that matter), a few staples come to mind. A couple of these include a classic margarita, gin and tonic, or standard old fashioned cocktail. However, these drinks are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to boozy beverage making.

Besides some of these crisp and clean drinks, you can also try ordering rich, creamy drinks with delicate foam. At first sip, it might seem like these drinks feature foamed milk or whipped cream, but the reality is that they get their consistency from a different ingredient — raw eggs.

Raw eggs have been used in drinks for centuries, and for good reason. They elevate your standard cocktails by adding texture and giving a richer mouthfeel to your beverage while making it look classy. That's why adding them to your drink is such a good move. However, to take advantage of these perks, you've got to know a little bit more about using raw eggs in cocktails.

There are a few different ways to use raw eggs in cocktails — using just the egg whites, using the whole egg, or occasionally using just the egg yolk. Now, we know that eggs change the texture and mouthfeel of your drink, but this varies a bit depending on how the egg is used.

If you're using the whole egg, you'll get a fuller body and a sweet, rich flavor in your drink. Plus, the addition of the egg can help soften the alcohol both on your stomach and your tastebuds. When it's the egg white you're adding, things work slightly differently. Egg whites add a light foam that rests atop your boozy beverage while adding a creamy texture. They can also soften the taste of sour cocktails.

Regardless of how you use raw eggs in alcoholic drinks, you may be worried about health hazards. After all, these eggs aren't cooked. Although the chances of getting sick from these egg cocktails are very low, you can practice good hygiene, use pasteurized eggs well before their use-by date, and wash the eggshells as good precautionary measures. Additionally, it pays to know that if you leave egg white cocktails out for a little while, they can take on an unpleasant, eggy smell. To keep your drinks free of this smell, add some citrus zest, spices such as nutmeg, or a dash or two of bitters to the foam.

If you're curious about exactly what cocktails feature raw eggs, you may be surprised that the list is pretty lengthy. In terms of whole eggs, you'll often find these as key ingredients in flips, such as the Irish Flip cocktail, where they're shaken with ice and the drink's other ingredients in a cocktail shaker before being strained into a glass. Another whole egg cocktail you could try is using it in a boozy eggnog recipe.

For their part, egg whites can be found in sour cocktails such as the Pisco Sour or fizzes, like a Ramos Fizz. Like whole egg cocktails, these are made by shaking in a cocktail shaker. However, they're made using a dry shake method, which means they aren't shaken with ice.

Finally, some drinks contain just the yolk. These drinks aren't as common as whole egg or egg white cocktails, but you can still find a few, such as the Golden Bronx cocktail. So, whether it's the yolk, whites, or the whole egg, next time you feel like busting out your inner bartender, try making one of these raw egg cocktails for a seriously delicious drink.