White Lady Cocktail

The white lady cocktail puts its best foot forward with frothy egg whites, gin, and orange-flavored liqueur for a gorgeous, well-rounded sour sipper.

Why this recipe works

The white lady cocktail rose to fame back in 1929 when it was invented by Harry Craddock. This beautiful sour floats with citrus notes rounded out with refreshing egg white froth to balance the bite of gin, Cointreau, and lemon juice.

You may have heard of the white lady cocktail referred to as a Chelsea sidecar or Delilah. It’s not to be confused with the pink lady cocktail, although the two share a few similarities such as egg white, gin, and lemon juice.

Ingredients you will need

Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.

Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions

LIQUEUR – You will need gin and Cointreau. Triple sec can be used in place of the Cointreau if needed.

EGG WHITE – Don’t skip the egg white, it really pulls together this cocktail. If you are cautious of consuming raw egg, use pasteurized egg white in its place.

LEMON – Fresh is best, plus you’ll want an actual lemon to garnish with as well!

How to Make White Lady Cocktail

These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.

1. Add all ingredients except ice to the cocktail shaker. Close the shaker and hold securely in both hands. Dry shake the ingredients for 10-12 seconds.
   
   TIP – Depending on your cocktail shaker, the dry shake method can produce pressure inside the shaker which can possibly push the top off. To avoid this, be sure to grasp the shaker firmly with both hands and ensure that the lid is in place well. Then shake straight up and down rather than at a slant for the dry shake.
   
   
2. Open shaker and add 6-8 ice cubes.
3. Secure shaker again and shake 10 seconds to chill.
4. Strain into a martini glass.
5. Garnish the glass with a wedge of lemon or lemon rind twist.

Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips

You’ll typically find the white lady cocktail served in either a coupe glass or martini glass.

I highly recommend using the egg whites in this recipe as it’s part of what makes this cocktail famous, however, for a vegan substitute you can swap the egg whites with aquafaba.

In easy terms, a dry shake simply means to shake the mixture without ice. Anytime egg whites are called for in a cocktail you’ll typically see a dry shake listed in the instructions. This will help add frothiness to your drinks.

Serving Suggestions

Garnish the white lady cocktail with a wedge, twist, or wheel of lemon. Enjoy for happy hour or as an after-dinner cocktail.

More Cocktail Recipes

• Negroni
• Dirty Martini
• Gimlet Cocktail
• Sidecar Cocktail
• Pink Lady Cocktail

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