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by Todd + Diane
For years we searched for a perfect, anytime-anywhere gin co*cktail. Negronis are delicious, but some evenings we crave something with a little less of a bitter bite. Gin & Tonics are always refreshing, but at times a little too simple. One day we stumbled upon the White Lady co*cktail (aka Delilah or Chelsea Sidecar) in the co*cktail Codex and immediately knew this was the co*cktail we had been searching for.
Classic White Lady co*cktail Recipe
The White Lady co*cktail is a gin cousin of the Sidecar. A beautiful spirit, some orange liqueur, and fresh lemon juice. This prohibition classic has a bit of a contested history. Some claim it was created by Harry MacElhone while at London’s Ciro’s Club in 1919. His creation originally called for crème de menthe instead of gin, and then he switched to the gin in 1929 when he was tending at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris. Others attribute the White Lady to Harry Craddock, who was making them at The American Bar at the Savoy Hotel in London and printed the recipe in The Savoy co*cktail Book (1930)
Video of Making the White Lady co*cktail
Today, the White Lady is often made with an egg white shaken into the co*cktail to give body. Original variants did not use an egg white, but it is an excellent evolution of the co*cktail. Peter Dorelli while atAmerican Bar of the Savoy Hotel is often attributed for the addition, and I say “thank you sir”. Some cringe at the thought of an egg white in a co*cktail, but after having it with and without, you may find yourself a convert. It gives the co*cktail a great mouthfeel to what otherwise might come across as a little flat. Especially if not shaken properly. When using the egg white, make sure to double shake the co*cktail. First shake all the ingredients “dry” (without ice), then add ice and shake again. You can also do it the other way around, first with ice then shaken again without, but it is a little cumbersome.
Recommendations: As all gin lovers know, gin flavor profiles vary tremendously. For our co*cktails like the White Lady, we tend to reach for gins which have bit of a citrus note. Often it will be Hendricks or Tanqueray Rangpur, as they are frequently chilling in our home freezer. But feel free to play with your favorite gin. For the orange liqueur, Cointreau is one of our favorites for its dryness and flavor profile. And please use fresh lemon juice. It just isn’t the same with bottled lemon.
There are some alternate names for the White Lady. There are quite a few and among the ones we’ve seen and love are theDelilah, Lillian Forever and Chelsea Sidecar. We tend to lean towards the Delilah or Chelsea Sidecar. What is your favorite name for this co*cktail?
White Lady – aka Delilah or Chelsea Sidecar (Gin co*cktail)
Yield: 1 co*cktail
Prep Time: 5 minutes mins
Total Time: 5 minutes mins
One of our all-time favorite gin co*cktails. Bright, refreshing and well balanced. We prefer a gin like Hendricks, Tanqueray Rangpur, or similar for this co*cktail. As with any co*cktail using citrus juices, the fresh juice is significantly better and any bottled juice.
5 from 3 votes
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Ingredients
- 2 oz. (60 ml) Gin
- 0.5 oz. (15 ml) Cointreau , or preferred orange liqueur
- 0.75 oz. (20 ml) fresh Lemon Juice
- 0.25 oz. (7 ml) Simple Syrup
- 1 Egg white
Instructions
In a shaker (no ice yet), add the gin, Cointreau, lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg white. Dry shake (no ice) vigorously for about 15 seconds.
Add the ice to the shaker and shake again to chill the co*cktail. Strain and pour into a coupe or Nick & Nora glass. Enjoy.
Notes
Note 1: A basic simple syrup is a 1:1 ratio of sugar dissolved in water. We’ll usually make 1 cup sugar heated & dissolved in 1 cup of water. Let it cool before using. We usually make larger batches and keep on hand in the refrigerator.
Video
Nutrition Information per Serving
Calories: 233kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 54mg, Potassium: 49mg, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin C: 8mg, Iron: 1mg
co*cktail Goodies & Barware:
We are obsessed with sexy barware and co*cktail supplies. A great bar setup doesn’t need a lot of supplies, but having a few quality tools adds that a classiness and bit of swagger to that evening co*cktail. Choose your favorite style and create a set around them. Here’s are asome of our favorites:
- Nick & Nora and Coupe Glassware: Easily our favorite styles of co*cktail glassware. Classic & timeless. Beautiful for any shaken co*cktail and great to drink out of. If we were forced to only have one style of glassware for a shaken co*cktail, give us a Nick & Nora or a coupe. Perfect for any martini or paper plane co*cktail.
- Double Old Fashioned Glasses – Especially ones with clean cuts & solid feel like this one
- Japanese Style Ice Pick – Perfect for breaking down large ice
- BellJiggers – Easily our favorite style jigger
- Bitters Bottles – If you make bitters, you need a beautiful bottles
- Hawthorne Strainers – Our favorite style of strainers
- Wooden Muddler – A must for using fresh herbs & berries
- Mixing Glass – For muddling magic
Here’s our complete–>
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Citrus co*cktails | Mocktails | Drinks Recipes
4 Comments / Leave a Comment »
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4 comments on “Delilah or White Lady Classic co*cktail”
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Sara — December 1, 2022 @ 3:32 pm Reply
This was such a smooth co*cktail. Just the perfect amount of gin to enjoy the co*cktail.
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Hannah Jones — December 23, 2020 @ 5:58 pm Reply
Have you ever tried the clover club- it is very similar and so good!
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— December 23, 2020 @ 7:11 pm Reply
We have not. Thanks so much for sharing, it looks excellent. Next trip to the store we’ll have to get some raspberries & try it out.
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Angel — December 22, 2020 @ 1:24 pm Reply
Really awesome and refreshing co*cktail and my husband and I absolutely loved it. It’s definitely on our Holiday and New Years roster. Thanks guys!