🥃 White Lady
White Lady is a classic IBA cocktail of gin, triple sec and lemon juice; several bartenders of the 1920s are credited with its creation.
White Lady is a classic gin cocktail of gin, triple sec orange liqueur and fresh lemon juice. The IBA recipe uses 40 ml of gin, 30 ml of liqueur and 20 ml of juice, shaken with ice and strained into a chilled glass with no garnish.
Author. Its origin is disputed. The Oxford Companion describes two different cocktails with this name from the Art Deco era. The first is credited to Harry MacElhone of London's Ciro's Club: brandy, crème de menthe and Cointreau, in 1922. The second, with gin, liqueur and lemon, is linked to the bar of the Savoy hotel; Harry Craddock printed its recipe in "The Savoy Cocktail Book" in 1930, and it replaced the first version.
Other versions. Difford's Guide considers the story of the gin version created in Paris in 1929 insufficiently proven. Its author leans towards Victor Cabrera of the Grosvenor House hotel in London, and dates the recipe to the late 1920s.
Egg white. Early recipes do not contain it; it appears in newspapers from 1936 and in books from the mid-1940s. Some bartenders, such as Peter Dorelli of the Savoy, think it is better to shake the drink properly than to add egg white. The Oxford Companion gives a proportion of 45 ml gin, 22 ml each of Cointreau and juice.
Why this matters to you. Lemon and liqueur make the drink light on the palate, but the strength of the gin remains. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Raw material | 40 ml gin, 30 ml triple sec, 20 ml lemon juice (IBA recipe) |
|---|---|
| Year founded | 1920s; the gin version printed in 1930 (The Savoy Cocktail Book) |
| Legal basis | official IBA cocktail, The Unforgettables category |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 White Lady → affects → 🍷 Alcohol and health ← affects ← 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Made from
- 🥃 Cointreau
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 Americans
- Part of
- 🍸 Gin
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Aviation, 🥃 Dry Martini, 🥃 Daiquiri, 🥃 Stinger, 🥃 Stinger, 🥃 Vieux Carré, 🥃 Vieux Carré, 🥃 Tuxedo, 🥃 Tuxedo, 🥃 Vesper
Frequently asked questions
What does White Lady contain according to the IBA recipe?
40 ml gin, 30 ml triple sec and 20 ml fresh lemon juice; shaken with ice, no garnish.
Who created the White Lady?
Nobody knows for sure: Harry MacElhone, Harry Craddock and Victor Cabrera are named; the gin recipe was printed in the Savoy Cocktail Book in 1930.
Is it true that the White Lady always contains egg white?
No. Early recipes, including Craddock's, do not have it; egg white was added later for foam.
Was there a version without gin?
Yes. MacElhone's early version of 1922 was made of brandy, crème de menthe and Cointreau.
How is the White Lady similar to the Sidecar?
Both are sours with an orange liqueur and lemon, but the White Lady is based on gin instead of cognac.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🧑🤝🧑 Americans — The people of the United States in North America, descendants of settlers and Native peoples; their home-grown cheese is California's Monterey Jack.
- 🥃 Tuxedo — Tuxedo is a classic martini-style IBA cocktail: equal parts of Old Tom gin and dry vermouth, with maraschino, a touch of absinthe and orange bitters.
- 🍷 Drunk driving — Never drive after drinking wine: alcohol slows your reactions.
- 🥃 Vieux Carré — Vieux Carré is a New Orleans cocktail of rye whiskey, cognac, sweet vermouth, Bénédictine and Peychaud's bitters, created in 1938.
Similar
🥃 Tuxedo · 🥃 Vesper · 🥃 Last Word · 🥃 Casino · 🥃 Dry Martini · 🥃 Clover Club
Sources
- IBA — International Bartenders Association: White Lady (The Unforgettables; 40 ml gin, 30 ml triple sec, 20 ml fresh lemon juice; shake with ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass; no garnish)
- The Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails, entry 'White Lady': two different art-deco-era drinks; Harry MacElhone's early version (brandy, crème de menthe, Cointreau; Harry's ABC of Mixing Cocktails, 1922); the gin version from the Savoy and Harry Craddock's Savoy Cocktail Book (1930); egg white added in the late 1930s
- Difford's Guide: White Lady cocktail — competing claims (MacElhone 1919/1929, Craddock 1930, Victor Cabrin at Grosvenor House); early recipes without egg white
- Difford's Guide: White Lady cocktail — history and variations (encyclopedia)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)