Make Your Valentine an Eggy, Fruity, Gin Sour
And call it whatever you want.
Happy Valentine’s Day.
If my unscientific survey of Resy is any indication, it’s quite difficult to get a bar or restaurant reservation in Washington, D.C., this weekend. That’s what happens when Valentine’s Day is on a Friday.
Fortunately, you’re a home bartender. You can make great cocktails at home.
In previous years, I have recommended:
A pink, bittersweet Campari sour (because sometimes love is bittersweet)
A tricked out Irish coffee (ideal for when it’s especially cold)
A fruity, boozy, apple-brandy forward Jack Rose (perfect for the grenadine enthusiast in your life)
And a Pink Lady (delicious, thematically appropriate, self-explanatory)
This year, we’re going to make another classic gin sour, the White Lady.
There are several historical versions of this drink, including an early 1900s Harry MacElhone recipe that used crème de menthe.
But the one we’re going to make today comes from Harry Craddock’s 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book, though we’ll make some modifications to his spec.
Essentially, it’s an eggy, foamy, gin-based take on the Sidecar. But it does present some—well, let’s not call them problems. How about issues?
First, there’s the sweetness problem. In Craddock’s original formulation, the White Lady is sweetened entirely with orange liqueur. Like so many drinks in this styly—the Sidecar, the Aviation, and so forth—it’s just a little bit too dry.
Second, there’s the choice of gin. There are several options, including, per recent newsletters, a multi-gin blend.
Finally, there’s the name. The White Lady? Problematic, at least according to some.
Fortunately, these are solvable problems. Let’s take these one at a time.