A couple weekends ago, I went on a girls excursion to Las Vegas to dance, lounge poolside, and drink fabulous cocktails. When I got there, I was greeted with a cocktail which was a creation of one of my dear friends who was a former mixologist (well current too, I suppose!), and it was AMAZING!
Yep, those are eggs in that photo right there. The first experience I had with egg whites as an ingredient was at The Salted Pig, and I have to admit, I was a little grossed out by it. I always thought that was pretty gross, to eat raw egg whites. I hear that body builders will down whole raw eggs in order to get clean protein in their bodies quickly (Million Dollar Baby, anyone??). Eff that I said. Effit.
But this day was a little different. The drink was made by a person I trust, and the drink contained pretty rare Japanese Whiskey, which was delicious by itself.
I figured that any “bad textures” on behalf of Mr. Egg White would be offset by this delicious whiskey. So, with trust and logic (even if it was loose at best), I took my first sip, and instead of being repulsed, I was delighted! So delighted in fact, that I had to make one of my own when I returned home!
I’m sure you’ll be delighted too. You trust me, right? Here’s my version of the drink, adapted to what I could find both in the store and in my pantry. The egg white smooths out the acidity of the lemon juice, and gives it a nice, creamy texture. To die for, actually!!
Cheers To Trust!
- Ice
- 2 Basil leaves plus more for garnish
- 1 Teaspoon sliced fresh Fresno or Serrano Chiles
- 2 Organic, Free Range Egg Whites
- 4 Ounces Rye Whiskey
- 2 Ounces Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 Ounce Real Maple Syrup (I used Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup from <a href=”http://www.blisgourmet.com” target=”_blank”>BLiS Gourmet</a>
- 4 Drops Angostura Bitters
- Blood Orange Soda for topping.
- Fill a cocktail shaker 1/3 full with ice.
- Add the basil, chiles, egg whites, whiskey, lemon juice, maple syrup, and bitters to the shaker.
- Fill two 12 ounce glasses with crushed ice.
- Shake the cocktail shaker vigorously (with the lid on!) for 30 seconds to a minute.
- Strain into the two glasses, top with blood orange soda, garnish with an orange peel, fresh basil leaves, and slices of Serrano or Fresno Chiles.
I haven’t ever had a drink with egg whites. Very interesting indeed. It looks delicious.
Add some pancakes to that drink and I am fully on-board lol
I felt the same way when I first started learning about all the old-timey drinks with egg whites. I love them now! Just think if it as a meringue pie 🙂