Ingredients
Quality ingredients make all the difference. Each component plays a crucial role.
Method
Technique transforms ingredients into something extraordinary.
Add all ingredients to a shaker without ice and dry shake if using egg white
Add ice and shake again until well chilled
Strain into a chilled coupe glass
Garnish with a lemon twist
Glassware
Served up in a chilled coupe
Garnish
Express oils and place on rim
Master's Tips
Professional insights to elevate your craft
Dry shake first for a better foam
Double strain for a velvety texture
Chill the glass for a crisp serve
Variations & Riffs
Classic cocktails inspire countless variations. Here are some popular riffs on the White Lady.
Kamikaze
Vodka, Cointreau, and lime—shaken icy cold for a clean, citrusy classic served up or as a shooter.
Pink Lady
A blushing pre‑Prohibition sour—gin and applejack with lemon, real grenadine, and a silky egg‑white foam.
Blue Lady
A colorful cousin of the White Lady—gin, blue curaçao, and lemon shaken frothy with optional egg white.
Other Variations
Equal Parts MacElhone
Returns to MacElhone's 1:1:1 ratio for a lighter, sweeter sip.
Changes
History & Heritage
“Harry MacElhone's first White Lady in 1919 used brandy and crème de menthe, but by 1929 he had revised it to equal parts gin, Cointreau and lemon. Harry Craddock's 1930 *Savoy Cocktail Book* doubled the gin and cemented the dry, spirit-forward style. Postwar bartenders began adding egg white, giving the drink its silky texture and keeping the White Lady in the canon of classic sours.”
More to Explore
If you enjoyed this cocktail, these similar creations might capture your interest.
Blue Lady
A colorful cousin of the White Lady—gin, blue curaçao, and lemon shaken frothy with optional egg white.
Clover Leaf
The mint‑topped cousin of the Clover Club—gin, lemon, raspberry syrup and egg white crowned with a mint leaf.
Clover Club
Pre-Prohibition gin sour colored with raspberry and crowned with a dry-shaken egg white foam.