Beauty Spot

Ever heard of this cocktail?  Me neither.  Like every other cocktail invented, this one has a few different recipes swimming about the ether.  Some contain a few juices here or there, but we're leaving those ingredients out of the mix, as the one we're drinking today contains egg white.  That's right, raw, uncooked egg white.

Still reading?  Nice!  I like you, you're an adventurous soul.  Good on you, lad. 

Funny thing about this drink - it's called the Beauty Spot, and it contains some rather delicate flavors - which, if I were a guessing man, would put this drink squarely in the relm of being a bit of a lady's cocktail.  Except, that it has RAW EGG WHITE!! 

Not to malign my loyal female readers, but I think it's safe to say that males are more inclined to consume such bizarre ingredients like raw egg white at a greater clip than the females.  Perhaps, among other reasons, it is because women are smarter than us gents!  "Delicious drink v. possible salmonella poisoning?  I'll let you take this one Bruno."

It does make a lovely picture, no?

The Ultimate Bar Book, page 175

Beauty Spot

2 oz gin
1/2 oz white crème de cacao
1 egg white
1/2 teaspoon grenadine

Shake the gin, crème de cacao, and egg white vigorously with ice.  Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Drop the grenadine in the center of the drink; do not stir.

For the Beauty Spot, I'm using:

- New Amsterdam gin (one of the better bargins out there gin-wise - around $12-14, and very good gin);

- DeKuyper Crème de Cocoa (if you're at all inclined to read a nice sidebar on the differences between the word cocoa and cacao, read here);

- Rose's Grenadine; and

- An organic cage-free egg from Fresh Market (even my cocktails gotta be cage-free eggs homey).

This is the first cocktail I've made with an egg white.  I'm a little cautious, admittedly, about consuming uncooked egg.  I figure though, that if Rocky can do it, so can I. 

And it turns out to be a good drink.  The gin pairs nicely with the crème de cacao, giving it a light chocolate aroma and taste that is rather delicious.  Thus far, a couple sips in, I have not reached any grenadine.  The grenadine functions like the cherry in the bottom of the glass.

While I cannot taste the egg's contribution to the cocktail, I'm sure it's adding something to the mix.  I talked with some friends about this cocktail recently, and it's worth restating what I had told them about the drink: the consistency of the drink is normal, not weird or phlegmy (words I did not expect to write on Amateur Mixologist, ever: phlegmy). 

With each drink too, the chocolate flavor comes forth a little more.  I'm on sip 3 or 4, and I'm realizing that it's as though in my first couple of sips the gin somehow rose to the top.  In this 3rd or 4th sip range, I'm settling into a mixed area of sorts, with a less prominent gin flavor. 

One could argue that you could add as much as 1 full ounce of the crème de cocoa, and it would be a good fit.  I think it is all dependent on how much you like gin.  If you like gin, 1/2 an ounce of the crème de cocoa is enough.  If you think gin is just OK, maybe add a touch more crème de cocoa than the recipe requires.

The grenadine adds a nice finish, in the same way a maraschino cherry is perfect after a chocolate shake. 

This is a one-order maximum drink.  I mean, uncooked egg is not ideal in mass quantities, right?  If you're in the need for something very different (uncooked egg always qualifies as very different), the Beauty Spot is a solid choice.



For more drink links, random musings, and my attempts to be witty, check us out @IMakeDrinks on Twitter.