How do you get perfect cocktail foam every, single, time? For a start you need to have the right cocktail foam equipment. You also need some essential ingredients, and of course that all-important know-how. 

From the physical tools to the various stabilising and emulsifying agents you need, we look at everything you need to kit out your bar ready for creating showstopping foams and airs for cocktails. These are: 

• Tools for foam and air creation 
• Stabilising agents 
• Emulsifying agents 

1. Siphon (for whipping or cream)
2. 2 x N20 Cartridges
3. Stabilising agent (see list below)

By far the most efficient way to make a foam is with a siphon and a couple of N20 (nitrous oxide) cream cartridges.  

Using N20 cartridges with a siphon forces the nitrous oxide gas into the liquid, whipping it at a rapid speed and transforming it into a foam. Filling a siphon to its full capacity will usually require two N20 cartridges. 

Using a siphon makes it more difficult to achieve the light foamy texture of an air, so you’ll need a different set of equipment:

1. Emulsifying Agent (see list below) 
2. Immersion Blender 
3. Aerator or Milk Frother

Pros 

• Egg white will give a mousse-like texture to the foam which perhaps works best with cocktails. It’s one of the most stable and fluffy foams that is easy to execute. 
• A good alternative to use is albumin which is powdered egg. It will achieve the same result without adding dilution to the foam. 

Cons 

• Using fresh egg whites will contribute to the dilution of the drink as well as the volume, which means that your recipe will have to be readjusted unless you use albumin. It’s also not vegan-friendly. 

Use 

• Between 3 to 15% of the total volume of liquid when using egg white. 
• Between 1 to 3% of the total volume of liquid when using albumin. 

Pros 

• Agar-agar is a plant-based gelatin that comes from seaweed making it vegan-friendly. 
• The foam can also be heated up by being kept in a warm water bath and topped up onto hot cocktails. 
• It has a higher tolerance for acidic ingredients as well as alcohol. 

Cons 

• The foam from agar-agar won’t have as much of a firm and stable texture as the others mentioned. 
• It also needs to be heated with your chosen liquid at 85C/185F before being charged. 
• In addition, heating your liquid will alter your final flavour. 

Use 

• Between 0.1 to 0.5% of total volume of liquid. 
• Activate liquid at 85C/185F. 

Pros 

• Gelatin is usually animal-based and made from livestock collagen. 
• Using them will create very stable and elastic foams that have a great texture to them with no additional flavour, even less so than the others mentioned. 
• It can also hold up to solutions of up to 30% ABV. 

Cons 

• Gelatin is not vegan-friendly. 
• It requires heating the liquid up to 60C/140F before being charged. 
• It does not hold up well to highly acidic solutions. 

Use 

• Between 1 to 5% of the total volume of liquid. 
• Activate with liquid at 60C/140F. 

Pros 

• Versawhip is a pure enzymatically treated soy protein making it vegan-friendly. 
• It has a similar mousse-like texture and is the best alternative to egg white/albumin foams. 
• It doesn’t require any prior heating to activate. 

Cons 

• Contains soy allergy. 

Use 

• Between 0.5-2% by weight of total liquid. 

The right equipment needed for cocktail foam creation and cocktail air creation are different, and having the correct ones behind your bar is essential for this technique. 

There are lots of different stabilising agents you can use to create foam for cocktails, each with their own pros and cons depending on the drink and dietary requirements of guests. 

Emulsifying agents are relatively cheap and help hold foam together and prevent it from mixing with other liquids.