IBA
White Lady – IBA
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 20.4% 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.
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
- Give it a hard 10–15 second shake; the air you whip into the lemon juice is what makes the drink silky instead of sharp.
- Pick a London dry gin with plenty of juniper; a softer gin gets lost under 30 ml of triple sec and the lemon.
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 today sits in the "Unforgettables" category.
The White Lady is generally traced to bartender Harry MacElhone, who made an early crème de menthe version at Ciro's Club in London in 1919 and reworked it with gin at Harry's New York Bar in Paris in 1929. The Savoy Hotel's American Bar credits its own head bartender, Harry Craddock, with the gin, orange liqueur, and lemon juice drink he published in his 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book, so the origin is disputed.
FAQ
What is a White Lady made of?
London dry gin 40 ml, triple sec 30 ml and freshly squeezed lemon juice 20 ml. The gin leads, the triple sec adds orange sweetness and the lemon keeps it tart.
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 its "Unforgettables."
