Before the history lesson, for the readers who want to try this themselves, I've curated a dedicated ingredient list you can shop in one click. And now the story.
The White Lady is a cocktail of contested paternity. Harry MacElhone claimed to have created it in 1919 at Ciro's Club in London with crème de menthe as the base, and then reformulated it in 1929 at Harry's New York Bar in Paris with gin. Harry Craddock claimed a parallel version at the Savoy in London, also in the 1920s.
Whoever was first, the White Lady became the favorite cocktail of 1930s London high society and was the favorite drink of Laurel and Hardy (Stan Laurel drank them on the set). Its silky character, given by the egg white shake, and its snowy-white color earned it the name. Today it is one of the most refined pre-dinner classics in the western repertoire.
History is better when you can drink it, and a well-equipped home bar is what makes the difference. A solid barman kit like this one on Amazon gives you everything you need to mix with confidence: shaker, jigger, strainer and more. If you host often, a professional cocktail bar station is the final step, a dedicated stage where every bottle has its place.