How to Record a Raw Egg Cocktails Video for Your Food Safety Management System

Step 1: Set the scene and context

Raw eggs are a classic ingredient in many traditional cocktails. Whisky sours, pisco sours, clover clubs, fizzes—many recipes are enhanced by raw egg, both in flavour and appearance. When raw eggs are shaken in a cocktail, the protein is agitated and when it mixes with air it produces a characteristic foamy layer on top. This foam adds texture and visual appeal that many guests specifically request.

However, raw eggs carry a significant food safety risk. Shell eggs can harbour Salmonella bacteria both on the shell surface and inside the egg itself. Unlike food that will be cooked, cocktails don't undergo any heat treatment that would kill these bacteria. Serving raw shell eggs in drinks could expose customers to Salmonella food poisoning.

Your bar team needs to understand that we have a strict policy: only pasteurised liquid egg can be used in drinks that require egg. Raw shell eggs must not be used in drinks under any circumstances. This policy protects customers while still allowing us to offer the classic egg cocktails they enjoy.

Where to film this video:

This video should be filmed primarily at the bar, showing where pasteurised egg is stored, how it's handled during service, and how cocktails are made. Also show the refrigeration unit where pasteurised egg is kept. If your bar has a back-of-house prep area, include that in your walk-through.

What to have ready:

• Bottle or carton of pasteurised liquid egg
• Refrigerator thermometer or display showing temperature below 5°C
• Date labels for marking opened bottles
• Examples of cocktails that use egg (or recipes)
• Your list of vulnerable groups who must be warned

Start your video by explaining:

"This video covers the safe use of egg in cocktails. Raw eggs add foam, texture and flavour to many classic cocktails—whisky sours, pisco sours, fizzes and more. But raw eggs carry Salmonella risk, so we have strict procedures for how egg is used at the bar. I'm going to explain why we only use pasteurised liquid egg, how to store and handle it correctly, the critical 2-day rule after opening, and our obligation to warn vulnerable customers. These rules apply every time egg is used in a drink—no exceptions."

Step 2: Plan what to record versus what to write down

Raw egg cocktail training covers both the science behind why pasteurised egg is necessary and the practical handling procedures your bar team must follow. This is a focused topic that can be covered thoroughly in a single video.

Best for video (on camera):

• Explaining why pasteurised egg is safer than shell eggs
• Showing the pasteurised egg product you use
• Demonstrating proper storage in refrigeration below 5°C
• Showing how to label opened bottles with the date
• Explaining the 2-day rule after opening
• Making an egg cocktail using proper technique
• Demonstrating how to warn vulnerable customers
• What to do if you're unsure whether a customer is vulnerable

Best for supporting written text:

• Storage requirements
• 2-day rule calculation
• Vulnerable groups list
• Discard criteria
• Record keeping requirements

Example written reference to include:

RAW EGG COCKTAIL RULES

Product Requirements:
→ ONLY pasteurised liquid egg can be used in drinks
→ Shell eggs must NEVER be used in drinks under any circumstances
→ Pasteurisation kills pathogenic bacteria through heat treatment

Storage Requirements:
□ Store in refrigeration below 5°C
□ Check use-by dates—adhere strictly
□ Keep sealed until needed

After Opening:
□ Label bottle/carton with date opened
□ Keep chilled at all times
□ Use within 2 DAYS of opening

2-Day Rule Calculation:
Opened Monday → Use by end of Wednesday
Opened Tuesday → Use by end of Thursday
Opened Wednesday → Use by end of Friday
(Count opening day as Day 1)

Vulnerable Groups (MUST BE WARNED):
• The very young (children)
• The elderly
• Pregnant women
• Anyone immunocompromised or immunosuppressed

Warning Script:
"This cocktail contains raw pasteurised egg. Are you comfortable with that, or would you prefer a different drink?"

Discard If:
→ Past use-by date
→ More than 2 days since opening
→ Packaging damaged or seal not intact
→ Left unrefrigerated for extended period
→ Any doubt about safety

Step 3: Core rules and requirements

Cover the essential knowledge about why pasteurised egg is required and how to handle it safely.

Why pasteurised egg, not shell eggs:

Explain the safety principle: "Shell eggs carry Salmonella risk. The bacteria can be present on the shell surface from contact with chicken faeces during laying, and in some cases Salmonella can be present inside the egg itself. When you crack a shell egg, you may be introducing Salmonella into whatever you're making.

With cooked food, this isn't necessarily a problem—heat kills Salmonella. But cocktails aren't cooked. A whisky sour goes straight from shaker to glass to customer. If there's Salmonella in that egg, it goes directly into the customer's body.

Pasteurised liquid egg is different. During pasteurisation, the egg is heat-treated to kill pathogenic bacteria including Salmonella. The process is carefully controlled to kill the bacteria without cooking the egg—so it still behaves like raw egg in cocktails, creating the same foam and texture. But the dangerous bacteria have been eliminated.

This is why our policy is absolute: only pasteurised liquid egg can be used in drinks that require egg. Raw shell eggs must not be used in drinks under any circumstances."

Storage requirements:

Cover proper storage: "Pasteurised liquid egg must be stored correctly in refrigerated storage below 5°C. Even though pasteurisation has killed the bacteria, improper storage could allow new contamination to occur or surviving bacteria to multiply.

Check the refrigerator temperature regularly. Pasteurised egg should be stored with other chilled products that require temperatures below 5°C.

Use-by dates must be adhered to strictly. The use-by date assumes the product has been stored correctly. If you're not sure a bottle has been kept properly chilled, discard it rather than risk serving a contaminated product."

The 2-day rule:

This is critical: "Once the seal has been broken on a bottle or carton of pasteurised egg, the product must be kept chilled and used within 2 days. This is the most important rule after the pasteurised-only requirement.

Let me be specific about how to count these days. If you open a bottle on Monday, it must be used by the end of Wednesday. Not Thursday—Wednesday. Opened Tuesday, use by end of Thursday. The day of opening counts as day one.

After 2 days, bacterial growth may have reached unsafe levels even in refrigerated conditions. The product must be discarded regardless of how much is left. Don't be tempted to stretch it to 'just one more day.' The 2-day limit exists for a reason.

When you open a new bottle, label it immediately with the date it was opened. This removes any ambiguity about when the 2 days expire. If a bottle isn't labelled and you don't know when it was opened, discard it."

Vulnerable groups:

Explain the warning requirement: "Even with pasteurised egg, certain customers face higher risk from any raw egg product. These vulnerable groups must be warned that the product contains raw pasteurised egg so they can make an informed choice.

Vulnerable groups include: the very young—children; the elderly; pregnant women; and anyone who is immunocompromised or immunosuppressed. This includes people undergoing chemotherapy, people with HIV/AIDS, people taking immunosuppressant medications, and anyone with a weakened immune system for any reason.

You may not always know if a customer falls into these categories. You can often identify children, obviously pregnant women, and elderly customers by sight. But you cannot know if someone is immunocompromised just by looking at them.

When a customer orders a cocktail containing egg, your standard practice should be to mention that it contains raw pasteurised egg. This gives any customer who has concerns—whether they're in a vulnerable group or simply prefer to avoid raw egg—the opportunity to choose a different drink."

Handling during service:

Cover practical handling: "During service, the pasteurised egg bottle should be kept refrigerated when not in use. Don't leave it sitting on the bar top for extended periods. Take it from the fridge, use what you need, return it to the fridge.

If you're making multiple egg cocktails in quick succession during a busy period, keeping the bottle at the bar station for a short time is acceptable—but don't let it warm up. Return it to refrigeration as soon as the rush passes.

Keep the bottle clean. Wipe the neck after pouring to prevent residue buildup. Don't contaminate the bottle by touching the opening with dirty hands or equipment."

Step 4: Demonstrate or walk through

Walk through the complete process of using pasteurised egg safely, from storage through service.

Checking storage:

Show the refrigeration: "Here's where we store our pasteurised egg. Check the temperature display—we're at 4°C, which is below the required 5°C maximum. If this temperature were above 5°C, we'd need to investigate and potentially discard any products that may have been compromised.

Here's our bottle of pasteurised liquid egg. Check the use-by date on the packaging—this bottle is well within date. If it were past its use-by date, we would discard it regardless of whether it had been opened."

Opening a new bottle:

Demonstrate the opening procedure: "I'm opening a new bottle of pasteurised egg. First, check the seal is intact before opening. If the seal is broken or the packaging is damaged, don't use it—discard it and open a fresh bottle.

Now that I've opened it, I immediately label it with today's date. I write clearly so anyone can read it. Today is Monday, so this bottle must be used by the end of Wednesday.

If I find an opened bottle without a date label, I can't know when it was opened. It might have been opened an hour ago, it might have been opened four days ago. Without certainty, I discard it. This is why labelling immediately matters—it protects us from having to throw away product unnecessarily."

Making an egg cocktail:

Walk through the cocktail preparation: "I'm going to make a whisky sour using our pasteurised egg. First, I take the bottle from refrigeration. I check the date label—this was opened yesterday, so it's within the 2-day limit.

I measure the amount I need into my jigger, then into the shaker. Notice how I handle the bottle—I don't touch the opening, and I'll wipe the neck clean before returning it to the fridge.

I add my other ingredients—whisky, lemon juice, sugar syrup. Then I dry shake first—that means shaking without ice. This helps the egg protein emulsify and creates better foam. Then I add ice and shake again.

Now I'm straining into the glass. You can see the characteristic foam layer that the egg creates—this is what guests are expecting when they order egg cocktails."

Communicating with customers:

Demonstrate the warning: "When I serve this drink, I inform the customer about the egg content. I might say: 'Here's your whisky sour—just so you know, it contains raw pasteurised egg. Is that okay for you?'

If the customer says that's fine, I've done my job. If they express concern or say they'd prefer to avoid it, I offer alternatives: 'No problem—I can make you a different sour without egg, or suggest another cocktail if you'd prefer.'

For customers who might be in a vulnerable group—an obviously pregnant woman, for example—I make sure to mention the egg before they've ordered, not after: 'Are you interested in any of our sour cocktails? Just to let you know, those contain raw pasteurised egg.'

If a customer tells me they're immunocompromised or have other health concerns, I take that seriously and help them choose drinks that don't contain egg. Their health is more important than any cocktail."

End of night procedures:

Explain closing procedures: "At the end of service, any opened pasteurised egg goes back in the refrigerator immediately. Check the date label—if this is the last day of the 2-day window, consider whether you'll use it all tomorrow or whether it makes sense to discard now rather than risk it expiring mid-service.

Never leave pasteurised egg sitting at the bar overnight. Even if the bar is temperature-controlled, proper refrigeration below 5°C is required for overnight storage."

Dealing with expired product:

Show the disposal process: "Here's a bottle that was opened on Friday. Today is Monday. Friday, Saturday, Sunday—that's more than 2 days. This bottle must be discarded.

I don't smell-test it. I don't try to judge by appearance. The 2-day rule is absolute. I pour out the remaining product, dispose of the bottle, and record what I've discarded and why. Then I open a fresh bottle and label it with today's date."

Managing multiple bar stations

When you have more than one bar:

"If your venue has multiple bars, each needs its own pasteurised egg supply and its own tracking. Let me explain how to manage this."

"Each bar has its own labelled bottle. When I open a bottle for the main bar, it stays at the main bar—it doesn't get moved to the garden bar partway through service."

"Why? Because moving bottles between locations creates confusion about when they were opened and how they've been stored. Keep supplies at each station separate and properly tracked."

"If the garden bar runs out and needs more egg, they open a fresh bottle and label it with today's date—they don't borrow the main bar's half-used bottle."

Handling customer questions

When customers ask about the egg:

"Customers sometimes have questions about the egg in their cocktails. Here's how to handle common questions."

"'Is this a raw egg?' Yes, it's pasteurised liquid egg—it's raw in the sense that it's not cooked, but it's been heat-treated to kill harmful bacteria. It's the same process used for many commercial egg products."

"'Can I get sick from it?' Pasteurised egg is much safer than shell eggs because the pasteurisation process kills bacteria like Salmonella. However, if you have any health concerns, we can make you a different cocktail without egg."

"'Why can't you use fresh eggs?' Shell eggs carry Salmonella risk that pasteurisation eliminates. Using pasteurised egg means you get the same flavour and foam without the food safety risk."

"'I've seen bartenders use shell eggs at other places.' Different establishments have different policies. Our policy is pasteurised only—it's the safer option and the standard we maintain for all our guests."

Egg alternatives

When a customer can't have egg:

"Sometimes customers want the sour cocktail experience but can't or won't have egg. Here are the alternatives I can offer."

"Aquafaba—the liquid from tinned chickpeas—creates a similar foam without any egg. Some bars stock this specifically as an egg alternative. If we have it, I can make an egg-free sour that still has that characteristic foam."

"Some sours can be made without any foaming agent—they'll taste similar but won't have the foam layer. I can offer this as an option if the customer prefers."

"I can also suggest other cocktails that don't require egg at all. A daiquiri, a margarita, many other classics don't use egg and might appeal to someone who was interested in a sour."

Stock management and ordering

Getting the quantities right:

"Managing pasteurised egg stock requires understanding your usage patterns."

"We track how much egg we use each week. This helps us order the right amount—not so much that it expires before we use it, not so little that we run out during busy periods."

"When ordering, I consider: current stock levels, what's approaching its use-by date, upcoming events or busy periods, and the 2-day rule once opened."

"It's better to order smaller, more frequent deliveries than to have lots of stock that approaches expiry. Pasteurised egg has a limited shelf life even when sealed."

Stock rotation:

"When new stock arrives, it goes behind existing stock. First in, first out—older stock gets used first."

"I check use-by dates on arrival. If a delivery has short-dated stock, I might need to adjust my usage or flag it to management. Stock that will expire before we can reasonably use it shouldn't be accepted."

Documentation and records

What we track:

"We maintain records for pasteurised egg handling. Let me show you what we document."

"Each opened bottle: date opened, bar location, disposal date if discarded before use. This creates a trail showing we followed the 2-day rule."

"Any instances where product was discarded: date, reason (expired, more than 2 days, damaged packaging, temperature concern). This helps identify if we're over-ordering or having recurring issues."

"Any customer concerns or allergic reactions reported: what happened, what was served, outcome. This is rare with pasteurised egg, but we document anything that occurs."

Step 5: Common mistakes to avoid

Cover the raw egg cocktail errors that put customers at risk.

Mistake 1: Using shell eggs instead of pasteurised

"A bartender thinks shell eggs are 'more authentic' or runs out of pasteurised egg and decides to use shell eggs 'just this once.' This is never acceptable. Shell eggs carry Salmonella risk that pasteurisation eliminates. Even one shell egg in one cocktail could make a customer seriously ill. Only pasteurised liquid egg can be used in drinks—there are no exceptions, no substitutions, no emergencies that justify using shell eggs."

Mistake 2: Exceeding the 2-day limit

"'It's only been three days and it still looks fine.' The 2-day limit isn't about whether the product looks or smells okay—it's about bacterial growth that you cannot see or smell. By day three, bacterial levels may have reached unsafe concentrations even in refrigerated conditions. When the 2 days are up, discard the product. The cost of a partial bottle of pasteurised egg is nothing compared to making a customer ill."

Mistake 3: Not labelling opened bottles

"You open a bottle during busy service and don't label it. The next day, you can't remember if this is yesterday's bottle or if someone opened a new one this morning. Without a date, you have no way to know if you're within the 2-day window. Label every bottle the moment you open it. This takes seconds and removes all ambiguity."

Mistake 4: Leaving pasteurised egg at bar temperature

"The night is busy and the pasteurised egg bottle sits on the bar top for two hours. Bacteria multiply faster at warmer temperatures. Even though the product started safely, extended time at bar temperature allows bacterial growth that refrigeration was preventing. Keep the bottle refrigerated when not actively in use. A few seconds retrieving it from the fridge is worth the safety."

Mistake 5: Forgetting to warn vulnerable customers

"A pregnant customer orders a pisco sour. The bartender makes it and serves it without mentioning the egg content. Even pasteurised egg carries some residual risk for vulnerable groups—pregnant women, children, elderly, and immunocompromised individuals must be warned. Build the warning into your service routine so it becomes automatic whenever you're making an egg drink."

Mistake 6: Using product with damaged packaging

"The bottle was dented during delivery but the seal seems intact. Product with damaged packaging should not be used. Damage could have compromised the seal in ways you can't see, allowing contamination. If packaging is damaged in any way, discard the product and use a fresh, undamaged bottle."

Mistake 7: Ignoring the use-by date

"The use-by date was yesterday but the bottle is still sealed. Use-by dates exist because the product may not be safe after that date, regardless of whether it's been opened. A sealed bottle past its use-by date must be discarded just like an open bottle past its 2-day limit. Check dates when deliveries arrive and rotate stock properly so older stock is used first."

Mistake 8: Not taking customer health concerns seriously

"A customer mentions they're on immunosuppressant medication but still wants to try an egg cocktail. They're an adult and can make their own choice, but make sure they understand the risk. Some customers don't fully appreciate what 'raw egg' means in terms of their personal health situation. If someone in a vulnerable group insists on ordering an egg drink after being warned, serve it—but make sure the warning was clear and they genuinely understood."

Step 6: Key takeaways

Finish your video by reinforcing the critical points about raw egg in cocktails.

"Let me recap the rules for using egg in cocktails:

Pasteurised only: Only pasteurised liquid egg can be used in drinks. Shell eggs must never be used in drinks under any circumstances. Pasteurisation kills pathogenic bacteria through heat treatment while preserving the properties that make egg useful in cocktails.

Storage requirements: Keep pasteurised egg refrigerated below 5°C at all times. Adhere strictly to use-by dates on sealed products.

The 2-day rule: Once opened, pasteurised egg must be used within 2 days. Opened Monday, use by end of Wednesday. Label every bottle with the date it was opened—immediately, not later.

During service: Keep the bottle refrigerated when not in use. Don't leave it sitting on the bar. Return it to the fridge between drinks or during quiet periods.

Vulnerable groups: Warn customers who may be vulnerable that the drink contains raw pasteurised egg. This includes children, elderly, pregnant women, and anyone who is immunocompromised or immunosuppressed. Build the warning into your standard service.

Customer communication: When in doubt, mention the egg content. A simple 'this contains raw pasteurised egg—is that okay?' gives customers the information they need to make an informed choice.

Discard criteria: Discard if past use-by date, more than 2 days since opening, packaging damaged, seal not intact, left unrefrigerated for extended periods, or any doubt about safety.

When in doubt: Don't serve it. The cost of discarding questionable product is nothing compared to the cost of making a customer ill. If you're not certain a product is safe, discard it and open fresh.

These rules let us offer the classic egg cocktails our guests enjoy while keeping them safe. Pasteurised egg, stored correctly, used within 2 days, with vulnerable customers warned. Follow these rules consistently and you'll serve great cocktails safely."