Lusty Lady — A gin sour turned pale pink, with lavender bitters over the foam

Lusty Lady

A gin sour turned pale pink, with lavender bitters over the foam

Number of people

Ingredients

  • 2 ozGin
    A London dry; the lavender needs juniper under it
  • 2 dashesScrappy's Lavender Bitters
    Two or three, over the foam once it has set
    Substitute: Another floral bitters
  • 1/2 ozLime Juice
    Fresh
  • 1/8 ozCranberry Juice
    For colour against the foam, not for flavour
  • 1 wholeEgg White
    One white; it is what the bitters sit on
    Substitute: Aquafaba, 3/4 oz
  • 1/2 ozSimple Syrup
    One to one

Instructions

  1. Add 2 oz gin, 1/2 oz lime juice, 1/2 oz simple syrup, 1/8 oz cranberry juice and one egg white to a shaker
  2. Shake without ice until frothy, then add ice and shake again

    Dry first; the foam is what the bitters will sit on

  3. Strain into a chilled coupe and let the foam settle
  4. Dash 2 dashes lavender bitters over the foam and add brandied cherries

Technique Notes

An eighth of an ounce of cranberry is not a mistake. It is there for colour against the egg-white foam rather than for flavour, and at a quarter ounce it starts to taste of cranberry, which is not what the drink is about.

Why the Lusty Lady Works

Lavender goes wrong when it is in the liquid, where it turns soapy against acid. Here it is dashed onto set egg-white foam instead, so it arrives as aroma before the sour underneath it, which is the only place lavender is reliably pleasant.