All the Best Cocktails Have MSG in Them

The next time your cocktail tastes especially great, there may be a simple, secret ingredient to thank: monosodium glutamate. More commonly known as MSG, the flavor enhancer lends cocktails more depth and a slightly savory edge.

While MSG’s reputation suffered for many years due to inaccurate and xenophobic claims about its negative health consequences, several studies have failed to show any validity to those concerns, helping to bolster a current wave of MSG experimentation in bars and restaurants.

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Calvin Eng, chef-owner of Bonnie’s. Photo by Scott Rossi

Forward-thinking chefs, like Calvin Eng of Bonnie’s in Brooklyn, have led the charge in shifting the public perception of MSG.

“I knew I was going to proudly talk about using MSG in my cooking and was also interested in experimenting with the use of it in the beverage program,” Eng says. (The chef has an MSG tattoo and published a cookbook last year called Salt Sugar MSG, so it’s safe to say he’s a superfan.)

Now, his restaurant is widely known for its MSG Martini, a dirty martini with olive brine, shaoxing wine, and MSG. Bartenders around the country are following suit and using the ingredient to amp up their drinks.

Calvin Eng wearing the Bonnie's t-shirt at the restaurant. — Calvin Eng wearing the Bonnie’s t-shirt at the restaurant. Photo by Scott Rossi

Like Salt, but Better

MSG is essentially sodium mixed with glutamate, one of the amino acids your body needs to make protein. It’s a bit more complicated than that, but that’s the gist. MSG also occurs naturally in foods like tomatoes and cheeses. It adds a savory, umami complexity to food and drinks when it’s used as a flavor enhancer.

“It’s kind of hard to describe what MSG tastes like because it feels similar to salt, but it has more of a savory depth,” says Mae Strubel, beverage director of Rune Restaurant in Fort Wayne, Indiana. “When I describe it, I like to say mushrooms, parmesan, bacon, miso, as ingredients that taste like MSG.”

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When added to a cocktail, it acts the same way that it does with food, simply enhancing the flavors that are already present. Bartenders have been using saline in a similar fashion for years, but Strubel says MSG “kind of just takes saline to the next level.”

“When our bartenders whispered about the latest MSG-in-cocktails buzz bubbling up, we couldn’t resist experimenting and were absolutely floored by the results,” adds Scott Slater, owner of Hemlock Restaurant & Bar in Boise, Idaho.

Bonnie’s MSG cocktails, including the Cilantro Soda, Cilantro Soda Spritz, and their signature MSG Martini. Photo by Scott Rossi

“We apply only the tiniest whisper of MSG, just a drop of our MSG-infused simple syrup,” says Slater, “but wow, that trace amount doesn’t just tweak a cocktail, it blasts it into orbit.”

To illustrate the “pop” that MSG gives a cocktail, make two versions of your drink. Strubel suggested making a Bee’s Knees, a fairly simple cocktail with gin, honey, and lemon. Add two to three drops of a MSG solution to one but not the other, and compare the taste side by side. “MSG makes all of the flavors stand out more,” she explains. “The gin tastes brighter, the honey tastes brighter.”

Mixing an MSG Solution

To use MSG in a cocktail, bartenders recommend making a solution with it versus sprinkling it directly into the drink. Strubel says she mixes 78 grams of water with 20 grams of salt and two grams of MSG, while Slater says his team introduces a touch of sugar into the equation. Both Bonnie’s team and Strubel use the Ajinomoto brand; Slater uses Raw Essentials.

You don’t need to use much MSG at all to make a big impact on your drink.

“Season as you go, the same way you would use salt is the way to start experimenting,” Eng says. “Start working with neutral flavors and tasting things side by side with and without MSG to learn what the flavor tastes like.”

MSG at Bonnie's — MSG at Bonnie’s. Photo by Scott Rossi

Slater’s team only adds two dashes of their MSG syrup to their Spring King cocktail that’s made with their shiitake-infused gin, dry vermouth, lemon, and a raspberry-and-rosemary simple syrup. MSG only deepens the flavors of the mushroom infusion, says Slater, giving the drink additional layers.

Strubel cautions against using too much MSG: the effect will be like oversalting your meal, so start with a small amount and taste as you go.

“Looking ahead, we view MSG as another tool in our arsenal,” Slater says. “Just as bartenders now routinely work with saline, acids, or fat washes, MSG opens another dimension of depth.”

Make Your Own MSG Solution

MSG can level up a cocktail’s flavor profile with an umami boost, and this solution is key to making one at home. (Thank us later.)

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