Ingredients
- 1 1/2 oz Gin London Dry recommended
- 1/2 oz Applejack or apple brandy / Calvados
- 3/4 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1/2 oz Grenadine real pomegranate grenadine
- 1 Egg White or 1 oz aquafaba
- 1 Brandied Cherry for garnish
Instructions
- Add gin, applejack, lemon juice, grenadine and egg white to a cocktail shaker WITHOUT ice. Dry shake hard for 10-15 seconds to emulsify the egg white.
- Add ice and wet shake another 8-10 seconds until the shaker is frosted and the drink is well-chilled.
- Fine strain into a chilled coupe glass.
- Garnish with a brandied cherry on a pick. Serve immediately while the foam is fresh.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition:
Where it came from
The Pink Lady was a 1920s and 1930s drink, named for a Broadway musical that opened in 1911. By mid-century it had a reputation as a ladies-only cocktail, fairly or not. Bars dropped it in the 1970s. Craft cocktail revivalists pulled it back from the cocktail manuals in the 2000s.
Original recipes used apple brandy or applejack alongside the gin. Most modern versions stick to gin only, plus grenadine, cream and an egg white for froth.
What it tastes like
Soft gin botanicals, tart lemon, sweet pomegranate from the grenadine, and a hint of orchard fruit from the applejack. The egg white whips up a foamy white head two fingers thick. It drinks like a fluffier, sweeter Gin Fizz with a sweet finish.
It can go cloying fast if the grenadine is poor. Use a real pomegranate grenadine and the drink stays balanced.
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Ingredient Spotlight
The bottles that make or break this drink.
The gin
- Use
- London Dry style. Beefeater, Tanqueray, Sipsmith
- Why
- Juniper-led gin holds up against the sugar in the grenadine
- Skip
- Sweet pink or floral gin, the drink turns one-note
The grenadine
- Use
- Real pomegranate grenadine. Liber and Co or Jack Rudy
- Skip
- Rose-flavoured red sugar syrup, the drink loses depth
- Why
- The pomegranate is what makes the drink an adult drink
The egg white
- Use
- One fresh egg white per cocktail
- Method
- Dry shake without ice, then shake again with ice
- Why
- The dry shake is what creates the head
Variations
Other drinks in the same family.
What if I don't have…
Quick substitutions for when the bottle shop is closed.
Pomegranate molasses thinned with sugar syrup, equal parts.
Aquafaba (the liquid from a tin of chickpeas) at the same volume. Identical foam.
Add 15 ml of apple brandy or Calvados to the build. That is the 1920s version.
Whole milk works at a stretch. Half-and-half closer to authentic.
Use 60 ml of gin instead of 45 ml. Cut the grenadine to 10 ml to keep it dry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers to what people search for after Googling this drink.
Is the Pink Lady gin or apple brandy?
Why is it pink?
How strong is it?
Can I skip the egg white?
Is the egg white safe?
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