The White Lady cocktail is an absolute classic. Dating back to Harry McElhone in 1919 (in its first iteration), but it only really became what it is now in 1923 when McElhone opened his eponymous bar (Harry’s New York Bar) in Paris.
Here we’ve tweaked the recipe a bit, aiming to isolate all the greatest parts of the classic from their drawbacks. Typically, a combination of gin, citrus liqueur, lemon juice and egg white, I find that egg white gives a wonderfully silky texture but also imparts an ‘eggy’ note I’m not a fan of. So instead I’ve removed the egg white entirely and replaced both it and the citrus liqueur with milk punch.
With the recent fires across our country we’ve put a real focus on buying produce from the impacted areas, so in this recipe I’m using KI Spirits ‘O’ Gin and Kangaroo Island honey which both work beautifully in the punch.
This is a method of clarifying milk using acid (in this case lemon and orange) which will discard of some of the more powerfully flavoured proteins while still leaving the lovely silky mouth feel that milk offers. The result is a crystal clear, tasty punch that is also preserved, so you can make a big batch that will last for months. This may sound a bit fancy but it’s actually a very simple process that has been around for centuries, first recorded in 1711.
Combine all elements except for the milk, ensure they’re mixed well. Slowly pour the punch into the milk, stir thoroughly. Allow mixture to rest and curdle for at least 2 hours in the fridge. Strain the mixture through a coffee filter and refrigerate. This will keep for several months in the fridge.