IBA
White Lady – IBA
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 28.5% ABV ∙
The White Lady is a gin sour made with London dry gin, triple sec, and fresh lemon juice, shaken and strained up into a cocktail glass. Crisp and citrus-forward, the gin's juniper bite cuts through a clean orange sweetness before a tart lemon finish dries it out.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake: London dry gin 40 mlTriple sec 30 mlLemon juice 20 ml
- Strain into the chilled cocktail glass
Tips
- Shake hard for a full 10-15 seconds — the lemon juice needs vigorous aeration to soften into a silky texture.
- Pre-chill the cocktail glass before straining so the drink doesn't lose its temperature edge on the pour.
- Use a London dry gin with a firm juniper backbone — a softer gin gets lost against the triple sec and lemon.
- Fine-strain to catch any ice shards or pulp, keeping the surface glossy and clear in the glass.
History
"White Lady – IBA" is the International Bartenders Association's official specification for the White Lady, fixing it as gin, triple sec, and lemon juice shaken and strained with no egg white and no garnish. The White Lady was among the fifty cocktails on the IBA's first official list, adopted in 1961, and it has remained on the "Unforgettables" category ever since, giving the drink a standardized ratio distinct from the egg-white version long associated with the Savoy's American Bar.
The White Lady itself is generally traced to 1919, when bartender Harry MacElhone made an early version with crème de menthe at Ciro's Club in London, later reworking it into a gin-based drink at Harry's New York Bar in Paris in 1929; the American Bar at the Savoy Hotel has separately credited its own head bartender, Harry Craddock, with creating the now-familiar gin, orange liqueur, and lemon juice build he published in his 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book, so the drink's true origin is disputed between the two Harrys. The IBA spec follows the leaner three-ingredient version rather than the egg-white variant later popularized at the Savoy.
FAQ
What is a White Lady made of?
London dry gin, triple sec, and freshly squeezed lemon juice, shaken with ice and strained up into a chilled cocktail glass. The gin leads the mix, with the triple sec and lemon juice balancing it into a crisp, citrus-driven sour.
What is an IBA cocktail?
An IBA cocktail is one of the official cocktails recognized by the International Bartenders Association in its curated list of classic and contemporary recipes. The White Lady is included among these as one of its recognized "unforgettables."
