What you need to know about aquafaba, an alternative to egg white used as a cocktail modifier.
What is Aquafaba
Aquafaba is chickpea brine that is used in cocktails (and cooking) as a substitute for egg whites. The name is derived from latin, aqua which is water and faba meaning bean.
Touted as a wonder ingredient in vegan cuisine, as a cocktail modifier, aquafaba is an emulsifier and a foaming agent that gives a silky mouthfeel without altering the flavour of the drink.
How to Make Aquafaba
Making aquafaba is simple but takes a little time. You can use the liquid from tinned or bottled chickpeas or go all natural and make it yourself. The chickpea brine from tins can have a metallic flavour so it’s best to make it fresh. Here’s what you need to make aquafaba from scratch.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of dried chickpeas (garbanzo)
- 3 cups water
Method
Place the dried chickpeas in a bowl, add water and soak overnight or for 12 hours.
Discard the water as it may have some grit, put the chickpeas in a saucepan, add fresh water, cover, bring to the boil then simmer for approximately 40 minutes or more until very tender. Keep an eye on the water as you may need to top it up.
Once cooked, drain and reserve the cooking liquid which will have some viscosity. If it’s too thin, put it back in the saucepan and reduce until it has thickened slightly.
Once it has cooled down, pour the aquafaba into a clean bottle with a lid and keep in the fridge until use.
How to Store Aquafaba
Aquafaba is best stored in a clean bottle with a lid in the fridge where it can keep for up to one week. Aquafaba can also be frozen using an ice cube tray but we have not tested its use in cocktails yet.
How to Use Aquafaba in Cocktails
Use aquafaba as a replacement for egg white. Three tablespoons of aquafaba equate to one egg white. Use in traditional sours and fizzes such as Whiskey Sour, Gin Fizz, Pisco Sour, Ramos Gin Fizz and the Clover Club.
Next… How to make the Clover Club with Aquafaba.
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