Mayonnaise Cocktails Really Shouldn't Be A Thing

You'll sometimes find mayo hiding in unconventional places. The versatile egg-based condiment often shows up in cake recipes, for example, either as a swap for butter when baking dairy-free cakes or as a secret ingredient to make otherwise dense cakes moist and airy. Others add it to ramen for a thicker texture. One place you might not expect to see mayo, though, is in a cocktail, but that's exactly where some people are using it.

While mayonnaise cocktails sound like they shouldn't be a thing, they seem to be gaining popularity, especially around the holiday season. Last year, mayonnaise-makers Hellmann's put a twist on the festive classic by inventing a frozen and creamy mayo eggnog. The cocktail — also called 'mayo-nog'— contains whole milk, syrup, heavy cream, various seasonings, rum, apple brandy, and Cognac, as well as its signature controversial ingredient. 

Although it sounds unusual, we can imagine this sweet and rich combination works quite well, seeing as the core base of mayonnaise is just egg yolks and oil, after all. Plus, egg yolks have been a common ingredient in cocktails like the Mae West and Golden Fizz for many years. Of course, mayo in cocktails isn't all that new either. Author Tom Robbins detailed making a Gin Greasy (mayo and gin) to NPR in 2010. However, more recently, mixologists are trying new combinations. 

Mayo in eggnog isn't too much of a stretch, but the condiment also shows up in some slightly more unusual and unpleasant cocktails. The unfortunately named "Smokers Cough" is one of these — and if the name and the phlegm-like texture of this cocktail aren't enough to dissuade you — you can make one by combining 30mls of Jagermeister and a tablespoon of mayonnaise. We're not sure whether this is part of the overall trend of gross food going viral for clout or rage-bait, or if anyone is actually drinking this, by the way. After all, "Top Chef" alum Katsuji Tanabe says he created a mayonnaise martini to try to top the viral mac and cheese martini (via Eater).

By far the most questionable mayo-cocktail-concoction is probably the Tapeworm Shot — which looks about as appealing as its name suggests. The Tapeworm Shot is made from vodka, tabasco, black pepper, and several squirts of mayonnaise — which float in the alcohol to make little wormlike squiggles. Redditors found the cocktail and just the idea of mayonnaise in beverages, in general, to be less than ideal. For instance, one user wrote, "Every day we stray further from god's light." Meanwhile, another commented, "Well when any idiot can 'invent' a drink, this is what happens."

Finally, one user realized mayonnaise can jokingly take their Cinco de Mayo celebrations to the next level. Of course, if you are feeling extra adventurous, you could always try a spicy mayo margarita, but we're not sure how it would taste.