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How to Make the Pink Lady Cocktail (Plus the Story Behind Its Iconic Color)

Pink cocktail inside a two parts glass garnished with lemon wheels on a cocktail pick

How to Make the Pink Lady Cocktail (Plus the Story Behind Its Iconic Color)

If you are looking for a fun drink for your next event, the Pink Lady might just be what you need !

While its exact origins are not really known. Sometimes its invention is attributed to the interior architect and prominent society figure Elsie de Wolfe (1865-1950).  But back then the recipe that she actually did for this cocktail was different from the one recognized today.

The very name itself is believed to be the same or named in honor of the star of Broadway Musical in 1911 “ Hazel Dawn “ who was known as “ The Pink Lady “

" Pink Lady ? Pink Shimmy " ?

Just because the color of this cocktail is pink does not mean that it’s only for women. It’s not ! This mixture of apple brandy and gin wrapped in frothy egg whites is the proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove, with enough flavor and punch for both men and women alike.

How does it taste ?

The Pink Lady has a much drier, gently tart flavor than one might expect from such a name. Has some sweetness from the grenadine but the botanicals of the gin will still shine and give it a nice even flavor.

The Egg white in this cocktail gives it that foam on the top and makes it look spectacular.

And there you have it !  The Pink Lady.  Let’s dive into the ingredients, equipment & how to do it.

Here's what we used to make this fancy cocktail

The Holy Cone Glass used in making the pink lady cocktail

Ingredients

40 ml ( 1.33 oz )  Gin
20 ml  ( 0.66 oz )  Apple Liqueur
15 ml ( 0.5 oz )  Simple Syrup
15 ml ( 0.5 oz ) Grenadine
Half Lemon Squeezed
1  Egg White

Garnish: Two Lemon Wheels & Dried Cranberry on a cocktail pick

How to do it

  1. Carefully crack the egg and pour the egg white only inside The Blossoming Cobbler Shaker.
  2. Pour the gin, freshly squeezed lemon juice, apple liqueur, simple syrup and the grenadine Inside the shaker.
  3. Start by dry shaking the mix ( dry shake means shaking without ice )
  4. Fill up the shaker afterwards with Ice
  5. Shake well.
  6. Strain the mix into the cone glass ( we had to strain again using the sköl hawthorne strainer to get the extra foam into the drink )
  7. Garnish using lemon wheels and dried cranberry on a cocktail pick.

Sköl !

Tips : When making cocktails that contain eggs whether it is whites yolks or both. You should always start by dry shaking the drink ( which means without adding ice ). The reason behind it is because egg whites are made of tightly packed proteins that when agitated well without ice, they unfold and bond around air molecules more easily, resulting in a much better emulsification and more prominent foam on top of the drink.

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