The Safest Ways To Separate Egg Whites And Yolks When Mixing Them Into A Beverage

For those with a penchant for sour cocktails (here's a tip to take your whiskey sour to the next level), raw eggs are non-negotiable. Frothed egg whites counterbalance the punch of citrus perfectly, while adding a velvety, rich texture to the drink. Taste aside, adding egg whites to drinks creates a gorgeous white froth on top, giving a naturally minimalist look that can be left as it is or dressed up in garnish. Egg yolks, on the other hand, add a rich flavor and creamy texture, which makes them ideal for drinks like eggnog. 

But just like eating tartare or sushi, consuming raw eggs does come with some risk, especially because eggs are susceptible to salmonella. Mitigating the risks starts when purchasing your eggs. Make sure that you buy eggs that are refrigerated, and have a USDA stamp on them if possible. The stamp means you can rest assured that they have been washed and inspected. It is then critical to separate egg whites and yolks in the safest way possible before adding them to your drinks. There are a few different techniques to do this, including the old fashioned way with a bowl and spoon or the easier method of using a slotted spoon. If you are serious about making experimental cocktails and regularly impressing your friends with Chicago fizzes and pisco sours, you might want to invest in an egg separator.

When separating raw eggs for drinks, the most important thing is to have as little contact with the egg shell as possible, as it could have potentially picked up some bacteria along the way. Keeping this in mind, you can always use the tried-and-true method of cracking your egg into a bowl and removing the egg yolk from the white with a spoon. Alternatively, you can carefully crack the egg into a slotted spoon over a bowl and wait until all of the egg white has dropped down away from the yolk. A step up from the slotted spoon method is to use an egg separator, a little kitchen appliance specifically designed for the purpose of separating yolks from whites. Simply crack the egg into it and the egg white will easily make a clean break from the yolk.

To avoid any risk of bacteria at all, it's best to use pasteurized eggs. Pasteurized eggs have been heated to a point where all bacteria are killed prior to being sold. This is why most eggnog sold in supermarkets is totally safe to drink. There's a bit of debate among bartenders as to whether pasteurized eggs create as much froth as unpasteurized eggs, but as far a food safety is concerned, they are the best choice for making drinks that call for raw eggs.