To give texture to cocktails, such as Pisco sours, and top them with a nice foam, egg white can be added to the other ingredients in the shaker. Ingredients will first be dry shaked (i.e without ice) and then regularly shaked with ice. The first method allows for a thicker foam, while the second is necessary to cool the drink.

Cracking an egg and separating the egg white from the yolk is quite easy. Simply crack the egg in the middle over the edge of a bowl or your mixing tin (make sure no shell falls in the recipient and, if it does, discard it), then pull apart the shell halves and hold them side up in both hands. Then, let the white drip to your bowl by passing the egg from one shell half to the other over the recipient. If you’re lucky, the shell halves will have cut nicely, perfectly straight and clean, and can thus serve as a garnish to your cocktail.

However fast the above method of breaking shells is, it can be quite messy though: you might lose some bits of egg shell in your bowl or even crush the entire egg in your hand. During the 2-day mixology class at EBS in Barcelona, one of the instructors introduced us to a very simple, easy to use and space-friendly egg cracker.

The system is really easy. Place the cap looking part over the point of the egg. Pull the ball up (mine is held with a spring, others slide along the metal stick) and let it drop. The impact of the ball on the cap makes a clean cut in the shell. All is left for you to do is to separate the white from the yolk and voilà! Additionally you have a perfect looking eggshell to garnish your drink with!

Needless to say, I was sold to it and, at the end of the day, ran to a kitchenware shop to get my hands on one! While I haven’t used it for making cocktails (the illustration picture is from the course at EBS), it’s never been easier to peel the top of my soft-boiled eggs!