In my previous set of articles I’ve already talked about the effect sugar, acidity, alcohol and bitterness has on the texture of a cocktail. This article will examine other sources of texture, mainly dairy, eggs, and carbonation.
Raw milk, warm from the cow – and yes, we’re going to talk about cow milk here instead of sheep, goat or camel -- is an incredibly complex solution of microscopic fat globules, sugars (namely lactose, a complex sugar made from glucose and galactose), vitamins, white blood cells, and water. Some breeds of cow are less efficient at converting the yellow pigment carotene into Vitamin A, so their milk is more golden in color (interestingly enough, goats, sheep and water buffalo are 100% efficient, so their milk and cheese are always starkly white). Raw milk is also full of bacteria, some of which are responsible for the conversion of lactose to lactic acid (souring), and some of which can be harmful to humans (Salmonella and E. Coli O157:H7, among others). Milk is slightly acidic, at around pH 6.5-6.7.