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 in London, Harry MacElhone devised an early version 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 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book - still the bible of classic mixology. According to legend, 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 lets the citrus and juniper aromas shine and keeps any foam layer intact. Choose a 20 to 26 cl coupe, preferably with a thin rim - it makes for a more refined drink. If you love vintage glamour, choose a model with an Art Deco relief. If you want to serve it in a more streamlined 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, besides the glass, you use 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 everything 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 every 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.
Serving tip
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 simple syrup.
Good to know
The ratio and how strong it is
Four centiliters 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 have about 11 cl in the coupe, containing approximately 2.8 cl of pure alcohol, or around 25 percent. That is strong for a cocktail that goes down so smoothly. If you find it too sweet, reduce the Cointreau to 2.5 cl; if it is too sharp, half a centiliter of simple syrup is a better solution than adding more liqueur.
White Lady or Sidecar: the difference
Place 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 botanicals and keeps the whole drink dry and bright; cognac makes it warmer, rounder and fruitier. Replace the base with light rum, and it is 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 one centimeter and a noticeably rounder mouthfeel. Shake for ten seconds without ice first, then for twelve to fifteen seconds with ice. If you do not want to use raw egg, 2 cl aquafaba does exactly the same job. The difference in flavor 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 contain around 40 to 47 percent alcohol and cost twenty to thirty euros; the higher the alcohol percentage, the better the gin stands up to the liqueur. Floral or fruity modern gins quickly disappear into the sweetness here. Old Tom gin also works, 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 flavor. Harry MacElhone created the first version in 1919; Harry Craddock established the definitive variation in 1930 in the Savoy Cocktail Book. According to tradition, it was Laurel and Hardy's favorite.
What is in a Pink Lady cocktail?
The Pink Lady is made with gin, 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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