Stop Using Egg Whites, Super Foam 2.0 is Here!

Hi, Friends of Cocktails! Eggs are done, so what’s the best egg white alternative for your cocktails?  I’ve been trying to find that answer for years, so today I’ll show you the solution I came up with: Super Foam 2.0–but you can also grab an easier and faster option thanks to our partner for today: Vegg White. 

You might remember my hunt for the best egg white replacement. It started with Mike Capoferri introducing his Sour Syrup with Methylcellulose, which led to my Super Syrup, where I added gum arabic and xanthan gum for added stability and texture. 

This then led to a direct vegan replacement of egg white, without sugar added, called Super Foam. Today we’re taking it a step further with Super Foam 2.0,  which has one key upgrade: whey. Whey does something egg whites do really well in sours: it softens the tannins in aged spirits like whiskey, and gives the cocktail an incredible silky texture.

So let’s put Super Foam 2.0 to the test, and throughout I’ll also answer some questions about foamers and test Super Foam 2.0 in a Whiskey Sour & the Ramos Gin Fizz. So that means It’s Cocktail Time!

Super Foam 2.0

● 130g Hot Whey

● 270g Cold Whey

● 6g Gum Arabic

● 2g Methylcellulose

● 0.2g Xanthan Gum

First thing you’ll need is 400g of whey, which is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained. It’s a byproduct of cheese manufacturing, and I’m lucky enough to be able to get it straight from a cheese farm, but you can get it in most supermarkets as well. 

We’ll first split the way in two parts, placing 130g of it into a pot and bringing it to a boil. The hot whey will then go into a glass placed on a magnetic stirrer, along with the methylcellulose, xanthan gum, and gum arabic. Let this stir for about 10 minutes.

The first question we’ll answer is: can you use any type of Methyl Cellulose to make Super Foam? The one I use is Methylcellulose E461, and Mike uses Methocel F50, so go for one of these two. Steer clear of Carboxymethylcellulose, labeled E466 as I’ve heard from people who tried it, that it doesn’t produce a stable foam. 

After 10 minutes pour in the remaining cold 270g of whey. Let that mix for another 5 minutes… and that’s it. I like to bottle Super Foam and Super Foam 2.0 in squeeze bottles for easy measuring when needed, but before we test it out in cocktails let me tell you about an easier solution that will get you the same results, while being fully vegan: Vegg White.

Vegg White is a fast, ready-to-use egg white substitute created by two bartenders from Poland. It delivers beautiful, thick foam, with none of the hassle as there’s no need for dry shake or reverse dry shake. With just 4 to 5 ice cubes, you get a perfect aeration and that silky texture we’re after.

You can use it for a variety of cocktails: sours, espumas, edible air, built-up fizzes, or even batched cocktails. That’s because it doesn’t contain any proteins, and being fully batchable makes it perfect for bars. 

After opening, you can store it in the fridge for up to 30 days. And since it all comes in one bottle, it gives you more time to focus on creating other flavor-packed ingredients. It’s already available in several European markets and in Canada, so check the Vegg White website to see where you can get your hands on it.

Now back to Super Foam 2.0, don’t forget to add a label to it. You can get custom Cocktail Time labels under the shop tab on our Patreon page, but all of our members can get them–including the original Super Foam labels–included as part of their perks. 

With that, the next question we’ll answer is: what’s the shelf-life of super foam? I’d say keep it in the fridge and use it within 14 days, but as always this can depend on many aspects of how you made it and how clean your bottles were. I also always like to freeze batches of it in small bottles and place them in the freezer for future use. 

We’re now ready to make some drinks, starting with a Ramos Gin Fizz since someone asked if Super Foam can build that iconic tower.

Ramos Gin Fizz

● 60mL · 2oz Gin

● 22.5mL · 0.75oz Vanilla Syrup

● 22.5mL · 0.75oz Cream

● 22.5mL · 0.75oz Super Foam 2.0

● 15ml · 0.5oz Lemon Juice

● 15ml · 0.5oz Lime Juice

● 4 drops Orange Blossom Water

● 2 drops 20% Saline Solution

● Soda Water

Into a chilled shaker add everything except the soda water, and instead of a dry shake we’ll whip up the cocktail with a milk frother first. Then add ice, shake hard to chill and dilute, then pour the cocktail over a chilled highball glass with a small amount of soda at the bottom. 

While we leave this to rest so the foam settles, let’s answer another question: Can you batch cocktails with Super Foam? Yes, and no. Super Foam 2.0 has whey added, and with proteins in the mix you can’t really pre-batch anything.

But with the original Super Foam, and Super Syrup for that matter, you totally can batch your cocktails days in advance. Just remember to also use Super Juice, and use my Cocktail Calculators to get all the measurements right. 

Now back to our cocktail, all we need to do is to pour soda water in the middle of the foam, and unfortunately Super Foam 2.0 can’t compete with egg white in this iconic cocktail. But you’ll still get the light, floral, and silky profile of the Ramos Gin Fizz.

Let’s do a less ambitious test now with a whiskey sour to see if Super Foam 2.0 can hold drops of bitters on top of a Whiskey Sour for added aroma. 

Whiskey Sour

● 60mL · 2oz Bourbon

● 22.5mL · 0.75oz Lemon Juice

● 22.5mL · 0.75oz Rich Simple Syrup

● 22.5mL · 0.75oz Super Foam 2.0

● 2 drops 20% Saline Solution

Just like with the Ramos, pour the ingredients into a chilled shaker and emulsify with a milk frother. Next add ice, shake hard, and double strain the drink over a large ice cube in a chilled rocks glass. All that’s left is to pour the drops of Angostura over the foam and… they hold!

I loved this result, so with a cocktail pick I’ll drag across the drops to make some hearts. It’s silky, balanced, and with a long-lasting foam, and what more could you ask from a Whiskey Sour? But we do have one final question before 

Is Super Foam dead? No, just like Super Juice, which we covered here, Super Foam is alive and well! But if you used it for cocktails with a lot of essential oils the foam could end up being less stable. With that, I hope you’ll give this new version of Super Foam a try and let me know how it works in your favorite foamy cocktails. Until next time, cheers, Friends of Cocktails!