The White Lady recipe
for your table
Using egg white? Shake for 10 seconds without ice first.
Add ice and shake firmly for another 12 to 15 seconds.
Double strain into a chilled coupe.
Squeeze a lemon zest over the glass for a fresh aroma.
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The story
The White Lady has two fathers, who also happened to be colleagues. In 1919, Harry MacElhone created an early version in London with crème de menthe, which he replaced with gin at his Paris bar. Harry Craddock, the legendary bartender at the Savoy in London, claimed the definitive version and included it in his Savoy Cocktail Book in 1930, still the bible of classic mixology. According to tradition, the White Lady was Laurel and Hardy's favorite cocktail when they stayed at the Savoy.
The Right Glass
A cocktail with this name and character calls for a glass with the same allure: a classic stemmed coupe. The wide bowl allows the citrus and juniper aromas to shine and keeps any foam layer intact. Choose a coupe of 20 to 26 cl, preferably with a thin rim. It makes for a more refined drinking experience. If you love vintage glamour, choose a model with Art Deco relief. If you want to serve it in a sleeker bowl with a sharp line, take a look at our martini glasses.
Lehmann London Champagne Glass / Coupe 20 cl (6 pieces)
RCR Timeless Champagne Glass / Coupe 26 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 112,90.
The right tools
For a White Lady, in addition to the glass, you need a Boston shaker, a jigger for precise measuring, a cocktail strainer, a fine strainer for double straining and a citrus press. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find them all in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 5 bar tools together € 139,70.
What do you make a White Lady with?
You need the right base for a White Lady. Well-known bottles include Cointreau. On each drink page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it works well in and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
Adding egg white makes it silky smooth, the 'silver' version that many bars serve as standard. Replace the gin with cognac and you have a Sidecar; replace it with rum and it becomes a Between the Sheets: three classics from one template. A sugar rim makes it extra festive. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Servingtip
The White Lady is at its best when all three ingredients are in balance: taste before serving and adjust with a few drops of lemon or a bar spoonful of sugar syrup.
Good to know
The ratio and how strong it is
Four centilitres of gin, 3 cl Cointreau and 2 cl lemon juice: almost equal parts spirit and liqueur, with just enough acidity to lift the whole drink. After shaking for twelve to fifteen seconds, you end up with about 11 cl in the coupe, containing around 2.8 cl of pure alcohol, or about 25 percent. That's strong for a cocktail that goes down so smoothly. If you find it too sweet, reduce the Cointreau to 2.5 cl; if it's too sharp, half a centilitre of sugar syrup is a better solution than adding more liqueur.
White Lady or Sidecar: the difference
Put them side by side and the pattern is immediately clear. Both consist of a base spirit, Cointreau and fresh lemon juice, and both are double-strained into a coupe. In the White Lady, the base is 4 cl gin; in the Sidecar, 5 cl cognac. Gin brings juniper and spice and keeps everything dry and bright; cognac makes it warmer, rounder and fruitier. Replace the base with light rum, and it's called a Between the Sheets. The same shaker, three completely different evenings.
With or without egg white
Without egg white, the White Lady is crystal clear, crisp and citrus-fresh. Add egg white and you get the silver version that many bars serve as standard: silky smooth, with a white collar of about a centimeter and a noticeably rounder mouthfeel. Shake for ten seconds without ice first, then for twelve to fifteen seconds with ice. If you don't want to use raw egg, 2 cl of aquafaba does exactly the same job. The difference in taste is small; the difference in texture and presentation is significant.
Which gin do you choose
A classic London Dry works best, because the juniper balances the 3 cl of Cointreau. Well-known bottles are around 40 to 47 percent and cost twenty to thirty euros; the higher the alcohol percentage, the better the gin holds its own against the liqueur. Floral or fruity modern gins quickly disappear into the sweetness here. Old Tom gin can also work, but reduce the Cointreau to 2.5 cl, otherwise the cocktail loses the dry edge that makes it worthy of its name.
Frequently asked questions
What is in a white lady?
A White Lady consists of 4 cl gin, 3 cl Cointreau and 2 cl fresh lemon juice, optionally with egg white for a soft layer of foam. Shake with plenty of ice, double strain into a chilled coupe and squeeze a lemon zest over it for a fresh aroma.
What is White Lady?
The White Lady is a classic gin cocktail from the 1920s, clear in color and smooth in taste. Harry MacElhone created the first version in 1919; Harry Craddock established the definitive version in 1930 in the Savoy Cocktail Book. According to legend, it was Laurel and Hardy's favorite.
What is in a Pink Lady cocktail?
The Pink Lady is gin with grenadine and egg white, making it pinker and sweeter; the White Lady uses Cointreau and lemon juice and remains clear and drier. If you replace the gin in the White Lady with cognac, you get a Sidecar; with rum, it becomes a Between the Sheets.
Which glass do you use for a White Lady?
A 20 to 26 cl coupe with a thin rim: the wide bowl lets the citrus and juniper aromas shine and keeps any foam layer intact. A model with an art deco relief suits the vintage glamour of this classic; see our champagne coupe glasses for sets in hospitality quality.
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