The Cocktail: The White Lady is a classic cocktail by any measure. One of the International Bartenders Association’s official cocktails (of which there are fewer than 100), the White Lady is known by some as a Delilah or Chelsea Side-car. A gin-based variation of the sidecar, the White lady is made with creme de menthe, cointreau or Triple Sec with an optional egg white.
There is, as there always is, some debate as to the origin of the cocktail. Some say it was developed at Ciro's Club in London by Harry MacElhone in 1919, who originally used crème de menthe but replaced it with gin at Harry's New York Bar in Paris in 1929. Others say it was created by Harry Craddock at the Savoy Hotel in London. A recipe for the White Lady was published in Craddock’s “Savoy Cocktail Book” in 1930. It is said to have been one of Laurel and Hardy's favorite drinks.
Storm King’s version adds the optional egg white and serves it in a champagne coupe which better accentuates the silky foam than the more traditional martini glass.
For those who don’t drink alcohol or just want a night off, any good mixologist will be able to make you something equally delicious without the hooch. At Storm King, Nickolas can whip up a version that he calls the Lite Lady.
1.5 oz lemon juice
0.75 oz mandarin orange juice
1 oz simple syrup
egg white
Method: Shake as you would with the alcoholic version and top with 1oz of sparkling water.
The Gin: A contemporary-style gin, where juniper isn’t the dominant flavor but still makes up the majority of the botanical recipe, Storm King’s small batch gin is floral on the nose and soft on the palate with a slight sweetness. Other botanicals include common gin additions such as coriander and angelica as well as citrus peel. Storm King routinely mixes things up (if you’ll forgive the pun), and their most recent batch used a combination of maceration for the heartier botanicals and vapor distillation for the more delicate ones.
It’s also award-winning, with the following accolades to its name. Silver from the Denver International Spirit Competition, Silver from the American Distilling Institute, Silver from the San Diego International Spirit Competition, and Bronze from the American Craft Spirit Association.
The Mixologist: Nickolas Paullus is a lover of flavor, both classic and cutting edge. He embraces the classic cocktail canon while working to make as many of the ingredients he uses in house with local and obscure ingredients alike. Outside of the spirit world, he is a family man, farmer and poet.
The Distillery: Developed out of a passion for all things whisk(e)y and a desire to add a unique experience to Montrose, the staff and owners work tirelessly to create the best spirits they can and at the same time provide a unique and elevated experience in their tasting room.
The Recipe:
Ingredients
2 oz gin
1 oz lemon juice
3/4 oz homemade Mandarin Liqueur
1 egg white
Method
Add all ingredients to a shaker.
Dry shake vigorously (no ice) for 1-2 minutes.
Add ice and shake for another 20 seconds.
Strain and dry shake again for 30 seconds.
Strain once more, and serve in a martini glass.
Express orange oil over the top.