Pink Lady

Drink: Pink Lady
Around America Series
Establishment: Envoy Lounge at the Ambassador
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
First Connoisseur: Cindy


1 1/2 ounce Plymouth gin
1/2 ounce applejack
Juice of 1/2 a lime
Dash grenadine (I supplemented with a bit of agave syrup to ease the amount of grenadine)
1 egg white, if you wish

A classic standby, the Pink Lady is lost by today's standards because of the worry of the egg white (girls won't drink one) and the unmanly name (guys won't buy one). Well, no worries here at the Firewater Lounge, we've poured egg white drinks before and didn't die, so be brave and give them a try. If you are too chicken, I believe Cindy's Pink Lady at the Envoy in Milwaukee was sans l'oeuf. But that wasn't the only difference. A traditional Pink Lady is made with lemon juice. However, the Envoy uses a classic cocktail menu from the Ambassador Hotel of which it is a part. In this menu, the Pink Lady calls for lime, so that's what Cindy got and that's what we've poured for our picture. At the Ambassador's bar in 1928, the Pink Lady was a mere 30 cents! On a side note, a post 1950s Pink Lady often contains cream instead of applejack - this creates a tasteless, dry, sludgy mess that should be avoided at all cost. To pour a Pink Lady, shake all ingredients on ice, strain and serve up in a cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry.