White Lady

The dry shake is essential for building the foam structure before the ice goes in. Thirty seconds of vigorous shaking without ice creates a stable foam; the subsequent wet shake chills and dilutes. Double-strain carefully — the fine mesh catches any egg white strands and gives the foam a perfectly smooth texture.

Cointreau is worth using here over generic triple sec — the orange flavor is cleaner and the sweetness more refined. The gin should be a bold London Dry; a delicate gin gets lost under the Cointreau. The egg white adds texture and a subtle richness without adding flavor — use a fresh egg and don't skip the dry shake.

The White Lady was created by Harry MacElhone at Ciro's Club in London around 1919, though he later refined it at his own Harry's New York Bar in Paris. The original version used crème de menthe instead of gin — the gin version appeared in the 1920s and became the definitive recipe. It's a close cousin of the Sidecar, with gin standing in for cognac.

Chelsea Sidecar

The White Lady is essentially a gin Sidecar — swap the gin for cognac and you have the original. The cognac version is richer and more complex; the gin version is brighter and more citrus-forward. Both are excellent.

Pink Lady

Add ½ oz of grenadine and a dash of applejack or apple brandy. The grenadine turns the foam a beautiful pale pink and adds a pomegranate sweetness. A classic variation from the same era.