Why You Should Consider Using Aquafaba In Cocktails

If you're plant-based, or simply an accomplished baker, then you've most likely heard of aquafaba, the liquid from cooked or canned chickpeas that can be whipped into a suprisingly stable, animal product-free meringue. According to Minimalist Baker, this versatile substance is great not only for making cookies, but can also act as a vegan substitute for whipped egg whites in recipes such as waffles and cornbread. When unwhipped, it's a staple ingredient in vegan mayo and acts as a binder in many baked goods.

So how does aquafaba so reliably imitate egg whites? According to Serious Eats, the chemical makeup of the cooking liquids of chickpeas and other legumes makes them excel at foaming and being able to retain that fluffy structure. Chickpea foam is particularly stable among legumes, which, along with its mild, almost imperceptible flavor, has made it a favorite among bakers. 

But did you know that you can incorporate aquafaba into cocktails, too?

If you're an enthusiastic home mixologist — or a bar lush — then you're undoubtedly familiar with the cocktail categories of sours and fizzes, both of which call upon a raw egg white in order to provide lush, stable foam in the drink that holds up as it's sipped (via BBC goodfood). If you're vegan — or if you simply don't love the idea of downing a raw egg white — then you might be pleased to know that aquafaba, that foamy chickpea cooking liquid, makes a great substitute in cocktails.

According to The Guardian, aquafaba makes a pretty perfect stand-in for egg white in sours and fizzes because its carbohydrates and proteins come together to form a similar type of foam. One ounce of aquafaba should be used per cocktail, Tales of the Cocktail recommends, with The Guardian noting that you can freeze individual servings of aquafaba in an ice cube tray when you have some lying around and then grab a cube or two when you want to shake up some drinks. 

Whether incorporating the liquid into a whiskey sour, a pisco sour, or a gin fizz, this is one trick you'll want to keep up your sleeve — no wasted egg yolks needed.