Michael Symon's Summer Cocktail Brings The Thunder
In the immortal words of AC/DC: "Thunder, thunder, thunder, thunder." The rolling, raucous rumbles of thunderstorms are emblematic of the summer season to many, with soaring heat clashing hard against the humidity of an incoming rain to create an electrifying show of lightning strikes and booming thunder. A summer monsoon or thunderstorm can be a thrilling thing, giving a parched landscape a proper lashing of rain and an exciting example of the power of Mother Nature.
Some might say a cocktail can achieve the same thing or at least as close to it as a couple of ounces of alcohol and the right blend of mixers can get. Cocktails, as Spruce Eats points out, are meant to be a "stimulating" blend of spirits (distilled liquor), sugar, water, and bitters; often served with ice, or at least ice-cold, to refresh the spirits within. And this summer, Food Network chef and barbecue brawler Michael Symon is putting the thunder back into the traditional cocktail. "He's the classic American guy's guy," pal and sometimes-adversary Bobby Flay said of Symon, explaining that the two can't even play a round of golf together without bets being laid and "bragging rights" being on the line (via People). And when you put someone that competitive behind the bar, you better believe that the cocktails coming your way will put their money (and best ingredients) where your mouth is.
A cocktail that refuses to walk on eggshells
For Michael Symon's money, you don't get better than a Pink Thunder cocktail this summer. So named for its rosy hue and red cherry garnish, the Pink Thunder was recently posted to Symon's Instagram page, along with a recipe and how-to guide for the drink that the chef challenged followers to try. Like a whiskey sour, the Pink Thunder is a bourbon-based drink, with the frothy topper of shaken egg white icing the top. Also made with pink lemonade and cherry juice, the rosy drink looks more like a Shirley Temple who snuck out of her bedroom window at night to try her fake ID at the nearest club.
While the Pink Thunder contains six ingredients in total, there was only one that tended to trip up the skeptical fans among Symon's Instagram followers. "You lost me on the egg whites," one user said, while another asked the chef directly if they could make the cocktail without the egg. "Sure," Symon replied, before adding cheekily, "but [it] won't be as good." Others voiced their concerns over the addition of raw egg to a cocktail, but many of the chef's fans seemed undeterred. "Great Belmont drink!" proclaimed one user, presumably referring to the horse racing tradition of bourbon-based drinks. And another simply pointed out that the addition of egg could make the Pink Thunder a post-workout protein drink.