Eggs Are Expensive—Save Them for Cocktails

Despite being a common inclusion in drinks dating back to at least the Middle Ages, cocktails that involve raw eggs can evoke fascination or revulsion in modern drinkers. Salmonella scares in the 1980s and ’90s caused much of the globe to reevaluate their relationship with eggs—particularly raw eggs.

However, as regulations relating to hygiene and poultry vaccination efforts helped to ease risk of the bacteria in the last 20 years, bartenders began to again incorporate eggs into cocktails, bringing back popular classics like the Ramos Gin Fizz, Pink Lady, Pisco Sour and the New York Flip.

“Raw eggs are used in cocktails for their texture,” says Natahlie Durrieu, head bartender at Experimental Cocktail Club in New York City. “Either in the sour (egg white) category, where the egg is going to bring some frothiness and lightness to the cocktail, or in the flip (egg yolk or full egg) category, where the eggs are going to bring some creamy, smooth and velvety consistency to the cocktail.”

So, what actually happens when you add raw egg to cocktails? And should you really feel comfortable drinking them?

Safety First

Eggs contain many dense proteins. When you shake an egg white in a cocktail, proteins realign and stretch out to create new links, capturing air bubbles in the process. This changes its color from clear to white and causes it to expand in volume. It’s like the protein realignment that happens when you cook an egg, minus the heat.

This is why saying “the alcohol ‘cooks’ the egg” is misleading. Shaking an egg in alcohol and citrus may accomplish a similar molecular result as cracking one into a warm frying pan, but the temperature doesn’t rise to levels that would kill harmful bacteria if present. Similarly, while citric acid and alcohol could theoretically kill bacteria, in cocktails they’re usually not present in strong enough concentrations to accomplish the task without unrealistically prolonged exposure.

Regardless, these kinds of drinks have become so popular in recent years, most of today’s cocktail bar patrons don’t seem too concerned about food poisoning from drinks anyway. “I feel like we’re past guests worrying about that,” says Duerrieu. “Nowadays, guests trust their bartenders more and more, if they have concerns about salmonella or other things.” 

The truth is, it’s never going to be 100% safe to consume raw eggs. However, if you order a cocktail at a reasonably clean bar that follows good hygiene and uses pasteurized or fresh washed eggs, there isn’t any more risk than ordering eggs Benedict at a restaurant, and is statistically much less likely to kill you than crossing a busy street to get to a bar. (That said, maybe skip ordering a Clover Club at your beer-and-shot dive with the Velcro-stick floors.)

Your primary safeguard in egg cocktails isn’t anything the bartender does when mixing your drink, but rather good hygiene before you arrive, along with the FDA’s stringent guidelines on the immunization of chickens and handling of poultry products.

While outbreaks still happen, they’re relatively rare and tend to get contained quickly. 

If you’re too scared to add raw egg to your drink or just don’t eat eggs, there are other options, such as aquafaba (the leftover cooking liquid from chickpeas). While it’s not exactly the same, and can leave a slightly bean-infused flavor in the recipe, the mouthfeel and texture are similar to egg whites—which is the whole point of incorporating them into a drink.

Shake it Out

Shaking eggs in cocktails is akin to making a meringue. In fact, the ingredients in most meringues—egg whites, sugar and sometimes a touch of acid like lemon or lime—also happen to be those used in many cocktails.

The difference, of course, is cocktails have more liquid, which creates foam with less structure than what you’d see topping a lemon meringue pie.

It’s also one reason you may see bartenders performing what’s called a “dry shake.” This involves shaking all the ingredients without ice, to create a foam without the dilution of ice, and then chilling the drink with ice before straining.

“An egg has to be whipped to create foam, it incorporates air and gives it that fluffy and frothy texture,” says Duerrieu, of the technique. “It also helps blend together the rest of the ingredients to improve the cocktail’s overall taste, creating a more cohesive and well-balanced drink.”