White Lady Cocktail Recipe and History
The classic cocktail that is the White Lady, is a creation and evolution of some of the bartending worlds legends. Its simple, easy to make and uses cheap to buy ingredients. Making it the perfect cocktail to try at home.
White Lady Cocktail History
The white lady is a cocktail that has evolved a lot during its time. It’s a contribution of many bartenders that have made the White Lady cocktail what it is today, and what’s kept it a popular choice for over 100 years. It’s to no surprise that for the last three years, this cocktail has never fallen below 15th place on the Diffords guide top 100 cocktails.
So, where did it all begin? Harry MacElhone is the man credited to creating The White Lady cocktail. Harry MacElhone is a legend in the bartending world. Hailing from Dundee in Scotland, he first created the White Lady whilst working at Londons Ciro’s Club in 1919.
Harry’s 1919 cocktail consisted of equal parts Lemon Juice, Triple Sec and Creme de Menthe. A eyebrow raising sweet mint and orange sour cocktail.
It wasn’t until 1929 whilst at his own bar “Harry’s New York bar” in Paris, France that he updated the recipe and switched out the Creme de Menthe for Gin. His drier, more palatable version consisted now of equal parts Gin, Lemon juice and Triple sec. More similar to the White lady we know today.
The America Bar at the Savoy
Another legendary Harry who had his input to the White Lady was Harry Craddock From the Savoy’s hotel bar, The American Bar. He adapted the recipes ratio and upped the gin in the cocktail. He published his White Lady recipe in the 1930’s edition of the Savoys Cocktail Book. This massively popularised the cocktail. Harry claimed that he named the cocktail after F. Scott Fitzgerald’s wife Zelda who would often drink at the Savoy and had bleach blonde hair. F. Scott Fitzgerald being most famously known for writing the classic book, The Great Gatsby.
However, although the 1930’s recipe for a White Lady is close to the one we have today. It’s still not the same. The cocktail we know today has the addition of egg white. Egg white gives the cocktail a white fluffy head as well as its smooth all important, velvety mouth-feel. We can thank the American Bar at the Savoy again for this addition, as it came from there then head bartender and industry legend, Peter Dorelli.
Fun Fact: Embedded within the Savoys walls.
Within the walls of the savoy is a 90 year old cocktail shaker filled with a cocktail consisting of Plymouth Gin, Lemon juice and Cointreau. A White Lady Cocktail.
During a art-deco refurb in 1927. Harry Craddock is the person who berried the cocktail within the walls. However, despite many attempts to locate the ancient silver vessel, it still has never been found.
Dry shake
A Dry shake, refers to shaking the liquid ingredients in a cocktail without ice. It’s a technique used for ingredients such as Egg white. A vigorous dry shake before adding ice will help emulsify the egg white for ultimate foamy goodness.
Doing this will ensure the egg whites fully combine with the other ingredients before then adding ice and shaking again. Think of it like this. The dry shake combines ingredients and the second shake with ice cools and dilutes the ingredients.
It’s not just egg whites when you would use this a dry shake. It’s also helpful with ingredients with different densities like lemon juice with honey for example.
White Lady cocktail photo
Optional Egg white
The egg whites are optional in this cocktail. There are still a lot of people put of by the idea of egg whites in a cocktail. No matter how many times you assure them that they wont taste egg whites or get salmonella and it only changes the mouth-feel and texture of a cocktail. Check out this guide to cocktail foams to learn more about what egg white does in this White Lady cocktail.
However, some people still opt to skip out on the egg white. Which is perfectly okay. In this day and age there are products like foaming bitters, which will give you the same affect egg white would but without the egg white. Or use nothing at all. The Harry Craddock style of White Lady uses no egg whites, it’s the recipe i make in the video above. Foaming bitters also tend to be vegan and speaking of being vegan…
Vegan?
If you are vegan, don’t be put of by the egg white in this recipe. As stated above, miraculous foaming bitters will give you the same texture but are vegan.
Or, you can use Aquafaba. Latin for “Bean liquid” Aquafaba is that left over juice in a can of chickpeas. Using a bar spoon or two of that chickpea juice will emulsify your cocktail in much the same way as egg whites do.
Want to brush up on your gin knowledge? check out my ultimate guide on gin by CLICKING HERE.
White Lady Cocktail Variations
The White lady is a cocktail that can make the perfect base for your cocktail creations. Simply swapping out the the gin for another spirit such as white rum or vodka will dramatically change the taste of your cocktail.
White Ladies benefit the most from floral variations. A good start is to add a dash of elderflower cordial for a sweet summertime tipple.
Infusing the gin you use is another great way to add some complexity and infuse flavours into your cocktail. Elderflower, rhubarb or pink gin works wonders.
White Lady Video Recipe
White Lady Cocktail Recipe
White Lady Cocktail
Ingredients
Instructions
- Add everything to a shaker and dry shake.
- Once foamy, add ice and shake again.
- Fine strain into a chilled coupe.
Notes
For tips, variations, and the cocktail history. Scroll up.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
139.72Fat
0.12 gSat. Fat
0.01 gCarbs
2.18 gFiber
0.09 gNet carbs
2.09 gSugar
0.92 gProtein
3.37 gSodium
50.59 mgCholesterol
0 mgThe nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
