How to pour
a pink gin in
Put the copa glass in the freezer for ten minutes or rinse it with ice water, then fill it completely with ice. A full glass melts more slowly than one with three cubes in it.
Pour 4 cl of pink gin over the ice. Measure it with a jigger, because with a sweeter bottle, 5 cl can quickly throw off the balance with the tonic.
Top up with 15 cl of cold tonic. Pour it down the inside of the glass or over a bar spoon so the carbonation stays where you want it.
Place the strawberry slices in the glass and stir half a turn, no more. Stirring for too long drives out the carbonation, making it go flat.
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The story
Pink gin began as a way to make bitters drinkable: a few dashes of Angostura bitters in a glass of gin, giving the drink a pinkish tinge. It was a drink from the British navy, and it was barely pink; the color was more in the name than in the glass. The bottles now called pink gin do something different. They contain red fruit, such as strawberry, raspberry, or rhubarb, usually with sugar added. The result is sweeter, lower in alcohol, and primarily intended for tonic. Two drinks, one name, and that explains why the flavor descriptions you come across vary so widely.
The right glass
You drink a modern pink gin as a long drink, with plenty of ice and tonic, and the copa glass is the logical shape for that: a rounded bowl on a stem, so you can hold the glass without warming the ice, with enough room for fruit. The description of the Pasabahce Elysia says exactly that: the classic copa shape with curved relief, and with 50 cl of space for a double tonic and a generous amount of ice. You serve the old pink gin in a small glass without ice, so choose a coupette from the coupette glasses collection.
Pasabahce Elysia Gin and Tonic Glass 50 cl (4 pieces)
RCR Melodia Coupette Glass 16 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 64,90.
The right tools
For a pink gin, besides the glass, you use a jigger to measure 4 cl and a bitters bottle if you want to make the old version with Angostura bitters. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 2 bar tools together € 59,85.
What do you make a pink gin with?
You make the old pink gin with gin and a few dashes of Angostura bitters; for the modern version, buy a bottle that already contains red fruit. Well-known gins include Tanqueray and Gordon's. On every drink page, you can read the percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it suits and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
With prosecco instead of tonic, it becomes a spritz: 5 cl pink gin, 10 cl chilled prosecco, a splash of sparkling water and plenty of ice. Sparkling water alone works too, and then you taste the gin itself most clearly. If you want the old version, leave out the tonic: stir 5 cl dry gin with two or three dashes of Angostura bitters until chilled, then pour it without ice into a small stemmed glass. Want to read more? View all drinks and brands.
Serving tip
Put the tonic in the refrigerator, not the freezer; cold tonic retains its carbonation better than tonic that still has to cool down in the glass. Fill the glass completely with ice, because it melts more slowly than a few cubes. A strawberry slice or a strip of grapefruit peel is enough for garnish; more fruit mainly fills the glass.
Good to know
Is pink gin actually gin?
That depends on the bottle. Within the EU, there are requirements for what may be called gin, including the amount of added sugar and the minimum alcohol percentage. If it contains a lot of sugar, the drink is more likely to be classified as a liqueur, and the label will say something like gin liqueur or gin-based spirit drink. So read the label; it states what the product officially is.
Why does one pink gin taste so different from another?
Because two drinks are sold under the same name. Historical pink gin is dry gin with bitters: sharp, spicy and barely sweet. A modern bottle with red fruit and sugar is sweeter and often lower in alcohol. If you taste the two side by side, you would not say they have the same name.
How much alcohol does it contain?
A dry gin usually ranges from 37.5 to 47 percent. Bottles of pink gin with red fruit and sugar are often lower, roughly between 20 and 40 percent. The exact figure is always stated on the label.
Where does the pink color come from?
With the old version, the color comes from the bitters themselves: a few dashes turn the gin light pink to almost amber. In modern bottles, the color comes from the fruit they contain, and sometimes from added coloring. You can find out which by reading the ingredients list on the bottle.
Do you drink pink gin neat?
The old version does: served short, stirred cold, and without ice in the glass. Most people find a modern, sweet pink gin too sweet when drunk neat; it is better with tonic or sparkling water, where the acidity and carbonation cut through the sugar.
Which tonic goes with it?
With a sweet pink gin, a dry, neutral tonic works best because it keeps the sugar in check. A tonic with extra fruit or floral flavors piles onto what is already in the bottle. With the dry, historical version, a spicy tonic can work well.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly is pink gin?
Two things under one name. Historically, pink gin is dry gin with a few dashes of Angostura bitters, which give the drink a light pink color. Today, pink gin is its own category: gin with red fruit such as strawberry, raspberry, or rhubarb, usually with added sugar, sweeter and often lower in alcohol.
Is pink gin sweet?
The modern bottles are, because they contain added sugar. The amount varies by brand. Historical pink gin is not sweet; it is instead dry and spicy, with the bitters providing the flavor.
Which glass do you serve pink gin in?
For the modern version with tonic, use a copa glass: a rounded bowl on a stem, with room for plenty of ice and some fruit. The historical version is served short and without ice in a coupe or another small stemmed glass.
What do you mix with pink gin?
Tonic is the standard, preferably dry and neutral. Prosecco turns it into a spritz, and sparkling water keeps it crisp. A slice of strawberry or a strip of grapefruit peel is enough for garnish.
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