Perfect Lady
Gin, peach and lemon with egg white. Winner of a 1936 British cocktail competition.
Shaken · Coupe · Advanced · about 3 minutes · about 16% ABV
Ingredients
- 45 ml Gin
- 15 ml Peach schnapps
- 15 ml Fresh lemon juice
- 1 Egg white
Method
- Chill the glass
- Pour 45 ml gin into the shaker
- Pour 15 ml peach schnapps into the shaker
- Add 15 ml fresh lemon juice
- Add 1 egg white
- Dry shake
- Add ice
- Shake hard
- Strain
- Serve
Tip
The original used peach brandy. Peach schnapps is a softer stand-in.
About the Perfect Lady
The sour family. Sours are one of the oldest mixed-drink families. Spirit, citrus and sugar go back to the punches British sailors and traders drank in the 1600s and 1700s, and Jerry Thomas printed sour recipes in the first American bartending book in 1862. Egg white came later, for a silky foam. Almost every classic with fresh citrus, from the Daiquiri to the Whiskey Sour, follows this pattern.
Perfect Lady FAQ
What's in a Perfect Lady?
45 ml gin, 15 ml peach schnapps, 15 ml fresh lemon juice, 1 egg white.
How strong is a Perfect Lady?
About 16% ABV once mixed with ice, which is 1.7 Australian standard drinks per serve. That is stronger than a glass of wine.
Should I shake or stir a Perfect Lady?
Shake it. Egg needs hard shaking to foam, and citrus, juice and cream need shaking to mix properly and gain a light, lively texture.
What glass do you serve a Perfect Lady in?
A coupe, about 180 ml. Chill the glass first and serve without ice. No coupe? Use a martini glass or small wine glass.
