Pink Gin
Today is the first of May. Whenever May comes around all I can think about is that nursery rhyme we all learned in elementary school: “April showers bring May flowers”. That’s why I love this season; all the flowers start blooming and there are all those vibrant, beautiful colors that come with them. There are reds and blues, purples and pinks… lots and lots of pink. So, in appreciation of all the pink you’ll be seeing over the next month or so, I thought I’d share with you a cocktail with pink in its name: the Pink Gin.
This has got to be one of the simplest classics on the blog. I mean, it’s just 2 ingredients: gin and Angostura Bitters. It’s the bitters that actually give the cocktail its pink hue. For a drink that’s so simple, I bet you’d be surprised to hear that it’s fallen off the radar. I was. I mean, there are other simple classics out there: the Martini, the Gibson, the Screwdriver, and they’re all still as popular as they were when first created. But for some reason, if you were to go into a bar today and order a Pink Gin, odds are the bartender would have no idea what you were talking about. Maybe it’s because there are so many ways to drink the classic.
Some think it should be served on the rocks, while others believe it should be served cold, but neat. Then there are the purists who believe it’s meant to be enjoyed the way it was originally: warm or at room temperature. A gin cocktail that’s warm? Blasphemy! But when you hear how and why the drink was created, it actually makes a lot of sense.
Johann Gottlieb Benjamin Siegert created the secret bitters formula in Angostura, Venezuela in 1820 as a restorative tonic to combat malaria and other ailments. Meanwhile, across the pond in Plymouth, England, thousands of barrels of Plymouth gin were shipped to the Royal Navy annually. So, when Naval officers visited Angostura, they took the bitters for their alleged curative properties, including the promise to quell seasickness. By adding a dash or two of Angostura to the officers’ daily ration of gin, the Pink Gin was born. Since the cocktail was created on the ocean pre-World War II, where there was little or no ice available, the drink was often sipped warm. Hence the decision to continue the tradition today.
But whether you choose to drink this cocktail iced cold or at room temperature, be warned, it’s powerful. This is a drink that should definitely be sipped and not shot. Remember, this cocktail was created to cure what ailed you and no ailment was ever cured by chugging.
Pink Gin
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. gin
- Dash of Angostura Bitters
Directions:
- Pour the ingredients into a glass. Add ice and stir.
- Strain into a cocktail glass and serve.
Classic! What gin would you recommend? It seems like you would need something fruity or more flowery with the bitters. I love gin!
I don’t drink a lot of gin, but my 2 favorites are Bombay Saphire and Hendrick’s. Hendrick’s is the more floral of the two. But I would say use whatever your favorite gin is, you won’t be disappointed.