Pink Lady – A Beautiful Mess

A classic cocktail, the Pink Lady is a drier and more tart taste that the bold pink color may lead you to expect. The combination of dry gin, applejack brandy, lemon, and grenadine is shaken with an egg white for a creamy foamy top that is both delicious and pretty to look at.

The Pink Lady was one of the first “girly drinks” that most likely came about in the Prohibition era. Since the available gin was low quality at the time, many other flavors were added to it to enhance the taste and the Pink Lady remained a staple of high-society ladies from the 1930s-1950s. The beautiful pink color comes from the grenadine added to the drink and you can tweak the color by adding more or less.

Related: Aviation Cocktail, French 75, Gin and Tonic Cocktail, Hibiscus Sour, Pisco Sour

What’s the difference between a Pink Lady and a Clover Club?

A similar Prohibition-era drink is the Clover Club, but while it is also pink with a frothy top, the Clover Club opts for raspberry syrup instead of grenadine to make it pink and leaves out the applejack.

Is raw egg safe to drink in a cocktail?

When using pasteurized egg whites from a store, the chances of getting sick from bacteria is extremely small. However, if you are in a vulnerable category, you can try using aquafaba (chickpea water) for a similar effect in your drink.

What is the best gin to use in a Pink Lady?

A traditional choice for a Pink Lady would be a juniper-forward London dry gin like a Beefeaters or a Tanqueray, but you can also use a lighter gin like a Hendricks or experiment with your favorite variety.

Ingredients

• Gin: Use a dry gin for this drink and the two alcoholic ingredients (the gin and applejack) give the drink a heavier punch.
• Applejack: This apple brandy is the one ingredient that may be a little harder to find, but ask your local liquor store to order it if they don’t carry it in stock.
• Lemon: Lemon juice gives the drink a tart bright note. Try and use fresh if at all possible.
• Grenadine: The red grenadine will both sweeten the drink and give it a lovely pink hue.
• Egg white: A pasteurized egg white shaken into the drink adds a creamy layer of foam that makes the drink silky and smooth.

Pink Lady cocktails are best served in coupe classes or martini glasses.

Directions

Add the gin, applejack, lemon, grenadine, and egg white to an empty shaker and do a vigorous dry shake for 30 seconds to combine all the ingredients and froth the egg white fully.

Add ice to the shaker and shake again until cocktail is fully chilled.

Pour into a coupe glass and enjoy.

Tips for Making

• Try using a brandied cherry for a garnish.
• Add your drink to a chilled glass to keep it cool a little longer.
• If making more than one drink at a time, you can use one egg white per every two cocktails. The foam from one egg white is generous on one cocktail so it makes enough foam to cover two if making a batch.

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