White Lady
Gin, orange liqueur and lemon, shaken — with egg white if you follow the Savoy. The gin Sidecar, from Harry MacElhone in two versions, and one of the great simple sours.
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 and lemon juice (and egg white, if using — dry shake first for 10 seconds) to a shaker.
Fill with ice and shake hard for 12 seconds.
Double strain into the chilled coupe and garnish with a lemon twist.
A thoughtful finish
- A dry 40% orange liqueur is the drink's only sugar; with a sweet triple sec it is cloying.
- Egg white makes the Savoy's silky version; without it the drink is sharper and cleaner. Both are correct.
- MacElhone's 1929 proportions are two parts gin to one each of Cointreau and lemon; the Savoy's are equal parts. This is between.
Common mistakes
- A sweet triple sec.
- Too little lemon; the drink should be tart.
- Serving it warm; it is a cold, bright sour.
A few good questions.
What is the difference between a White Lady and a Sidecar?
Gin for cognac. Otherwise the same drink.
With or without egg white?
Either. The 1929 original has none; the Savoy added it, and most bars now make it that way.
What was the 1919 version?
Crème de menthe, Cointreau and lemon, with no gin — a very different and much sweeter drink that MacElhone replaced ten years later.
How is it related to the Breakfast Martini?
The Breakfast Martini is a White Lady with a spoon of marmalade stirred into the gin.
Variations
- Sidecar — Cognac, orange liqueur and lemon.
- Breakfast Martini — With marmalade.
- Fine and Dandy — With a dash of Angostura.
- Between the Sheets — Cognac, rum, orange liqueur and lemon.
Where it comes from
1919; revised 1929 · London and Paris · Harry MacElhone · Ciro's Club; Harry's New York Bar
Harry MacElhone made the first White Lady at Ciro’s Club in London in 1919 with crème de menthe, Cointreau and lemon — no gin — and revised it at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris in 1929 into gin, Cointreau and lemon, which is the drink that lasted. Harry Craddock’s Savoy Cocktail Book of 1930 printed the gin version, and the Savoy’s later practice added egg white for a silky foam, which is how most bars make it now. It is the gin member of the Sidecar family — cognac in the Sidecar, rum in Between the Sheets, gin here — and arguably the best balanced of the three.
Sources
- Harry MacElhone, Barflies and Cocktails, 1927 (book)
- Harry Craddock, The Savoy Cocktail Book, 1930 (book)
- David Wondrich, Imbibe!, 2015 (book)
Strength. About 1.6 US standard drinks at an estimated 19.2% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
A keeper?
Save this drink for your next cocktail hour.
Saved in this browser.The next great drink
might already be on your shelf.
Choose your bottles and mixers. Discover what you can make.