Frank Antonetti, Head Bartender at Swallow in Huntington is back again this month to give a fun new drink with an ingredient long since forgotten, the Egg!
What’s up, hard drinkers? Ready to get historical? This month, I wanted to focus on a topic of debate in the modern world of craft cocktails: the use of egg. Pre-prohibition, eggs were regularly used in a wide array of drinks, most commonly Flips, Fizzes and Sours. Some drinks called for the whole egg, most (as in this month’s drink) will just use the white. As the decades passed and hygiene standards deteriorated behind the bar, salmonella became an increasing risk, and sadly most bars and their tenders took the easier route of just eliminating eggs from their drinks. These days, we have a better understanding of how to properly store and use our produce, and more and more bars are returning to this fantastic and viable ingredient. When in doubt, just remember some basics:
- Start with the freshest eggs you can find.
- Ensure they’re clean (even if you wash them yourself) and uncracked.
- Store them in a very cold place in your fridge.
- Ensure your hands and all your equipment are scrupulously clean before making your cocktail.
- When in doubt, use pasteurized eggs instead.
Now that we’ve got our black belt in egg handling, let’s make a great classic cocktail,
The New York Sour;
Start off by adding an ounce each of lemon juice and simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water, stirred over high heat until the sugar dissolves and then cooled) to your mixing tin.
Next, add an ounce and a half of a bourbon or rye of your choice. If you’re feeling festive, use an Irish Whiskey.
I mean whatever, dog; it’s your drink.
Next add your egg white.
Finally add your ice and shake the ever-living shit out of it for 10 seconds.
double strain (use a Hawthorne strainer through a mesh strainer) into a rocks glass with fresh ice. Next, take a nice peppery red (I prefer Malbec) and float on top of the cocktail, using the back of your barspoon.
That’s it! Garnish to your liking and serve that shit, man. Congratulations, you’re on your way to the true Hipster Mixologist Hall Of Fame. I’d meet you there but I got hammered and left my tweed vest at Mary Carrol’s a few weeks ago, so I’ve been shunned by the community.
Cheers,
Frank Antonetti
Frank Antonetti is the Head Bartender at Swallow Restaurant, an award winning small plates restaurant serving technique driven modern American cuisine paired with Long Island’s premiere craft cocktail and spirits program. Born and raised on Long Island, Frank seeks to push the culture east of the 5 boroughs forward and continuously deliver the best drinks and experience to his guests.
