Paul Kushner
Gin lovers rejoice! We’ve got the perfect cocktail for you. If you’ve never heard of it before, allow us to introduce the White Lady Cocktail.
The White Lady goes by many names: Chelsea Sidecar, Delilah, etc. She is a form of Sidecar using gin instead of brandy, and two famous bartenders claim the honor of having invented her.
How to Make a White Lady Cocktail
White Lady
Wonderfully light and refreshing, the White Lady is an elegant cocktail that never disappoints.
This is the classic version of the famous cocktail, so no need for egg whites, unless you want them!
Ingredients
- 1.5 ounces of a London dry gin
- .75 ounce of Triple Sec
- .75 ounce of freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 Egg White
- Dash of sugar syrup (optional)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients into a cocktail shaker without ice and dry shake.
- Add ice and shake again until chilled.
- Strain and serve in a chilled cocktail glass.
White Lady Cocktail Origins
This cocktail may have been invented by Harry Craddock, bartender at The American Bar at the Savoy. His original recipe for something that is mostly like this drink was printed in the 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book.
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In it, he calls for fresh lemon juice, gin, egg white, and orange liqueur to be served in a Martini glass. According to the book, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s famously platinum blonde wife enjoyed the creation, and it was named after her.
However, Harry MacElhone from Dundee also claims to be the brain behind this drink, and his claim at least has the merit of being a lot earlier. In 1919, he was working at London’s Ciro’s Club and made something much like the Delilah except for one small (and by small, we mean giant) detail: instead of using gin, it used crème de menthe.
Most of us who have ever had crème de menthe can testify that when you swap it for gin, you’ve got something entirely different. According to MacElhone, he was working at Harry’s New York bar in Paris later on when it occurred to him to swap the crème de menthe for gin.
A Lady of Fame
Whoever was the originator of this fine drink, it has been appreciated by drinkers ever since.
Famed comedy duo Laurel and Hardy pronounced it their favorite, and in The Looking Glass War by John Le Carré, his spy protagonist has a particular penchant for this drink despite its reputation as “feminine” and is constantly attempting to get other agents to try one.
Cheers!
Modern versions tend to use sweeter Cointreau, which means you can skip the sugar. Some modern versions of the White Lady cocktail even call for egg whites!
If you’re worried about raw egg whites, be sure to use free-range chicken eggs from a known and trusted source. With or without the egg white, though, you’ll enjoy this refreshing delight.
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