It’s pink and it’s made with gin but the Pink Gin Cocktail has nothing to do with the recent Pink Gin trend.
Pink Gin Cocktail – Photo © Cocktails & Bars
The Pink Gin Cocktail is a classic drink that bears no relation to the millennial pink flavoured gins that have gained popularity in recent times. The cocktail is a simple combination of gin and bitters, a drink that had its origins in the 1800s when sailors in the Royal British Navy were given bitters for medicinal purposes. By mixing bitters with gin, it was more palatable. Pink Gin soon spread out of its naval origins and became a popular libation by the late 1800s.
According to The Savoy Cocktail Book, the Pink Gin Cocktail calls for 1 dash of Angostura bitters and 1 glass of gin, shaken and strained into a cocktail glass. The spirit-forward cocktail is an alternative to a dry Martini and the bitters give the cocktail a pink blush.
Aside from the Savoy method, we have trialled three different ways of making the Pink Gin Cocktail, the preferred being the third method.
Pink Gin Cocktail Recipe
Ingredients
- 60 ml Dry Gin or Navy Strength Gin
- 3 dashes of Angostura bitters
Glassware: cocktail glass
Garnish: lemon peel, expressed
Method 1 – No Dilution
Add the bitters to a chilled glass and roll to coat the inside then tip out any excess. Pour the measure of gin from the freezer. Express the lemon peel over the surface of the drink then discard.
Method 2 – With Dilution
In a mixing glass with ice, add the bitters and stir for 15 seconds. Strain and swirl the mixture into a chilled cocktail glass then discard any liquid, leaving the bitters rinse in the glass. Add gin to the mixing glass over ice and stir. Strain into the bitters-rinsed cocktail glass. Express the lemon peel over the drink and use as garnish if you wish.
Method 3 – Martini Style
Add the bitters and gin to a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Express the lemon peel over the drink then discard.
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