Make a Large Serving of Sour in Your Blender
Generally, shaking vigorously is required to get a fluffy, stable lather on top of sour. This is not a problem if you have some upper body strength, but some people ( like me ) have to “shake”, which means splitting the process in two: first create foam from the egg white without ice, and then add ice and shake again to cool. Others do the opposite – the so-called “back shake” – that I am not a supporter (the bubbles are bigger, but I need the tiny ones ). However, if you have a blender, this discussion is invalid.
You probably think of your blender as a tool for making cocktails like margarita, but it turns out that this is a limited and limited worldview for humans. According to Jeffrey Morgenthaler , bar manager and author of several cocktail books such as Drinking Distilled , you can make fluffy, perfectly chilled sour drinks or any shake that needs shaking right in the blender. You just need to add less ice.
I originally emailed Jeffrey to ask him what he thought about the reverse shake. Turns out Jeffrey has a “very strong cocktail,” so he “doesn’t do any of that,” but added that “reverse dry shaking is pretty darn stupid too. If it’s all about chilling the drink, what do we do by shaking it for a minute after we’re done chilling? This is a pointless technique. “
“Your best bet is to throw it all into a blender with one 1″ x 1 “cube and beat until the ice is gone,” he explained. “This is how I make all my cocktails at home that require shaking. It will be less messy and much easier. Just use one of these ice cubes to make an acidic drink. It’s better than shaking it in every way. “
It’s brilliant for me. Adding one ice cube this size along with the rest of the acidic ingredients provides just the right amount of cold and dilution by the time it melts, while the blades do the work for you. Simply add two ounces of rubbing alcohol, 3/4 ounce of lemon or lime, 3/4 ounce of plain syrup (or other liquid sweetener) and half the egg white along with an ice cube and beat until the cube is no longer visible. … It really is the laziest way to make this slightly finicky and finicky drink. And I love to be lazy.