We don’t usually take much stock in the origin stories of classic cocktails, but this one’s worth a quick recap: The White Lady was created around 1919 by Harry MacElhone—he of the Parisian institution Harry’s New York Bar. MacElhone himself first published the Sidecar recipe in his 1922 book Harry’s ABC of Mixing Cocktails and is often credited with inventing the drink (though it’s also said to have been created by a London bartender, Pat MacGarry, around the same time). We fully support the practice of riffing on one’s own drinks and like to think that MacElhone tweaked his own Sidecard template, swapping gin for the base spirit, dialing back on the Cointreau, and adding an egg white. The result is crisp, bright, and elegantly balanced. Fresh lemon juice cuts through the silky texture, while orange liqueur adds a delicate sweetness and citrus depth. The gin’s botanical backbone shines on the finish, lending a dry, aromatic edge to a drink that’s perfect for kicking off a backyard dinner party.