Pink Lady is a blush pink coloured cocktail which is mildly sweet in taste. It’s not like the modern-day martinis, which sometimes taste extremely sugary. The drink is believed to be the first cocktail which was prepared for only women. It was also categorized as a ‘girly drink’ and was adored by every high-society lady from the 1930s throughout the 1950s. The origin of the drink is kind of hazy and has various legends surrounding it. One thing about this cocktail is confirmed is that it was a twentieth century invention. It was during the Prohibition era in the United States (1920-1933), when the cocktail Pink Lady became widely popular. During that time grenadine was used as a masking device for hiding gin's strong taste. Pink Lady is prepared with a generous amount of gin, egg whites, lemon juice and fortified with applejack, providing the concoction a zingy touch.
As per the popular legends, the creation of the drink is attributed to the eminent interior designer and prominent high society figure Elsie de Wolfe. As a designer, she advocated for innovative, light designs in response to the bulky Victorian styles of the time. Many believe that the drink fits the designer’s aesthetic aptly. Though the name of the drink is sometimes also attributed to another prominent woman named Hazel Dawn who starred as ‘The Pink Lady’ in the 1911 Broadway musical by Ivan Caryll.
The Pink Lady has a gentle tarty flavour, with a smidge of fruitiness coming from the use of grenadine. In this drink the distilled spirit applejack and egg whites add depth, which certainly creates an entirely new beverage that you would like to have. While making Pink Lady it is recommended that you whisk the egg whites coarsely to create a foamy and frothy texture. You can skip the eggs completely, but if you want to taste the authentic cocktail, then you should totally go for it. Here’s the recipe for Pink Lady.
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces gin
- 1 ounce applejack
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 ounce grenadine
- 2 small whisked egg whites
Preparations:
1. In a cocktail shaker or any shaker filled with ice cubes, pour the gin, lemon juice, and grenadine, applejack, and egg whites.
2. Shake it well for at least 30-40 seconds. This will ensure that the drink is well combined.