Flip
StyleA flip is a spirit or fortified wine shaken with sugar and a whole egg, then topped with grated nutmeg.
- Spirit or fortified wine
- 2 oz (60 ml)
- Rich syrup
- 0.5 oz (15 ml)
- Egg
- 1 whole egg, or just the yolk
- Earliest mention
- 1695, in William Congreve's play Love for Love
- Formula
- 2 oz (60 ml) spirit or fortified wine, 0.5 oz (15 ml) rich simple syrup, 1 whole egg, nutmeg on top
What flip means
Look for the base in the name: Brandy Flip, Fino Flip and Boston Flip all start with it. The name tells you what is in the glass, so the base is the first thing to check on a menu. A Fino Flip is built on sherry, and a Brandy Flip is built on brandy.
The egg is what changes. It gives the drink a thick, creamy body that a sour without egg white does not have. Swap the spirit and the name can change too. A whisky flip uses whisky, and a Death Flip uses tequila and Chartreuse.
Many people call a flip a kind of eggnog, but the drink has no milk or cream in it, only spirit or fortified wine, sugar and egg. The earliest mention of a flip is from 1695, in William Congreve's play Love for Love.
How to make a flip
You need a shaker that seals, a fine strainer, a chilled coupe and one whole egg.
- 1.Add 2 oz (60 ml) spirit or fortified wine, 0.5 oz (15 ml) rich simple syrup and 1 whole egg to a shaker with ice.
- 2.Shake hard, then strain out the ice and dry shake the drink again without ice to whip the egg.
- 3.Fine strain into a chilled coupe or wine glass.
- 4.Grate a little nutmeg over the top before you serve.
- 5.If your egg is large, add a little more spirit to keep the drink balanced.
- 6.Choose fresh or pasteurized eggs, since raw egg carries a small salmonella risk.
Flip compared
Examples
- Brandy Flip
- Boston Flip
- New York Flip
- Death Flip
- Fino Flip
- Lazy Man Flip
Related terms
Ingredients
Put it to use in your next drink
Garçon explains every step as you make the drink.