Sour (cocktail) claims the White Lady (gin, Cointreau, fresh lemon juice). The recipe appears in his "Savoy Cocktail Book", published in 1930. Joe Gilmore, former Head Barman at The Savoy, says this was one of Laurel and Hardy's favorite drinks. In John le Carré's 1965 novel "The Looking Glass War", British spy and main protagonist Fred Leiser's favorite drink is a White Lady, and he makes several attempts to get other agents to try the cocktail. In Dorothy Sayers' mystery novel "Have His Carcase" Lord Peter has a White Lady when he hears about his "Lady" Miss Harriet Vane being in trouble
Cocktail onion recipes also call for the onions to be packed in white vermouth as well as vinegar. Generally, the onion retains a slightly crunchy texture through the brining process, which can add a different mouthfeel to the drinking experience. Since the cocktail onion is made from a sweet onion, it is unlikely to upset the digestion with a sulfurous or eye-watering taste, although some cultures use more pungent onions as cocktail garnishes. While not as widely used as more common garnishes such as olives or lemon twists, the cocktail onion is the signature garnish of the Gibson, which consists of a