A Cocktail! The Key Sunrise

Photo by Donna Turner Ruhlman

(Photo by Donna Turner Ruhlman) In one week I'll be in quirky, decadent Key West on my annual boondoggle cooking for my cousin, Rob, and the crew of Spaceman Spiff. Yesterday afternoon I spent an hour gathering pots and pans, two big cutting boards, a giant cast iron skillet, Lexan tub and circulator, flat-edged wood spoons, side towels, knives, all of which are loaded onto the boat trailer that's now on the road south. My iPhone says it's 77 degrees and sunny. Here in Cleveland it's 18 degrees. Yesterday when I woke it was -2. Tomorrow's high here will be 16 degrees. Needless to say I am not disappointed that I'll spend nine afternoons cooking for the sailing droogs, with mornings poolside to get some writing work done.

And looking forward so much I intend to make two Key Sunrises tonight, one for me in anticipation of the Keys, and one for Donna, to placate her, so she's not too pissed at me for abandoning her in my frigid homeland. This cocktail gets its body from egg whites, the magical protein. At home, when making more than one egg white cocktail, I use a blender and a strainer, much easier and neater than a shaker. And this recipe for two can be scaled up if you want to serve many.

The astute among you will recognize this cocktail as a Pink Lady using Key lime juice instead of lemon juice. See a description in the original Key Sunrise post, or a post on the actual Pink Lady, a great cocktail with an unfortunate name. Happy winter Friday, all!

Key Sunrise

• 3 ounces/90 grams gin
• 1 ounce/30 grams applejack brandy
• 1.5 ounces/45 grams Key lime juice
• 1 ounce/30 grams simple syrup
• 1 ounce Mister Sugar pomegranate syrup or other quality grenadine
• 2 egg whites

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and blend till frothy, 5 seconds or so.
2. Fill the blender with ice and swirl the contents till the drink is very cold.
3. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer into two chilled coupes.

Other links you may like:

• A few other egg white cocktails: Applejack Sour, the Whiskey Sour, and the Ramos Gin Fizz.
• Check out this rum made in Cleveland from Portside Distillery (I'm sure a little is in my future in the keys).
• Rum and its history from Slate Magazine.
• Everything you needed to know about key limes.

© 2015 Michael Ruhlman. Photo © 2015 Donna Turner Ruhlman. All rights reserved.