# Raw eggs in beer (safety) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 10, 2011, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-in-beer-safety/588528 "2011-07-10T18:20:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![lazybratsche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-in-beer-safety/588528/21 "2011-07-11T15:49:28Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > It would seem the point of the cure is to get some protein back in your system (always good during a hangover), plus “hair of the dog” (not that it’s ever made me feel better personally, but I hear it works for some people). > > Seems like a more effective solution would be to cook the eggs and eat them, with the beer on the side (although preferably, orange juice would be better). Seriously. IMO fried eggs (along with a nice pile of hash browns and some bacon) are the best hangover breakfast. I’ve never had beer with breakfast, but I have had late-night-fried-eggs with beer and it’s a pretty tasty combination. Why the hell would you ruin beer with a raw egg? Or vice-versa, ruin a perfectly fryable egg with beer? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-in-beer-safety/588528/22 "2011-07-11T15:58:57Z")
IANAA (for some definitions of alcoholic), but I put a raw egg in a smoothie breakfast drink maybe 3 times a week. Definitely over 100 raw eggs a year for the past 5 years. Never had a problem. My gf does the same. They’re form our own hens, other than over the winter when they stop laying. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-in-beer-safety/588528/23 "2011-07-11T16:08:59Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Sounds about as appealing as Clamato juice in beer. Hey! That actually _is_ good. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-in-beer-safety/588528/24 "2011-07-11T17:13:30Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Sounds about as appealing as Clamato juice in beer. I’ve never done Clamato in beer but a “Red Draw” (tomato juice and draft beer) used to be very popular back home in Texas. It’s actually pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-in-beer-safety/588528/25 "2011-07-11T17:27:41Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Hey! That actually _is_ good. Dad? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-in-beer-safety/588528/26 "2011-07-11T17:48:56Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Dad? It’s basically just a Bloody Mary (or Bloody Caesar, really) made with beer instead of vodka. There’s also a michelada version that omits the Clamato or tomato juice, and is mostly just worcestershire, lime, and hot sauce. That’s good, too. Something about a really hot day and the salty thirst quenchingness of the drink just works. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-in-beer-safety/588528/27 "2011-07-11T18:16:09Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > It’s basically just a Bloody Mary (or Bloody Caesar, really) made with beer instead of vodka. To me, that’s kind of like saying, “Oh, it’s basically just a chocolate cake, with broccoli instead of chocolate.”\* ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-in-beer-safety/588528/28 "2011-07-11T18:38:04Z")
> [@Anamorphic](#): > > To me, that’s kind of like saying, “Oh, it’s basically just a chocolate cake, with broccoli instead of chocolate.”\* Well, no, not really in any meaningful sense. A bloody Mary, to me, is basically a drink based on tomato juice, worcestershire sauce, a citrust, hot sauce, and alcohol, in the standard case, vodka. Swapping out alcohols is not that big a switch. You know how people make “margaritas” with beer sometimes instead of tequila? Same idea, except with a bloody mary. It’s in no way similar to making chocolate cake with brocooli instead of chocolate. More like making chocolate cake with, say, rice flour instead of cake flour. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-in-beer-safety/588528/29 "2011-07-11T18:55:21Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Well, no, not really in any meaningful sense. A bloody Mary, to me, is basically a drink based on tomato juice, worcestershire sauce, a citrust, hot sauce, and alcohol, in the standard case, vodka. Swapping out alcohols is not that big a switch. (You forgot the celery seed/salt/stick/leaves/whatever something from celery.) Well, why do you get to redefine one of the ingredients – vodka – as “alcohol”? What if I redefined the recipe as “a juice, a fermented condiment, an acid, a chili-based condiment, and alcohol.” Then I could make a bloody mary with pineapple juice, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, Patak’s vindaloo sauce, and apple cider. Anyway, isn’t it important that vodka is essentially flavourless? So, your ingredients should be “tomato juice, worcestershire sauce, a citrus, hot sauce, and a flavourless alcohol, in the standard case, vodka.” ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-in-beer-safety/588528/30 "2011-07-11T19:00:14Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > You know how people make “margaritas” with beer sometimes instead of tequila? Holy cats, people actually do this?! Swap beer for tequila in some sort of faux-margarita concoction? I’ve heard of the beer + Clamato thing, but this…this sound vile. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-in-beer-safety/588528/31 "2011-07-11T19:03:18Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Well, why do you get to redefine one of the ingredients – vodka – as “alcohol”? Because bloody mary (and many other cocktail) variations are generally based on replacing the alcohol, that’s way. [See Wikipedia list of Bloody Mary variations.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Mary_(cocktail)) Note the “Bloody beer.” Also, note the “Bloody Maureen” for fun (replaces vodka with Guinness.) Seriously, is it that much of a stretch to think of a michelada as a bloody mary with beer instead of vodka? Really? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-in-beer-safety/588528/32 "2011-07-11T19:07:25Z")
> [@Snickers](#): > > Holy cats, people actually do this?! Swap beer for tequila in some sort of faux-margarita concoction? I’ve heard of the beer + Clamato thing, but this…this sound vile. Not me, but it’s not exactly unheard of. Google “beer margarita.” (Although most recipes have beer in addition to the tequila.) Both Rachel Ray and Sandra Lee have recipes in the first few Google hits, so no doubt it’s mainstream. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-in-beer-safety/588528/33 "2011-07-11T19:15:24Z")
So called “red beer” (not to be confused with terms for actual types of beer) used to appear in some blue collar / workingman’s bars in Appalachia, and probably other places. Basically beer with tomato juice. I can’t see the appeal, myself. Since a margarita is made with lime juice, your “beer margarita” would seemingly be pretty close to a shandy, which is traditionally beer and lemonade, often made with beer and some form of citrus based soda these days. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-in-beer-safety/588528/34 "2011-07-11T19:21:51Z")
> [@yabob](#): > > Since a margarita is made with lime juice, your “beer margarita” would seemingly be pretty close to a shandy, which is traditionally beer and lemonade, often made with beer and some form of citrus based soda these days. Looks like the beer margarita recipes swap out the triple sec, but not the tequila, so it’s more margarita than shandy, although it’s a cross between the two drinks. You can think of it either as a shandy with tequila, or a margarita with beer. Either seems to be reasonable descriptions of the drink. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-in-beer-safety/588528/35 "2011-07-11T19:25:15Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Well, no, not really in any meaningful sense. A bloody Mary, to me, is basically a drink based on tomato juice, worcestershire sauce, a citrust, hot sauce, and alcohol, in the standard case, vodka. Swapping out alcohols is not that big a switch. You know how people make “margaritas” with beer sometimes instead of tequila? Same idea, except with a bloody mary. It’s in no way similar to making chocolate cake with brocooli instead of chocolate. More like making chocolate cake with, say, rice flour instead of cake flour. Well, two things: first, I said, “to me”, so yes, it does have a meaningful sense… to me. It’s taking two ingredients, that, again, to me, work very well together, and switching one of said ingredients out for a third ingredient that sounds like a terrible mix (once again, to me). The fact that they’re both alcohol doesn’t really make a difference as far as I’m concerned… they’re extremely different types of alcohol. Chocolate cake is yummy. Broccoli is yummy. Broccoli cake, not so much (I’m assuming). Bloody Marys are yummy. Beer is yummy. A Bloody Mary made with beer instead of vodka sounds like a waste of beer and bloody mary mix (to me). So… meaningful sense. And… my comment was meant to be a bit of a joke. I really am not honestly calling into question anyone’s taste in drinks. Please don’t take any offense. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-in-beer-safety/588528/36 "2011-07-11T19:32:04Z")
No, sorry if I gave that impression. I’m not taking offense at liking the drink. I just found it strange that you found my analogy to be so odd. It’s just that: an analogy. I’ve successfully indoctrinated people into the wonderful world of Michelada by describing it as a bloody mary with beer, instead of as beer with Clamato or tomato juice. I, too, thought it was the most disgusting idea in the world when I first heard of it. My first exposure was through those Budweiser ads. I was all like, who in the fuck would mix clam and tomato juice in a beer? Then I thought about it some more and realized, you know, this isn’t _that_ crazy an idea. Mexican beer tends to be light, and it’s not all _that_ different from the idea behind the bloody mary. And you know what? They are not perfect analogues, but if you like alcoholic savory tomato-based drinks, there’s a real good chance you’ll like the michelada. ---
**Author:** ![AnalogSignal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/analogsignal/32/1085_2.png) [@AnalogSignal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnalogSignal)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-in-beer-safety/588528/37 "2011-07-11T22:07:46Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Not perfectly safe, but the odds a US egg is infected with Salmonella is something on the level of [1 in 20,000](http://www.incredibleegg.org/egg-facts/egg-safety/eggs-and-food-safety). I enjoy raw eggs from time to time, but there is a minuscule risk involved. I think it is better to get statistics on this from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) than the food industry ([www.incredibleegg.org](http://www.incredibleegg.org)). From [http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/foodreview/jan1997/jan97d.pdf](http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/foodreview/jan1997/jan97d.pdf) : > [@](#): > > The CDC also reported that, between 1985 and 1995, there were 582 Salmonella enteritidis outbreaks (two or more people became ill from eating the same food), which accounted for 24,058 cases of illness, 2,290 hospitalizations, and 70 deaths. While many more people may have suffered the illness than what the outbreak data suggest, few seek medical help, so large numbers of cases probably are not reported to the CDC. **Raw or undercooked eggs and foods containing them have been implicated in about 80 percent of those Salmonella enteritidis outbreaks in which a food source was identified**. Even though the chances of getting Salmonella are small, why take any risk? No one needs to eat raw eggs. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-in-beer-safety/588528/38 "2011-07-11T22:21:32Z")
> [@AnalogSignal](#): > > I think it is better to get statistics on this from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) than the food industry ([www.incredibleegg.org](http://www.incredibleegg.org)). [Fine, here’s a governmental source.](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11028959) > [@](#): > > The expected value of this distribution is approximately one SE-affected egg in every 20,000 eggs annually produced, and the 90% certainty interval is between one SE-contaminated egg in 30,000 eggs, and one SE-contaminated egg in 12,000 eggs. From: Estimating the annual fraction of eggs contaminated with Salmonella enteritidis in the United States. Ebel E, Schlosser W. Source USDA, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Washington, DC, USA. [eric.d.ebel@usda.gov](mailto:eric.d.ebel@usda.gov) Why take the chance? Because I like raw and undercooked eggs. Same reason I eat beefsteak tartare (where I usually have the raw egg.) ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-in-beer-safety/588528/39 "2011-07-11T22:25:29Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Sounds about as appealing as Clamato juice in beer. My mother drinks that. It’s okay, I guess. Malt liquor mixed with orange juice is surprisingly decent. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-in-beer-safety/588528/40 "2011-07-11T22:55:34Z")
> [@yabob](#): > > In fact, there used to be a saying you don’t hear much anymore: “Whaddya want, egg in your beer?”. Used when you’ve already gotten something, but aren’t satisfied with it. Implying that egg in your beer is in some way desirable… My Dad, an active, practicing Mormon, who has never had a beer in his life (he is 87) says this at least once a week, but he is the ONLY person that I have ever heard say it before… Nice to find out it wasn’t just him. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-in-beer-safety/588528.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-in-beer-safety/588528.md?page=3)