Four White Ladies should be drunk by the light of two moons.
—Cornelia Otis Skinner, The Importance of Cocktails
A friend was talking about making limoncello, and I mentioned that a Meyer lemon version might be interesting. As it happened, a bag of the things suddenly arrived in her produce box. So with the promise that I’d have a drink recipe for her, she got to work.
In the meantime, I got the peeled fruit, and decided to make White Ladies. The White Lady cocktail is a hard drink to order. For one thing, the bartender might not know this classic. And someone nearby is sure not to know, and might think a guy’s spoiling for a fight. Besides, I have to say that for something fairly boozy, the flavor’s a little mild for me most of the time. Similar drinks like the Sidecar or the Aviation have more complexity or bite. So it’s nice to punch it up a little—and avoid getting punched by calling it something else.
Assertive gin usually helps when remixing the White Lady, so I brought out the Botanivore, an herbaceous St. George gin which has plenty of personality to stand up to the tangerine-like spice of the Meyer lemon.
Meyer Moon
- 2 oz Botanivore gin
- 1/2 oz Cointreau
- 1/2 oz Meyer lemon juice
SOURCE: ROWEN, FOGGED IN LOUNGE
