Vegan Cocktails: Cream & Egg Alternatives
Hey y’all! Finding delicious and easy-to-execute egg and cream alternatives for vegan cocktails has been a fun + challenging project to keep me busy during quarantine, and I’m really proud of the creations below.
I’ll start by presenting some easy alternatives that I’ve worked with before, some are great time-savers and produce lovely cocktails, and others I wouldn’t recommend.
Baileys Almande is made with almond milk and vanilla, and is sweet and smooth. I’m a big fan of this for boozy vegan milkshakes (I’ll be releasing a popular recipe I made at World of Whirlpool later this year)!
Vegan sorbettos and ice creams are another fabulous way to incorporate sweetness into cocktails. Talenti makes some fantastic products, as does Oatly, which is made from oat milk and produces a nutty flavour. They even have Oat flavour now, which is just neutral enough to be incorporated in cocktails that require creaminess but no added flavour (think of using it to make a White Russian, omitting the cream and ice).
Other simple options to sub milk/cream in cocktails are the incredible variety of non-dairy milk alternatives that exist (though hemp and soy milks never tastes quite right), and of course, I’ve seen some folks pack a 2-for-1 punch, using non-dairy creamers (yup, the same stuff you put in your coffee) that can be both a sweetener and create creaminess. I’ll be perfectly honest, though, and mention that the latter coats the mouth and feels slick and…unnatural. I wouldn’t recommend them.
But there are other, more involved alternatives, that, if I’m being honest, take a little more finessing, but lead to incredible results if you can nail them. And this week, I nailed them.
coconut cream
I wanted to make coconut whipped cream to sit on top of cocktails (like I’ve done with boozy milkshakes), so I took the easiest route and bought canned coconut cream, separated out the fattier cream part, chilled it, and then whipped it into submission.
The coconut cream I used (La Preferida) was pre-sweetened (and I mean super sweet!), and ended up being a great substitute for cream in a drink, and a whipped cream substitute for milkshakes and thicker drinks. It did not, as I expected, hold up like a whipped cream top on the top of more liquid-y drinks, and does need a heartier cocktail base to sit upon.
Vegan Coconut Gin Sour (makes ONE cocktail)
Craving a creamy, balanced gin sour that the complexity of bitters? No need for egg white: Coconut cream and whipped aquafaba do the trick!
2 oz. contemporary-style gin (I used Fleischmann’s)
.5 oz. coconut cream
.5 oz. coconut water (found beneath the coconut cream surface in the can - it’s the liquid part!)
.75 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
5 Ice cubes
Dollup of aquafaba (see recipe below)
OPTIONAL: 2-4 capfuls of HOLLOW LEG Black Pepper Bitters (or your fave bitters/tinctures)
In a blender, whip the first 5 ingredients together until the ice is smooth. Pour into a glass.
If you have HOLLOW LEG Black Pepper Bitters, now is the time to add!
Fold in a large dollop of aquafaba, and enjoy!
AQUAFABA
The second ingredient I turned to was aquafaba, or cooked chickpea water (also known as Garbanzo beans in the U.S.). This stuff is stupid easy to make as long as you have a hand, stand mixer, and even an immersion blender, though I didn’t have great luck whipping it in a conventional blender or food processor (prove me wrong!).
It’s so important to remember that you can customise your whipped aquafaba. For our Vegan Reese’s Cup Cocktail, I used regular chickpea water with sodium to get the balance of salty/sweet in the drink. For other styles of whipped aquafaba, you can use low or no sodium.
Whipped Aquafaba Ingredients:
4oz aquafaba juice
4 tsp. regular white sugar
Shake the can of chickpeas well, then open the can and strain the chickpeas (should produce about 1 cup liquid). You’ll add 4 oz. liquid into a KitchenAid stand mixer (or use a hand mixer), add the sugar, and whip for about 3 minutes on high. SAVE THE OTHER 4 oz. for more whipped aquafaba! Your whipped aquafaba should look like the image to the right.
I’ll caution you that aquafaba does have a distinct bean-y smell (one of my test-tasters described it as smelling like gym shoes), but once you add a bit of sugar, whip it, and chill it, it dissipates.
How do you incorporate this marshmallow-cream consistency egg white alternative into cocktails? I have a BUNCH of recipes for you, whether you’re a fan of something tart/sweet; bitter/creamy; love Cinnabon + coffee; or want something that’s dessert in a glass!
Strawberry Dreamsicle
The whipped aquafaba balances the tartness of the vinegar-based shrub, adding sweet creaminess, and the lavender tinctures add a distinctive floral aromatic. Don’t know what a shrub is or how to make it? Go here!
One large spoonful of whipped aquafaba (recipe above)
1 part vodka
1 part strawberry shrub (here’s our recipe!)
1 capful HOLLOW LEG Lavender Tinctures
Take a big dollop of whipped aquafaba and line a martini glass.
Mix the other ingredients in a shaker, add ice, and shake vigorously for 12 seconds. Pour the drink into the martini glass over the whipped aquafaba.
Admire and drink!
Craving something that tastes JUST like Cinnabon?
Reminiscent of days when your Mom dropped you off at the mall with your friends and Cinnabon was a Siren’s song, 90s Food Court is a nod to creamy coffee liqueurs and cinnamon spice, and it tastes, convincingly, like a cinnamon bun!
Best part? This gorgeous creation is perfect for breakfast with its infusion of espresso!
Vegan Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cocktail
I’m particularly proud of the Vegan Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cocktail, which honestly, rocked my world.
I made two the night I first made it, and another one the next day, and I miiiight make it again every time I need something sweet. You can find the entire recipe here!
CREAMY PERSIMMON DIGESTIF
Craving a bitter, creamy drink perfect for a digestif? Look no further than this mini-cocktail meant to be sipped. Featuring our friends Apologue Liqueurs’ Persimmon Liqueur, and is aromatic with agave.
You can serve it in tiny tea/espresso cups and pretend you’re somewhere fancy during quarantine! Find the recipe here!
I will briefly note that there are chemical alternatives that create foam and/or creaminess in cocktails:
cream of tartar (generally used in vegan baking, it can make cocktails taste bitter and unpleasant);
The Original Frothee (this is super old school, but more importantly, has a soapy mouthfeel);
and Fee Brother’s Frothy Mixer (which is NOT vegan-friendly, as they use non-fat dry milk);
but stay away from these. Either dedicate the time to making a whipped aquafaba that works, or stick with other cocktails that are vegan by design. The synthetic flavours and weird mouthfeels are not worth it!