Excellent Egg Cocktails For Easter

Easter is a big day for eggs. A great many will find themselves hard-boiled, their shells painted in a pastel palette, while more still will wind up on the plates of eager brunch-goers. The cocktail-minded set, however, might suggest yet another application: mixed into a fantastic drink, naturally.

According to William Grimes, author of Straight Up or On the Rocks: The Story of the American Cocktail, the use of eggs in drinks dates back to around 1690, when flips were introduced. These typically used beer as a base, and mixed the egg with rum and sugar. Eventually, beer was phased out from the recipe, and today the drink is generally defined as a mixture of spirit, egg, sugar, and spice.

Also popular are those drinks that call only for the egg whites — the ingredient essential for creating stable, frothy foams. Indeed, that thick foam cap is a signature characteristic of such iconic cocktails as the Ramos Gin Fizz and the Pisco Sour.

So, for those in the 21-plus crowd who would prefer to keep the Easter egg hunt contained to the bottom of a cocktail glass, here are recipes for eight favorite egg-centric cocktails to enjoy this holiday. (Just a word to the wise, home bartenders: Remember to shake hard when making egg cocktails, that's the trick to achieving the best foam.)