This week we’ll be adding foam to cocktails. Foam
drinks. The process of shaking a drink adds air to a cocktail so it’s just a matter of finding a way to get the bubbles to stick around. Simply, adding a starch and/or protein will help form a stronger bubble. There are a number of different ingredients that can do this, we will be focusing on three: Egg Whites, Aqua Fava, and Pineapple Juice.
Hardware:
Boston Shaker
Hawthorne Strainer
Mesh Strainer
Jigger
Measuring Cup / Glass
Liquid Measuring Cup with Pour Spot* (*any glass or bowl will do in a pinch)
Can Opener
Ingredients:
Eggs (1 egg per cocktail)
15oz. can of Garbanzo/Fava Beans
Pineapple Juice
Lemon Juice
Syrups as desired
Whiskey
Garnish as desired (lemon wedge, cherry, umbrella, etc.)
EGG WHITES
People who enjoy a whiskey sour often request the inclusion of an egg white, a popular ingredient in the preparation. Not only does an egg white add foam to the drink, it adds more body and mouthfeel. An additional upside is that egg whites do not add flavor to the drink. The downside, however, is that many people do not eat eggs or won't eat raw eggs (I am not one of those people), so it’s important to check before you incorporate it into a drink.
Keep in mind, the fresher your eggs are, the better they will be for creating a long lasting foam on your drinks. Now, let’s get started.
Separating Egg Whites
There are a number of ways to separate egg whites from the yolk (and of course there is a device that makes it easy), but I stick to one of two methods. I either use the shells of the egg or use my Hawthorn strainer. Below is a step-by-step of the egg shell method, and you can check out the video above for a demo of how to use the Hawthorn strainer.
Egg Shell Method
Over a liquid measuring cup, crack the egg trying to keep the two halves even and in good shape
Pour the egg yolk back and forth between the two shell halves while allowing the whites to drip into the measuring cup below
Once the majority of the white is in the measuring cup, discard the egg yolk.
Check the egg whites for any small bits of shell, and use one of the shell halves to remove it, I find that the easiest way to get them out.)
Making a Sour with Foam - Egg Whites
Now that the egg whites are ready, it’s time to make a foamy and wonderful cocktail!
In the smaller tin from your Boston shaker set, build a sour using your favorite recipe
Add 1 egg white (approx 1 oz of egg white) to the tin
Seal the tin with no ice and shake vigorously* - like it owes you money - for about ten seconds. Called a “dry shake,” this is done to help incorporate the egg whites into the drink and jumpstart the foaming process without over diluting your drink *Make sure you have a good seal on the tins and a secure hold on them both. You will not have the vacuum effect that you do when ice is in the tin to create a tighter seal.
Crack the seal on the Boston shaker
Add ice
Reseal the tins and shake again as you normal would
Strain the drink into a glass over fresh ice or into a cocktail glass with no ice
Once done pouring, agitate the tin to help shake any remaining foam onto the cocktail
AQUA FAVA
Aqua Fava is a fancy name for bean juice - aka the liquid from in the can of Garbanzo/Fava Beans you bought for this week. The foam will not be as dense as it would be with an egg white, but Aqua Fava is a great vegetarian-friendly way to add foam to a cocktail.
When using this method, it’s important to keep in mind that unlike an egg white, Aqua Fava also adds flavor to the drink. First, Aqua Fava will add a touch of earthiness to the drink, so you may decide more syrup. Also, because canned beans typically include some salt/sodium, it’s important to use Garbanzo/Fava beans with the lowest sodium possible. Salt (in small quantities) can be used to balance acidity in cocktails just like syrups, so you will likely want to add a touch more citrus to keep the drink balanced.
Making a Sour with Foam - Aqua Fava
Strain the liquid - the Aqua Fava - from a can of Garbanzo/Fava beans into a container. [You should expect to get about 3-5oz. of Aqua Fava per standard can].
Pour 1 oz. of Aqua Fava into the small tin from your Boston shaker
.5 oz. of syrup
.5 oz. of citrus
2 oz. of spirit [whiskey]
Swirl and taste the drink
Adjust the drink as needed by adding more citrus and/or syrup to the tin until you have achieved your desired balance. Remember, you can always add more, but you cannot take it out, so only add .25oz of either at a time as you work to find your balance
Seal your Boston shaker and dry shake for 10 seconds
Break the seal and add ice
Reseal the Boston shaker
Shake the drink until chilled
Strain the drink into a glass over fresh ice or into a cocktail glass with no ice
Once done pouring, agitate the tin to help shake any remaining foam onto the cocktail
Write down your final recipe in your cocktail journal
PINEAPPLE JUICE
Pineapple Juice adds a great foam to cocktails. As always, fresh Pineapple is best––plus the leaves and rind are great for garnishing your drinks. However, Dole's six-pack of small 6oz. cans of pineapple juice are a great substitute, plus they can be kept as part of your "Go Bar."
Obviously, using this method will affect the flavor––as any juice would––so keep that in mind. Also, not everyone likes pineapple juice, so it’s important to check before incorporating it into a drink.
Making a Sour with Foam - Pineapple Juice
Build a sour as you normally would following the techniques for using multiple juices in a sour, as introduced in “Week 5: Creativity From the Cupboard”
With the addition of pineapple juice you will end up with a nice foam on your finished cocktail. The more pineapple juice you use, the more foam you will have
Write down your final recipe in your cocktail journal
TIPS & IDEAS
An electric whisk (used for frothing milk in cappuccinos) can be used instead of a dry shake
Use a combination of cracked ice and 1 large (2” x 2”) cube in your shake to get more foam. If you do not have a silicon mold to make large cubes, you can use paper cups to make them. NOTE: Large format cubes take up a lot of room in the freezer and you only use them once during the shake and then dispose of them, so I would recommend sticking to standard cubes when entertaining
Remember to write down your winning recipes for each method
When making drinks with Aqua Fava, I tend to use more flavorful syrups and/or spirits that have an earthy/vegetal component to them (e.g. mezcal, lowland tequila) to balance the inherent earthiness from the beans
Experiment with how much Aqua Fava you use in the cocktail to find the balance of foam to earthiness you prefer
Use the Garbanzo/Fava beans to make hummus, bean salad or just add them to a salad
Cream is the foaming agent most obviously excluded from my list and is used in drinks like the Ramos Gin Fizz in combination. Not to worry - we will cover it in a later post
There are a ton of other ways to add foam to a drink using things like Xantham Gum, Agar, ISI Whippers and many other ingredients and techniques. You can find a number of interesting recipes for these online, and some will be covered in later posts.
Look up the recipe for a New York Sour. You will be able to make a version that is pretty close to the original by substituting bourbon for rye whiskey. Make this using either an Egg White or Aqua Fava. If you’re careful when adding the wine, you will have a great tasting (and great looking) drink with three layers to it
WEEKLY CHALLENGE
Make an original cocktail using Aqua Fava. Keep in mind that it adds a bit of earthiness to a drink so try not to just mask the flavor, but incorporate the flavor into your drink in a pleasing way.
Share your creations on Instagram with #JRinthehomeBAR and tag me @JRintheBAR
SHOPPING LIST FOR NEXT WEEK
Lemons (with a dimpled texture)
Sweeteners (if you need them)
Fresh Mint x 2 (Get A LOT of mint. Think rubber band or twist tie, not a dainty plastic package). **Try to get the mint at the last moment so that it’s especially fresh. (Next week we’ll go over how to care for fresh herbs so they last)
If you have a cookie sheet, fill it with water and put it in your freezer. You’ll want to have a sheet of ice for next week.