The Pink Lady cocktail, a vibrant and refreshing drink, features a unique blend of gin and applejack, with strawberry syrup for sweetness and color. Unlike many classic cocktails, this recipe omits egg whites. This post is meant for an audience of 21 and over.
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The full recipe with ingredients/instructions is available on the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Important tips/tricks are also included in the blog post.
I love a pretty drink, and this Pink Lady Cocktail Recipe has to be one of the prettiest I've ever made. It has a vibrant pink hue, which comes from adding grenadine or strawberry syrup. The other ingredients include gin and applejack brandy.
Classic recipes for this drink call for the addition of lemon juice as well as an egg white to give the drink a foam on top. However, I found an alternative method that works just as well. Evaporated milk. With this method, the foam isn't as prominent, but it's there, and I prefer this to raw egg whites.
For this recipe, I was inspired by the Pink Lady cocktail in Enid Donaldson's Jamaican Cookbook. Her recipe does not call for egg whites but evaporated milk instead. With the milk and strawberry syrup, the drink tastes like spiked strawberry milk. It's delicious!
If you like strawberry-forward cocktails, try my strawberry basil margarita.
Ingredients for My Pink Lady Cocktail
- Gin - London dry works best.
- Evaporated Milk - provides a frothy texture to the drink. Used in place of egg white.
- Strawberry syrup (or Grendandine) - Either taste good in this drink, but I prefer strawberry syrup.
- Applejack brandy - Applejack is a brandy made from apples. It has a distinct flavor profile that combines the sweetness of apples with the warmth and complexity of brandy.
How to make this cocktail
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker. Fill it with ice.
Shake until well-chilled, and the shaker's outside is frosty, for about 10 seconds.
Strain into a chilled coupe, martini, or rock glass.
Optional Garnish:
- Strawberry slice or cherry
- Sprig of mint
The classic Pink Lady Cocktail Recipe
If you're looking for a classic pink lady cocktail with the egg whites, use these ingredients:
- 1 ½ ounces gin
- ½ ounce applejack
- ½ ounce lemon juice
- ½ ounce grenadine
- 1 small egg white (optional, for a frothier texture)
Tanya’s Top Tips
- If you don't have applejack (apple brandy), you can substitute Calvados or another brandy.
- You can experiment with the flavors of gin, like adding a strawberry-flavored gin.
- If you prefer a sweeter drink, add more grenadine or strawberry syrup. If you like it less sweet, reduce the amount.
- Shake the cocktail vigorously to ensure the evaporated milk is properly mixed and creates a frothy texture.
- Pink ladies traditionally use a coupe or martini glass, but a rocks glass works well, too.
FAQs
A London dry gin is the traditional choice for a Pink Lady, but you can experiment with other styles of gin to see what you prefer.
The Pink Lady and Clover Club are very similar cocktails. The key difference is that a Pink Lady includes applejack, while the Clover Club does not.
I hope you enjoy this cocktail recipe. If you make this cocktail recipe, please let us know how you like it by leaving a review below. Your feedback is appreciated!
Pink Lady Cocktail
Ingredients
- 2 ounces evaporated milk
- 2 ounces gin
- 1 ounce strawberry syrup or grenadine
- ½ ounce applejack brandy
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker. Fill it with ice.
- Shake until well-chilled, and the shaker's outside is frosty for about 10 seconds.
- Strain into a chilled coupe, martini, or rock glass.
Notes
Strawberry slice or cherry
Sprig of mint
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