Bar Professional Glass Rack Chrome 30 Cm
Bar Professional Black Glass Rack 30 Cm
Bar Professional Glass Rack Black 40 Cm
Bar Professional Brass Glass Rack 30 Cm
How the foam forms
Egg white consists of proteins that unfold when shaken and form a network around air bubbles. The acid from lemon or lime helps stabilize this network, while sugar keeps it supple. That is why it works so well in a sour: spirits, acid, sweetness, and egg white are exactly the ingredients for a sturdy layer of foam.
Aquafaba, the cooking liquid from a can of chickpeas, contains similar proteins and starch and foams almost as well. It has no noticeable flavor in a cocktail and is the standard for vegan sours.
The dry shake
First, shake the cocktail without ice for ten to fifteen seconds, as hard as you can. Without ice, the egg white has room to absorb air. Then add ice to the shaker and shake for another ten seconds to chill and dilute. Double-strain into the glass and let the drink sit for a moment: the foam rises to the top.
The reverse order, first with ice and then without, known as a reverse dry shake, gives an even thicker foam. The spring from a hawthorne strainer, placed loose in the shaker, does the same job as a whisk. Read about shaking itself in our article on shaking or stirring.
How much, and is it safe?
Half an egg white or 1.5 cl per cocktail; a whole egg white makes the drink heavy. Use 2 cl of aquafaba. Raw egg white carries a small risk of salmonella, so use fresh eggs from the fridge, or pasteurized egg white from a carton. Pregnant women and older adults should use aquafaba.
The foam looks best in a glass with a wide surface: a coupe or a tumbler with a large ice cube. Three drops of bitters on the foam, optionally drawn into a pattern with a pick, finish it off. Read our article about the sour glass and browse the bar tools.
The right tools
The Bar Professional Boston shaker holds 80 cl, large enough for a dry shake with plenty of air. The Hawthorne strainer has a spring that you can place loose inside the shaker for extra foam. Find everything in the bar tools collection.
Bar Professional Boston Shaker Set Stainless Steel 80 cl
Bar Professional Hawthorne Stainless Steel Cocktail Strainer
Good to know
Which cocktails get foam?
Whisky sour, pisco sour, amaretto sour, gin fizz, Ramos gin fizz, Clover Club, and espresso martini, although the foam in that one comes from the coffee.
Can you leave out the egg white?
Yes, the cocktail will be thinner and sharper. A gin fizz without egg white is simply a gin fizz; a whisky sour without egg white is called a Boston sour in many bars.
How long does the foam last?
A few minutes. So drink a sour right away. Aquafaba settles a little faster than egg white.
Frequently asked questions
How do you get foam on a cocktail?
Use half an egg white or 2 cl of aquafaba, shaken first without ice (dry shake) and then with ice. Double strain and let it sit briefly. Check out our bar tools.
What is a dry shake?
Shake without ice so the egg white absorbs air. Then shake again with ice to chill.
Is aquafaba a good substitute for egg white?
Yes. 2 cl of aquafaba per cocktail creates almost the same foam and is vegan and free from salmonella risk.
Everything for your bar,
in one place
Bar tools and glassware in hospitality-grade quality. Order today, delivered quickly.
Shop bar tools →
