Out of Its Shell

The idea of using egg whites in cocktails may sound unconventional to mainstream palates, but the practice couldn’t be more classic—and actually dates back to the fizzes, flips and sours of the pre-Prohibition era. In keeping with mixology’s current reverence for all things old school, then, it’s no wonder that bartenders from coast to coast are back to cracking eggs into their shakers. 

Why egg whites? Ask any bartender and they’ll...