INGREDIENTS:
400g water
12g (3%) Versawhip
.4g (.1%) xanthan gum (optional, use a drug scale)
PROCEDURE:
If using xanthan gum, use an immersion blender or Vitamix/blender, and begin blending the water, slowly incorporating the xanthan gum. You want a vortex-like environment for this step. Allow to blend and hydrate for 60 seconds. The water will begin to thicken, this is normal.
[Next] gently whisk in Versawhip by hand. DO NOT use an immersion blender or standard blender for this step, as doing so will create a tremendous volume of bubbles. Stir until Versawhip has dissolved into solution. Label, date, and reserve. Will keep refrigerated for 7 days.
Commercial announcer voice:
Do you hate how messy egg whites can be in a cocktail build? Do you dislike the inconsistencies in recipes that call for “one” egg white? Doesn’t it drive you crazy trying to measure a pour of egg whites out of a squeze bottle when they just come gooping out (PROTIP: Whisk them together before you bottle them)? What about aquafaba? It’s vegan, but it’s also pretty annoying having to open a can of chickpeas or soak a bunch of dried garbanzo beans every time you want to create a frothy cocktail, isn’t it? Well, worry no more, with VERSATILE!
Versatile is a egg white substitute that we’ve been sitting on for a while, tinkering with it to try and find the perfect balance in cocktails, though it yields a frothy head stable ’til the last sip.
We’ve found that using anywhere from .5oz to 1oz of Versatile as an emulsifier in lieu of egg whites or aquafaba to be quite remarkable in cocktails that call for either of the latter. In fact, once you have the components to make Versatile, it becomes not only more convenient, but also cleaner and more sustainable. Versawhip also works better in acidic environments, making it perfect for cocktails that call on citrus (or CLM 6%). No wet dog smell from egg whites, no fuss from a can of chickpeas, just a clean, sustainable, and cost-effective emulsifier.
A caveat about Versawhip: it will not emulsify fats, such as dairy. This is where the optional .1% (yes, .1%, not 1% – use a drug scale) of xanthan gum comes it, allowing some emulsification with fats such as in a fizz or a flip. You can increase the ratio up to .2%, but beyond that and the whole thing becomes a viscous mess.
As noted, Versawhip plays well with acidic components, and Versatile plays best in cocktails that call for at least some acid. With that, feel free to combine the recipes for Versastile and CLM 6% (see below), or try adding it to a batch of fresh juice that you know you’ll be using shortly.
ACID-ADJUSTED VERSASTILE
INGREDIENTS:
400g water
12g (3%) Versawhip
6g (1.5%) citric acid
6g (1.5%) lactic acid
12g (3%) malic acid
12g (3%) sugar
.4g (.1%) xanthan gum (optional, use a drug scale)
PROCEDURE:
Combine water, acids, and sugar, stirring to incorporate.
If using xanthan gum, use an immersion blender or Vitamix/blender, and begin blending the water, slowly incorporating the xanthan gum. You want a vortex-like environment for this step. Allow to blend and hydrate for 60 seconds. The water will begin to thicken, this is normal.
[Next] gently whisk in Versawhip by hand. DO NOT use an immersion blender or standard blender for this step, as doing so will create a tremendous volume of bubbles. Stir until Versawhip has dissolved into solution. Label, date, and reserve. Will keep refrigerated for 7 days.
Use in place of citrus and egg white (or aquafaba) called for in a build, but only measure out the appropriate amount to replace the juice, omitting the volume of egg white (or aquafaba). For exampe, in a Ramos Gin Fizz you would only use 1oz of Acid-Adjusted Versatile to replace the citrus and egg white instead of the 2oz total called for in the standard recipe.