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| Royal Gin Fizz |
Silver Fizz - uses egg white
Gold Fizz - uses egg yolk
Royal Fizz - uses whole egg
Wait. Come back. Don’t leave. Let’s face it, the idea of an egg in a cocktail tends to fall into two camps. Nervous and Intrigued. If you are a member of the “Intrigued” camp. Stick around. You’ll be glad you did. If you fall into the "Nervous" camp, I’d encourage you to still give this a read & possibly try for yourself.
First up, Gin. Gin is a spirit of cereal grains that is flavored by the use of botanicals. Botanicals, quite simply are ingredients taken from plants and flowers such as the following, bark, berries, fruits and fruit peels, leaves, roots, seeds. The primary flavor of gin comes from juniper berries. In fact juniper berries are the defining ingredient of all gins. My preferred gin is Bombay Sapphire which is considered by many to be a premium brand and in my opinion is tremendous for making gin martinis. It is also my preferred gin for the Royal Gin Fizz.
The principle of a Fizz is an acidic juice with carbonated water. In the case of a Gin Fizz the acidic juice is freshly squeezed lemon juice and the carbonated water is club soda. There is another variation called the Diamond Fizz which uses sparkling wine in place of the club soda. With our Gin Fizz a little simple syrup is added to sweeten up the cocktail and bring out the sweetness in the gin botanicals.
So before we build our cocktail let’s talk a bit about the egg, the “Royal” in our Royal Gin Fizz. The primary concern people have about using egg in a cocktail is health especially avoidance of salmonella (though some may also have a flashback to that scene from Rocky). In my own research I have found the consensus to be that it is safe to use raw eggs in cocktails provided one has employed the following safety measures.
1. Only purchase eggs from refrigerated cases.
2. Only use pasteurized eggs as the pasteurization process is what kills any bacteria in the egg.
3. Store in a refrigerator immediately after purchasing.
4. Observe dates. The USDA recommends only storing eggs up to 3 weeks.
5. When in doubt, throw it out. If it is cracked, discolored, or has any abnormalities, do not risk your health.
For more, information see the following Egg Safety
Now, while there is no guarantee against samonella, the already favorable odds against become all that more favorable. So, with all safety in place let’s build our cocktail.
Royal Gin Fizz
1 ½ Oz Gin
1 Oz Lemon Juice
1 Oz Simple Syrup
1 Whole Egg
Club Soda
3 Cherries
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Combine all except the Soda in a shaker.
Shake extra well due to egg
Pour over ice in Old Fashioned Glass
Top with Soda, stir, garnish with 3 cherry lay
Fill a cocktail glass with ice, and set aside. Now, with your shaker glass add 1 1/2 oz of gin, 1 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 oz of simple syrup, and finally crack in 1 whole egg. Seal your shaker and shake this up a bit so everything gels together. Now, add your ice and shake it up again. Then shake it just a bit more. Remember: you really want to work the egg into the cocktail. You want velvety texture throughout. Once done shaking strain into your glass with ice. Spear up 3 cherries.and lay them across the rim of the glass. I like odd numbers for garnishes as it's is much more artistically pleasing, and I use 3 cherries for this drink because it is special, after all it is a Royal Gin Fizz. Enjoy!
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I was fairly certain this drink could not be improved upon. Until last week.
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| Lost Buoy Gin |
My wife and I were on a short getaway to Cannon Beach. During some shopping downtown I discovered the Cannon Beach Distillery, and they were doing tastings! Oh, joy and revellings! Cannon Beach Distillery has been in business a little over a year and their current product line consists of Doreymen’s Rum (lite), Donlon Shanks Rum (amber), Peters’ Family Gin, and Lost Buoy Gin. Next year they will also have some Whiskey and Bourbon, (squee the manliest squee possible).
Mike Selberg, the owner, was there working his tasting bar and it was great to talk spirits, shaking & the magics behind it all with him. I especially liked the Lost Buoy Gin. And though I cannot even attempt to “identify all the nuances and textures of it’s flavor palette” (sorry, taking a moment to laugh at myself for typing that.) I will say I loved the flavor, it was very smooth, sweet and had a lingering warmth that made me giggly in the tasting buds. And when I made a Royal Gin Fizz with the Lost Buoy Gin the next day...well, perfection got perfected-ier. If you love good spirits as much as I do I highly recommend stopping by next time you are in Cannon Beach.
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