The Pink Lady recipe
for your table
Put the coupe glass in the freezer for half an hour.
Add all the ingredients to the shaker without ice and shake for 20 seconds - the dry shake.
Add plenty of ice and shake for another 15 seconds until the shaker is frosted.
Double strain into the chilled glass and let the foam set for half a minute before serving.
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The story
The Pink Lady is named after a 1911 Broadway musical and rose to prominence during Prohibition, when gin was of dubious quality and grenadine offered a welcome disguise. That association would later be its downfall: in the second half of the twentieth century, the cocktail was considered bland and old-fashioned, precisely the kind of drink serious drinkers looked down on. Unfairly so - with a good London dry gin, fresh lemon and real grenadine, this is a full-fledged sour, with the egg white providing a texture you can't achieve any other way. In recent years, it has returned to the menus of classic cocktail bars.
The right glass
A coupe or coupette from 16 to 22 cl is the right choice here, and that has to do with the foam: the wide, shallow bowl gives you a large surface area, which is exactly where the foam cap forms. In a narrow glass, you get a thick lump of foam instead of a smooth layer. The coupe is also historically accurate. This is a cocktail from an era when no one had heard of a martini glass yet. Always chill the glass beforehand; this cocktail is served without ice.
RCR Melodia Coupette Glass 16 cl (6 pieces)
Lehmann Roma Champagne Glass / Coupe 22 cl (6 pieces)
Together € 103,90.
The right tools
For a Pink Lady, in addition to the glass, you need a Boston shaker, a jigger for precise measuring, a cocktail strainer, a fine strainer for double straining, and a citrus juicer. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 5 bar tools together € 105,70.
Variations & twists
Add a splash of apple brandy for the historically accurate version, as found in the earliest recipes. Using cream instead of egg white makes it a softer, more dessert-like cocktail. Replace the grenadine with raspberry syrup for more fruit and less sweetness. If you like the foam but prefer not to use egg, try the Clover Club with aquafaba. More inspiration in all cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
The dry shake is not optional: shaking without ice first allows the egg white to whip without immediately cooling down. If you do it all at once with ice, you get a thin layer instead of a foam head. Use fresh eggs and keep them cold. Prefer not to use raw egg? Aquafaba, the liquid from a can of chickpeas, works almost as well; allow 2 cl.
Good to know
Pink Lady cocktail: sweet or dry
The Pink Lady cocktail recipe calls for 5 cl gin, 1.5 cl grenadine, and 2 cl lemon juice, and that precise 1.5 cl determines the balance. If you find it too sweet, reduce the grenadine to 1 cl and keep the lemon the same; the juniper will come further forward. Also pay attention to what is in the grenadine bottle, because real grenadine is syrup made from pomegranate juice and sugar, not bright red lemonade syrup. Make it yourself with equal parts pomegranate juice and sugar, gently heated until the sugar has dissolved.
Why the foam sometimes fails
Fat is the biggest enemy of a foam head. A shaker that still contains a trace of cream or a film of soap will not whip the egg white, no matter how long you shake, so rinse it with hot water and dry it thoroughly. Also pay attention to the size of your egg: the white of a medium egg is about 3 cl, while that of a large egg is nearly 4, and the latter makes the Pink Lady cocktail bland and eggy. If you are using aquafaba, shake a little longer, because this foam takes longer to form.
Frequently asked questions
Which glass do you use for a Pink Lady?
A 16 to 22 cl coupe or coupette, chilled beforehand. View our coupette glasses.
How do you get a good foam head?
Dry shake for 20 seconds without ice, then for another 15 seconds with ice. Double strain and let the glass stand for half a minute before serving.
Can it be made without raw egg?
Yes. Aquafaba creates a similar foam, and there are also plant-based foaming agents made specifically for cocktails. Allow 2 cl aquafaba per glass.
Which gin do you use?
A classic London dry works best: the juniper stands up to the sweet grenadine. A floral or citrus gin fades too much into the background.
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