Bubble and Flow
We'd rather not share this Coke. Ryan King, a partner at Crumb and Spigot in Bainbridge, is responsible for the restaurant's Crumb Cola ($14), a creamy concoction made with Kraken black spiced rum, Maker's Mark bourbon, Deschutes Brewery Black Butte porter and Patron XO Cafe coffee liqueur. "There's no cola product in it whatsoever, but it tastes like a cola," says King. The trick comes from two key ingredients: an egg white, which lends a frothy head, and an extra-bubbly porter. "We spent a lot of time looking for the right porter, because it's got to be a dark beer to get that dark color," King says. "It seems like [Deschutes] took the carbonation a little bit further than any other porter, and so it kind of adds to the fizziness." Plus, according to King, the first true cocktail made with egg white — dubbed a flip — wasn't a sour like you'd expect but a beer cocktail.
16783 Chillicothe Road, Bainbridge, 440-384-3035, crumbandspigot.com
Cool Whips
These three cocktails use dairy-aisle ingredients for a smooth night out.
Johnny Drama
Named for the sweet-and-sour character in the hit HBO drama Entourage, this drink from Ballantine is made with smoky Auchentoshan single-malt scotch, fresh lemon juice and ginger honey, shaken with an egg white for smoothness and body, and served neat.
Pisco Sour
Pisco, a potent brandy made from distilled grape wine, meets lime and egg white, plus a few drops of Angostura bitters for garnish and aroma. This well-made classic with Latin-American flavor — and a substantial kick — is one of our favorites at the Drink Bar and Grill.
Willey Sour
Willeyville owner Chris DiLisi has a reputation for the unusual. His take on an amaretto sour swaps out egg white for whey, resulting in a slightly lighter, vaguely funky version, rounded out with simple syrup, lemon, lime and orange bitters.
$11, 1051 W. 10th St., Cleveland, 216-862-6422, thewilleyville.com