How To Make A Gin Fizz Without Egg Whites

If you weren't already aware that some cocktails include egg whites in them, then you might be surprised to find it listed as an ingredient in some of your favorite drinks. Egg whites have been added to shaken drinks for more than a century, and are the ingredient responsible for the deliciously creamy texture and foam that some drinks are capped with. The rich foam happens when you shake egg whites with the other ingredients in the drink, but (thanks to the liquor) they don't solidify like a meringue and instead remain more liquid. Egg whites are essentially odorless and tasteless, so you probably won't even notice anything added to your drink but the foam (via Mental Floss). 

The Spruce Eats says a gin fizz is one of the many drinks that calls for egg whites when made following a traditional recipe. In fact, the presence of egg whites in the drink is one of the key differences that distinguish a gin fizz from a Tom Collins. (A Tom Collins uses a little more lemon juice, too.) These days, it isn't uncommon for the egg whites to be left out of a gin fizz — whether because you're squeamish about raw egg whites or they're not a part of your diet — and you can certainly still make a gin fizz without them.

Making a gin fizz without egg whites is easy enough; you can simply leave them out (which is the easiest option), but I Heart Vegetables states that some people choose to use aquafaba as a substitute. If you're not familiar with this vegan ingredient, aquafaba is the liquid that comes in cans of chickpeas. All you have to do is add one tablespoon of aquafaba to the shaker in place of the egg white. 

If you prefer to just eliminate the foaming ingredients altogether, just combine gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup (or powdered sugar) in a shaker with ice. Shake until the container is cold on the outside, then strain it out into a highball glass filled with ice and top with soda water. Finally, garnish with a slice or two of lemon (via Taming Twins). It's as simple as that. So, switch up your gin fizz recipe or stick to something simple by forgetting about the foamy finish completely. Either way, you'll have a delicious and refreshing drink.