Fine and Dandy
Gin, orange liqueur, lemon and a dash of Angostura, shaken. The Savoy's White Lady with bitters — the small change that makes it a different and better drink.
Built to the standard modern spec; not yet tested in our kitchen. How we test.
The recipe.
Scaling adjusts quantities only. Prepare shaken drinks in individual portions.
Let’s make a good drink.
Chill a coupe.
Add the gin, orange liqueur, lemon juice and bitters to a shaker.
Fill with ice and shake hard for 10 to 12 seconds.
Double strain into the chilled coupe and garnish with a cherry, or nothing.
A thoughtful finish
- A dry 40% orange liqueur; the drink has no other sugar.
- One dash of Angostura; two makes it bitter.
- The Savoy's version is equal parts of everything; this leans on the gin and is drier.
Common mistakes
- Skipping the bitters, which makes it a White Lady.
- A sweet triple sec.
- Egg white, which belongs to the White Lady's modern version, not this one.
A few good questions.
What is the difference between Fine and Dandy and a White Lady?
A dash of Angostura bitters. It sounds trivial and is not; the bitters give the drink spice and a finish.
What does 'fine and dandy' mean?
1920s slang for 'very well, thank you'. The drink was named in a good mood.
Can I add egg white?
That is the modern White Lady's trick; it works here too, but the original has none.
Lemon or lime?
Lemon, in the Savoy recipe. Lime makes it a Pegu Club's cousin.
Variations
- White Lady — Gin, orange liqueur and lemon.
- Fitzgerald — Gin, lemon, sugar and Angostura.
- Pegu Club — Gin, curaçao, lime and two bitters.
- Sidecar — Cognac, orange liqueur and lemon.
Where it comes from
c. 1930 · London · Savoy Hotel
Fine and Dandy is in the Savoy Cocktail Book of 1930 — gin, Cointreau, lemon juice and a dash of Angostura, shaken — a few pages from the White Lady, which is the same drink without the bitters. The name is period slang for feeling well. It is a gin Sidecar with a dash of spice, and the bitters do more than they should: they tie the orange liqueur to the gin and give the drink a finish the White Lady lacks. It was forgotten in the White Lady’s shadow and deserves the revival the Fitzgerald got for the same trick.
Sources
- Harry Craddock, The Savoy Cocktail Book, 1930 (book)
- Ted Haigh, Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails, 2009 (book)
- Difford's Guide, Fine and Dandy, 2015 (reference)
Strength. About 1.62 US standard drinks at an estimated 25.7% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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