Jun 242011
 

Recently at one of our Shaker Nights we were asked by a guest what a flip was, how one flipped, why and what exactly it brought to a cocktail.  This brings about the whole “yeah or nay” on raw eggs debate.  Wars were fought over less.

So, salmonella scares aside- a flip (adding egg whites to a shaken cocktail) is simply a way to add body and create a foamy top to the drink.  Shaker One thinks you do achieve a more smooth mouth feel with the egg whites, but it in no way affects the overall flavor of your drink.

Which do we prefer?  We of course decided to do a head to head taste test (so to speak).

Spicy Lemon Drop vs. Spicy Lemon Flip:

And the verdict?  The Shakers both enjoy them either way.  Certain martinis lend themselves to the foam.  The Earl Grey MarTeani, for example, suffers from the absence of the egg if you leave it out.  The Spicy Lemon Drop can be enjoyed equally either way.   Bottom line, like so many other things it comes down to personal preference.  Flip or don’t.  Whatever floats your boat.

 

Just stay away from the Frothee.  :/

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May 202011
 

If you haven’t noticed, Shaker One has been on a bit of a flip kick of late.  Something about Spring makes the foamy lightness enticing to me.  I’m finding myself taking all sorts of “regular” cocktails and flipping them. Since I’ve already had my failed experiment with Mr. Frothee,  I’ve decided to stick with egg whites.  I am finding a big difference in the head that results from a regular shaker vs. a Boston style shaker.

 

Tonight’s victim?   A classic Vodka Gimlet.  <Forgive me Raymond Chandler>

Wanting just a light cocktail to end the weekend, I threw the usual suspects into my regular shaker, added ice, one egg white, and gave the whole thing a shaking like I was trying to force a confession out of it.  Vigorous though my efforts were, when I poured it out into the glass, it was only moderately foamy.  Huh.  Now, I usually use a Boston style shaker for all things flip.  Tonight I just happened to grab the shaker in front in the bar.  I suspect that the extra room in a Boston shaker allows more movement of the ice and liquids, resulting in increased foam volume.  I shall need to do some further research to back up this theory.

The cocktail itself was quite enjoyable, despite it’s pittance of foam.  At the last minute (and after the photo) I shook just a dash of bitters onto it……very nice!  It added a good balance to the tart sweetness of the Rose’s Lime.  Tough to beat a classic gimlet.

Next up in the exploration of all drinks flip~ Meringue:  Breaks Down or Holds Up?

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