The Incredible Drinkable Egg White

Sorry for the punny title - we haven't had our coffee yet. We were at a cocktail party this weekend and some friends of ours were waxing poetic about some drinks they had while down in Manhattan. They started rattling off the laundry list of ingredients in these extraordinary cocktails and we were nonplussed, until they said a word we'd never heard in relation to cocktails - egg whites. "Hold up," we said..."did you say egg whites?" and we had visions of salmonella poisoning floating through our minds.

In fact they had. We were mildly disgusted and intrigued at the same time, and when we were able to get home and check the Infernets we were able to confirm that yes, egg whites have been...well, not a staple cocktail ingredient, but at least a known one...for quite some time. Apparently it gives your drink a light frothiness you can't get from other drinks (it brings the egg white-heavy merengue on a lemon pie to mind). You can make some great recipes, from the Pink Lady to the Ramos Gin Fizz with the help of our good friend the egg, so we gathered some tips from the good folks at the Webtender to help keep you from fowling them up. Ouch...another pun.

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Vodka Infusion Recipes from Thrillist

We've been hammering Thrillist pretty hard the past couple weeks, featuring all sorts of stories by them. There are two reasons. One, they cover cool stuff that relates to drinking. Two, we're lazy, and their emails (join up) hit our inbox every day just begging to be covered.

Today's installment of "Thrillist Snob" involves vodka infusion recipes so you can make your own flavored vodkas. We've included their tips on how to do infusions below, plus you should head over to their site for recipes - Pravda's Fig Vodka, Big Pepper Infused Vodka and Triple Citrus Vodka. Mmm-mmm good.

First, choose a neutral tasting vodka -- one that's been distilled more than three times and isn't made from potatoes or sold in unmarked plastic jugs . Pick your additive -- be sure it's organic, as pesticides will taint your vodka. Dump everything into an air-tight glass jar and let it sit at room temperature. Most fruits impart their flavors within a couple days, though more fibrous roots (horseradish, ginger, insert hysterical fibrous root joke here) can take a couple weeks.

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Coffee Drink Recipes...Now with Booze!

We've always been proponents of adding booze to your coffee, especially when you need that little pick me up in the morning. We've usually stuck with straight Private Eye coffee (a slug of bourbon in your Joe) and avoided drinks we thought were going to be too sweet, too cloying, too frou frou.

But, we've just received our very first single serve coffee maker, a Melitta One:One (thanks Russ) and we're in the mood for experimentating. (Yes, that's a word). Read on for coffee drinks you can make in the privacy of your own home, both old standbys and new ones we haven't tried (yet).

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Mojito: Embrace Your Inner Cuban

We're calling it. 2006 is the summer of the Mojito. We can't seem to get away from them. Don't get us wrong - we like any drink that combines rum and lime juice, and when you throw mint in there you can't go wrong.

So, we're finally giving up and getting on the Mojito Boat, and what do we find out? After all, even though it's trendy now, this isn't some drink made up by Madison Avenue fatcats to up advertising revenue. It's a distinguished and delicious cocktail with a rich and long history, and rumor has it the Mojito was Papa Hemingway's favorite libation.

Lo and behold, just as we're celebrating our new embrace of an old drink, we get an email from Thrillist offering Mojito recipes and a chance to win a trip to Miami from Bacardi. What're the odds? Read on to find out more.

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More Summer Drink Recipes

We're taking more of in interest in drink recipes lately as we try to move away from drinking our liquor only straight or on the rocks. We used to think cocktails were for wussies but we're finally starting to come around on them. Turns out, booze doesn't have to make you grimace to be worth drinking. We're getting on the bandwagon...as long as you don't ask us to get on that other wagon.

First, forget traditional drinks such as scotch on the rocks, romantic classics such as the Americana and stuffy drinks based on Dubonnet or Lillet. Even that bastion of the tropical British Empire, the gin and tonic, has fallen from favor, according to masters of the mix.

Instead, this summer's trendy drinks are going lighter and less alcoholic for afternoon gatherings. And in the evening, it's all about endless variations of mojitos, a Cuban drink using rum, cane sugar and mint, and martinis, which aren't your daddy's olive-or-twist anymore.

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James Bond Martini Recipe

Let's face it...it'd be pretty damn cool to be James Bond. Jumping out of planes, wrestling with sharks, sexing up everyone with a heartbeat from Monaco to Antarctica. If you want to take a step in the direction we've dug up a recipe for a James Bond Martini. We can't guarantee the lifestyle but at least your breath will smell like James Bond's when you're sitting on the couch watching America's Top Model.

The James Bond Martini
From Casino Royale by Ian Fleming

Three ounces of Gordon’s Gin
One ounce vodka
Half a measure of Kina Lillet

Pour ingredients over ice. Shake it to chill and for texture.
Serve in a deep champagne goblet.

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Isn't This Just Jello Shots for Grownups?

Just found a recipe for something called Vodka Red Squares over at Cocktail Times. Yeah, the recipe calls for things like strawberry gelatin instead of Jell-O and frou frou stuff like "lemon peel vodka" and mint and powdered sugar, but let's cut right to the chase. You can dress it up, you can serve it in a cocktail glass instead of a paper cup, but it's still a damned Jell-O shot. God love 'em.

Serve this one to you parents the next time you have them over for dinner and see how long it takes for them to be making out on the pile of coats in your bedroom. On second thought...don't do that. Read on for the recipe while we drink long and hard to get that image out of our heads.

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Beat the Heat with a Margarita Popsicle Recipe

We just had a smack yourself in the forehead moment over here. It's been mind-numbingly, temper-scorchingly hot here in the Northeast, and all we've been doing to combat it is dropping ice cubes in our jockey shorts and complaining intensely. Not our best plan, so how about we whip up a batch of these alcoholic popsicles instead? At least our undies will stay moderately dryer.

Note: The best part of the recipe is where it says you should leave out the tequila if you're making these for kids. Thanks for the tip, guys - for a second there we were going to double the hooch for the tykes. Read on for the recipe.

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Let's Drink to Summer Drink Recipes

Summer is the time to be experimental with the drink recipes you try. Never had a mojito? It's time to try one. Don't know what's in a real daiquiri? They're not all sweet and raspberry-y, y'know. Never tried Dumpster Juice? What the hell have you been doing with your spare time?

We've found a list of interesting summer drink recipes for the more adventurous, from a basil mojito to a blackberry martini - read on to check them out.

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Blueberry Gin Infusion Recipe

Some hot days there's nothing like a gin and tonic to relieve the summer swelter. But what if you did something crazy like infuse it with blueberries? We've never heard of it either, but doesn't that seem like it'd be EVEN MORE refreshing?

Hidden inside a story that could double for propaganda from the Canadian Blueberry Council, we found the following infusion recipe:

Place 1 cup (250 mL) blueberries in a large glass bottle. Add 6 tablespoons (90 mL) sugar and one 750 mL bottle gin. Shake well and set aside for at least two weeks, or up to two months. Shake the bottle from time to time and watch the luxurious blue colour develop. When ready, serve straight in small liqueur glasses. Or place a shot of the blue gin in a blender with 1/2 cup (125 mL) crushed ice. Blend, then pour into tall glasses with a sprig of mint and tonic water to taste.

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