Average
Sour
3 minutes
Cocktail Glass
Ingredients
This elegant shaken cocktail blends gin, triple sec, lemon juice, and simple syrup, complete with its signature silky texture from egg white. A timeless cocktail and personal favorite of mine.
How to Make a White Lady
Bar tools you’ll need
Fine Strainer
Jigger
Twist Knife
Boston Shaker
Peeler
How to Mix
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Fill a Boston shaker with ice cubes.
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Cut a lemon in half, then juice the lemon halves using a citrus press (or citrus elbow). Save a piece of lemon zest for garnishing later.
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Use a jigger to measure and pour lemon juice into the smaller shaker tin.
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Use a jigger to measure and add triple sec, followed by Beefeater Gin.
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Separate the egg white from the yolk and add it to your shaker.
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Connect the shaker tins and then shake vigorously for 10–15 seconds to chill and dilute.
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Use a Hawthorne strainer to pour the cocktail back into one tin and discard the ice.
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Seal the shaker again and shake again, this time without ice. Shake vigorously for another 10–15 seconds to create a thick, stable, and velvety foam.
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Separate the tins. Place a Hawthorne strainer over the larger tin. Hold a fine-mesh strainer in your other hand, and pour the cocktail through both strainers into a cocktail glass.
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Use a peeler to remove a strip of lemon rind, avoiding the white pith, then twist it over your cocktail glass to release the oils and add as a garnish.
All about the White Lady Cocktail
The White Lady is a classic, citrusy cocktail that combines gin, triple sec, lemon juice, and simple syrup.
What makes the White Lady notable isn’t just its taste – it’s also visually stunning, with a sumptuous, velvety texture achieved by the addition of egg white and a reverse dry shake.
Clean, crisp, smooth and citrusy. When sipping a White Lady cocktail, you get the sharp, zesty lemon notes, the aromatic complexity of gin, and a sweet, orange-kissed finish from triple sec.
The egg white foam adds a silky texture, seamlessly blending the flavors into an elegant drinking experience.
Like so many classic cocktails, the history of the White Lady is unclear. However, the drink recipe we know and love today dates back to the late 1920s and is believed to have been invented at a bar in London.
- Fresh lemon juice is key
Being a citrusy cocktail, fresh is always best. We recommend freshly squeezed lemon juice instead of the bottled stuff you can find in your supermarket. Grab a citrus press and a couple of lemons and it’ll make all the difference to your drink. - Reverse dry shake
To get that wonderfully frothy, velvety texture, we recommend doing what is known as a reverse dry shake. Instead of performing a classic dry shake with egg white, start by shaking all the ingredients with ice to chill and dilute. Then, strain out the ice and shake the liquid again to create foam. This method prevents the ice from breaking down the foam, resulting in a more velvety, luxurious, and longer-lasting foam head. - Squeeze lemon zest over your drink
Before serving, squeeze lemon zest over your drink. Squeezing lemon zest over your cocktail releases essential oils from the peel, adding some lovely fresh, aromatic citrus flavor. This enhances the drink’s overall fragrance and taste, providing a bright, zesty note that complements and elevates the cocktail’s flavors.
- The 1930s version
A recipe for a White Lady cocktail appeared in a 1930s cocktail book which called for 2 parts gin, 1 part triple sec and 1 part lemon juice. While the ratios differ slightly in the recipe on this page, we recommend trying the 1930s version to see which you prefer. - The Perfect Lady
The Perfect Lady swaps triple sec for Crème de Pêche (peach liqueur) and changes the measurements of the other ingredients ever so slightly. The peach liqueur adds a whole other dimension to the drink, giving it a sweeter, rich yet more mellow fruitiness. Check out the recipe for a Perfect Lady cocktail. - The Peachy Lady
Prefer vodka over gin? Try this drink. Created by Bartender and Absolut Global Brand Ambassador, Ricardo ‘Rico’ Dynan, The Peachy Lady substitutes both gin and peach liqueur for Absolut Peach (peach-flavored vodka) yet remains ever-so peachy. Here’s how to make The Peachy Lady. - The Blue Lady
This twist on a White Lady turns white to blue with the addition of blue curaçao instead of triple sec. Yes, both liqueurs are orange-flavored but the difference is notable. The Blue Lady omits the simple syrup but introduces a maraschino cherry to give the drink its own twist. Take a look at the recipe for a Blue Lady cocktail.
- We recommend serving the White Lady in a cocktail glass or coupe glass, garnished with a lemon twist. It’s classic, it’s elegant and it’s perfect.
- If you want to add another element to your drink, add a few drops of aromatic bitters and then “drag” the bitters with a cocktail pick. This brings both color and a hint of spicy fragrance to complement the White Lady’s bright character.
- You could also use orange zest instead of lemon zest to accentuate the sweeter orange notes of the triple sec.
White Lady Cocktail FAQ
A White Lady cocktail is made with gin, triple sec, fresh lemon juice and simple syrup.
Sour. In fact, a White Lady cocktail is essentially a gin-based sour cocktail.
A White Lady and a Sidecar are both made with orange liqueur (triple sec) and fresh lemon juice. However, the White Lady is a gin-based cocktail whereas the Sidecar is a brandy-based cocktail.
We recommend a juniper-forward gin for a White Lady. Our preference is Beefeater London Dry Gin, but experiment with different gins and see which you prefer.
Egg White is used in the White Lady for texture. It adds a silky mouthfeel and creates a beautiful, stable foam on the top.
Yes, you can leave out the egg white, however, your drink won’t have that velvety foam on top.
Yes, you can swap egg white for Aquafaba, which is the brine from chickpeas.
Aquafaba is a fantastic alternative to egg white and will give your drink that wonderfully velvety texture. Aquafaba is commonly used as a egg white substitute in sour cocktails.
