Recipe
- 2oz dry apricot brandy (note: this is NOT apricot liqueur and should not taste sweet)
- .75oz lime juice
- .75oz simple syrup (1:1 sugar/water ratio)
- Egg white
- (optional) Few drops of Angostura bitters
Dry shake (shake without ice) all ingredients for 10 seconds. Add ice and continue shaking until chilled. Strain into a coupe and optionally add a few drops of Angostura bitters.
About
Mmm…this is essentially a variation of a pisco sour, but using a different fruit brandy in place of the Peruvian grape-based pisco. Here I chose the Zwack Barack Palinka, a Hungarian dry apricot brandy. The foamy top is formed by the addition of egg whites, and although you may be familiar with the use of egg white in cocktails, here’s a quick science lesson explaining why that works.
Egg white’s foaming/whipping properties have been used in the culinary world for hundreds of years and is the secret behind those fluffy meringues and tasty airy French macarons. Egg whites are made of protein, which are large molecules that are composed of both water-loving and water-fearing amino acids. As the proteins are agitated during the whipping process, air bubbles are introduced into the mix and the proteins unwind from their natural coiled states. The water-fearing amino acids take safety inside the air bubbles, and the water-loving ones form a barrier outside and start new bonds with nearby molecules. This results in a stable layer of foam that then rests beautifully atop your cocktail. Cheers!