Angostura Bitters, Lemon Cheek Recipe

1. Prepare ingredients

Measure gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup. Crack the egg and separate if desired — this recipe uses the whole egg white for texture; discard shell. Have Angostura bitters and ice ready.

2. Dry shake

Add gin, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, egg white, and 4 dashes Angostura bitters to a cocktail shaker. Seal and shake vigorously without ice for 20–30 seconds to emulsify the egg white and create a foamy texture.

3. Wet shake

Open the shaker, add 1 cup of ice, re-seal and shake vigorously for 15–20 seconds until the shaker is very cold to the touch and the mixture is well chilled and slightly diluted.

4. Fine strain

Double-strain the cocktail through a Hawthorne or regular strainer and then through a fine mesh strainer into a chilled coupe or Nick & Nora glass to remove ice shards and ensure a silky foam.

5. Express lemon and add bitters

Hold the lemon peel about 3–4 inches above the surface of the cocktail and give it a firm twist to express oils over the foam, then run the peel around the glass rim and drop it into the drink. Carefully add 2 dashes of Angostura bitters on top of the foam; use a toothpick to gently create a simple pattern or leave as-is.

6. Serve immediately while the foam is fresh. Provide a short straw or small stirrer if desired so the drinker can taste the aromatics at the surface before mixing with the spirits.