Pink Lady
ClassicA blushing Prohibition-era classic — gin and applejack under a rosy foam.
Deceptively robust behind its rosy blush. Juniper and apple-brandy fruit anchor tart lemon and sweet-tart grenadine, while the egg white spins it all into a soft, meringue-like foam. Fruity and floral up front, dry and gently boozy on the finish.
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz Gin
- 0.5 oz Calvados Applejack
- 0.5 oz Lemon Juice
- 0.5 oz Grenadine
- 1 Egg White
- Maraschino cherry · optional garnish
Method
- 1
Dry-shake all ingredients without ice to build the foam.
- 2
Add ice and shake again until well chilled.
- 3
Strain into a chilled coupe.
- 4
Garnish with a maraschino cherry.
The Story
The Pink Lady took its name from "The Pink Lady," a hit 1911 Broadway musical, and became one of the defining drinks of the 1920s and '30s — so fashionable it was almost a cliché of the cocktail-party era. The best versions follow the applejack recipe: gin for backbone, apple brandy for orchard depth, grenadine for color and egg white for a plush pink foam. Long dismissed as a "lady's drink," it is in truth a well-built, spirit-forward sour.
Recipe card
The whole recipe in one shareable image.
