Essentially, a flip is a cocktail that uses egg alongside sugar and a spirit, often finished with a spice garnish like nutmeg. You might be surprised to know that they first popped up in 1695 when playwright William Congreve wrote, ‘Thus we live at sea; eat biscuit, and drink flip…’ so, like many cocktails, it’s the sailors that created this cocktail.
Originally, it involved mixing beer, rum and sugar and heating the liquid with a red-hot iron to create the frothy top, or ‘flip’. Of course, the 17th century is a long time ago and the cocktail evolved, particularly in the US where eggs and sometimes cream were added to sweeten the serve, fortify it, and mask the flavour of dodgy alcohol. This masterstroke added a velvety texture similar to eggnog or custard, but often without any of the dairy.
By the 19th century, it was a beloved and widely varied serve, popping up in Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations and the legendary Bar-tenders’ Guides of the era. Nowadays, they’re served hot or cold using various ingredients so if you want to embrace this oft-forgotten drink, here are a few suggestions!
But remember, as long as egg, sugar and some kind of liquor are involved, you can riff and experiment with your own creations. Who knows, maybe your flip will be the one to bring back its golden age!
What Flip Cocktails Should I Try?
The Classic Hot Beer Flip
If you want to get close to trying the original recipe, then this is it. Ale was very different back then, and not as bitter as today, so including cream or more sugar is recommended for balance. If you really want to turn back time, you can use a hot poker to caramelise if you wish, but of course be very careful. Alternatively, the stove is fine. The earthy, silky, rich taste is totally unique.
Ingredients
220ml ale (brown or dark)
40ml rum
25ml brown sugar syrup
1 egg
Nutmeg (garnish)
Method
In a heatproof vessel like a tempered pitcher, whisk rum, syrup, and an egg. In the saucepan, heat the beer until it begins to steam – avoid simmering. Gently pour the hot beer into your mixture, continuously whisking all the time. Now, pour the liquid between the vessel and the saucepan multiple times to froth it up, and serve in a mug or handled glass. Grate some nutmeg to finish and you’ve got a modern version of the 17th century classic.
The Rum Flip
One step away from eggnog, this simple concoction is silky smooth, even for a flip, because it uses heavy cream. The inclusion of cream means this flip isn’t as light as most, but you also get added richness and indulgence in return. We love this as an after-dinner dessert.
Ingredients
50ml dark rum
20ml heavy cream
1 tsp sugar
1 egg
Nutmeg (garnish)
Method
Dry-shake all ingredients first, before adding ice and repeat until everything is well-chilled. Strain into a cocktail glass, and a little grated nutmeg is the perfect finish.
The Gaelic Flip
The richness of whisky/whiskey is perfect flip material. There’s a lot of other flavours, so there’s no need to splash out on an expensive Irish whiskey, but a decent, bold whiskey with good soft fruits is perfect. The velvety egg foam, the light whiskey, the tingle of spice and the sweetness of syrup and the vermouth – delightful. You could play around with this too. We’re thinking Guinness, we’re thinking Bailey’s…
Ingredients
50ml Irish whiskey
25ml sweet vermouth
15ml syrup
1tsp allspice liqueur
1 egg
Nutmeg (garnish)
Method
Dry-shake all ingredients first because this is where you’ll get the gorgeous pillow of foam in the final serve. Add ice and repeating until everything is well-chilled and combined. Strain into a cocktail glass, and again, grate nutmeg on top!
The Boston Flip
Madeira is a great example of what fortified wine can bring to a flip. The sweetness it carries as well as chocolatey, nutty and dried fruit notes intertwines luxuriously with the caramel and vanilla punch of bourbon (you can swap out for rye whiskey for more peppery spice, and this would work too).
Ingredients
60ml bourbon
60ml Madeira wine
10ml syrup
1 egg
Nutmeg (garnish)
Method
Again, it’s a dry shake. Make sure to shake vigorously for at least a minute to get that foam, and then shake again but this time with ice. Strain and you guessed it, grate with nutmeg!
These are some well-known flips to get you started, but these cocktails are tailor made to be personalised and experimented with. Crack an egg into your shaker, add a little syrup and then have a play around with your favourite spirits, liqueurs, fortified wines and alike! Flips are one of many cocktails that can be served hot, so if you want tips on some others, check out The Science, Art and History of Hot Cocktails!