Meet Your Eggs: A guide to using safe eggs in cocktails
Eggs are used in cocktails to add a creamy texture and mouthfeel, increase volume, create rich flavour, and add an appealing foam.
Eggs are often used raw in drinks, and so it is important you buy high quality eggs from a source you trust.
In our classes, we only use Meadow Haven Farm eggs. Now, if you're not in the Chicago-area (or near one of these pickup locations), you're not necessarily out of luck! Head over to this site by the USDA and search for farmers market near you - and look for someone who sells eggs. Use Meadow Haven farm's "Meet Your Eggs" poster below as a guide to ask the farmer how they raise their chickens and collect/wash their eggs.
This handy poster talks about Meadow Haven Farm's egg production from the soil, up! Use the info here as a guide to understanding how your local farmer produces their eggs.
Don't be scared to use egg whites in your cocktails! According to this Washington Post article, Don't Fear the Egg White:
“Of course, salmonella is no joking matter. But the reality is that since the salmonella scares of previous decades, the danger of encountering the bacteria has become infinitesimal. You’re more likely — about four times more likely — to choke on a handful of bar nuts than you are to get salmonella poisoning, according to statistics from the National Safety Council. Beyond that, most cocktails that call for raw eggs also call for fresh lemon or lime juice — and the citric acid, along with the alcohol, further neutralizes salmonella risk.”
As the season continues, we'll update this post to include links to egg white cocktail recipes, tips and tricks of how to incorporate eggs into drinks, and other useful information! Check back soon!