How Faba Beans Are Shaking Up the Cocktail World

They’re the secret behind Aquafab, a plant-based liquid that’s changing how cocktails are made, one foamy Sour at a time. You’ve seen that glossy, cloud-like head on your drink, the one that looks as if it’s been airbrushed by angels. Traditionally, that came from egg whites. Problem was, egg whites spoil easily, smell funny, and make your vegan friends awkwardly nurse a Negroni instead. Aquafab fixed all that.

Made entirely from locally grown faba beans, Aquafab mimics the same silky texture and stability as egg whites, but it’s shelf-stable, vegan, and sustainable. In other words, it gives bartenders their foam and their sanity back. No cracking eggs mid-service, no wasted ingredients, no guessing games with consistency. Just shake, pour, and watch that glossy cap form like magic.

The idea was born, fittingly, over a drink. Danny Kane and Rebecca Grey, the husband-and-wife team behind Luton Lane Wine Bar

 in Hawthorn, were mid-conversation when the thought struck: could they create a natural, local alternative that performed just as well as the traditional method? Danny, a hospitality veteran with 25 years of experience at Oakridge Estate and The Lake House, brought the palate. Rebecca, an architect with a taste for systems and problem-solving, brought the precision. Together, they engineered a bar essential from scratch and called it Aquafab.

Since hitting the market a year ago, it’s been a runaway success. Over 400,000 cocktails have been made using Aquafab across 700 Australian venues, from neighbourhood pubs to five-star hotels. It’s even sailed offshore, quite literally, with cruise lines like Disney, Seabourn, and Royal Caribbean

 now pouring bean-powered drinks on the high seas.

For bartenders, it’s a small bottle that solves a big headache. The foam holds longer, the flavour stays neutral, and service moves faster. The texture? Smooth, stable, and Instagram-ready, all without the guilt or goo of egg whites. As one Adelaide bartender put it, “It makes every drink look like it’s been made by a professional, even when the new guy’s on shift.”

Aquafab has already collected a tidy row of awards, including Most Innovative Product at Miami’s F&B@Sea, Best Ingredient at Australia’s HIVE Awards, and Best New Product at the Paramount Awards in Queenstown. But the real triumph is how seamlessly it’s slipped into Australia’s drink culture. It’s science meeting hospitality with a touch of wit and a splash of ingenuity.

In an age where everything old is being rethought, from milk to meat to martinis, Aquafab feels like a natural progression. It’s a reminder that innovation doesn’t have to come from tech giants or distant labs. Sometimes it’s born over a glass of wine in Hawthorn, inspired by two people asking why things couldn’t be done better.

Next time you’re sipping a perfectly foamy Whiskey Sour, remember: it might just be powered by a bean.