Pink Gin
Encyclopedia
Pink Gin is a cocktail
made fashionable in the United Kingdom
in the mid-19th century, consisting of Plymouth gin
and a dash of 'pink' Angostura bitters
, a dark red extract of gentian
and spices, known from the 1820s at Angostura, Venezuela but now made in Trinidad and Tobago
. Lemon rind is also commonly used as a garnish, with the citrus oils subtly complementing the flavour.
way of enjoying gin. It is widely agreed that the drink was first created by members of the Royal Navy
. Plymouth gin is a 'sweet' gin, as opposed to London gin which is 'dry', and was added to Angostura bitters
to make the consumption of Angostura bitters more enjoyable.
Angostura bitters were discovered as a cure for sea sickness in 1824 by Dr. Johann Gottlieb Benjamin Siegert (though their other medicinal uses had been discovered long before this), who subsequently formed the House of Angostura
, a company selling the bitters to sailors.
The British Royal Navy
then brought the idea for the drink to bars in Britain, where this method of serving was first noted on the mainland. By the 1870s, gin was becoming increasingly popular and many of the finer establishments in Britain were serving Pink Gin.
and one dash of angostura bitters.
Though there are no major variations of pink gin, many bartender
s vary the amount of angostura bitters used. Occasionally the drink is topped up with iced water.
A bartender may ask the customer whether he wants it "in or out", upon which the bartender swirls the angostura bitters around the glass before either leaving it in, or pouring it out (leaving only a residue), and then adding the gin.
It is also common, especially in the UK, for pink gin to be served as 'pink gin and tonic', typically consisting of 4 dashes of angostura bitters and 2 shots of gin
, which is then topped up with tonic water
. This is served in a highball glass
over ice, and then can be garnished with lemon
.
steeplechase
finishing fourteenth.
Pink gin was drunk by Hattie (Jean Simmons
) in The Grass is Greener
(1960). She liked her bitters to be burnt with a match prior to adding the gin.
Lottie Cassell offers a pink gin to Logan Mountstuart in Episode 1 of Channel 4's Any Human Heart (TV series)
. 2010 (UK), 2011 (US).
Pink gin is a popular drink in Graham Greene's 'The Heart of the Matter'.
In the James Bond novel The Man With the Golden Gun
, agent 007 orders a pink gin with Beefeater and "plenty of bitters" in the bar of the Thunderbird Hotel in Jamaica, which is operated by his nemesis Francisco Scaramanga
.
In Agatha Christie
's Poirot, episode Triangle at Rhodes, some of the characters drink Pink Gin, one such cocktail being used as the delivery method of a deadly poison.
Cocktail
A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink that contains two or more ingredients—at least one of the ingredients must be a spirit.Cocktails were originally a mixture of spirits, sugar, water, and bitters. The word has come to mean almost any mixed drink that contains alcohol...
made fashionable in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in the mid-19th century, consisting of Plymouth gin
Plymouth Gin
Plymouth Gin is a style of gin that by law can only be produced in Plymouth, England, it being a Protected Geographical Indication within the European Union. The Plymouth Gin Distillery is the only gin distillery located in Plymouth in what was once a Dominican Order monastery built in 1431 and...
and a dash of 'pink' Angostura bitters
Bitters
A bitters is an alcoholic beverage that is flavored with herbal essences and has a bitter or bittersweet flavor. There are numerous brands of bitters that were formerly marketed as patent medicines but are now considered to be digestifs, rather than medicines...
, a dark red extract of gentian
Gentian
Gentiana is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the Gentian family , tribe Gentianeae and monophyletic subtribe Gentianinae. With about 400 species, it is considered a large genus.-Habitat:...
and spices, known from the 1820s at Angostura, Venezuela but now made in Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
. Lemon rind is also commonly used as a garnish, with the citrus oils subtly complementing the flavour.
Origins
Pink gin is a typically BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
way of enjoying gin. It is widely agreed that the drink was first created by members of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. Plymouth gin is a 'sweet' gin, as opposed to London gin which is 'dry', and was added to Angostura bitters
Angostura bitters
Angostura bitters, often simply referred to as angostura, is a concentrated bitters made of water, 44.7% alcohol, gentian root, and vegetable flavoring extracts by House of Angostura in Trinidad and Tobago. They are typically used for flavoring beverages, or food...
to make the consumption of Angostura bitters more enjoyable.
Angostura bitters were discovered as a cure for sea sickness in 1824 by Dr. Johann Gottlieb Benjamin Siegert (though their other medicinal uses had been discovered long before this), who subsequently formed the House of Angostura
House of Angostura
The House of Angostura is a Trinidad and Tobago company famous for the production of angostura bitters, invented by the company's founder. The company is also a distiller and is the major producer of rum in Trinidad and Tobago. The company also has been used as a vehicle for international...
, a company selling the bitters to sailors.
The British Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
then brought the idea for the drink to bars in Britain, where this method of serving was first noted on the mainland. By the 1870s, gin was becoming increasingly popular and many of the finer establishments in Britain were serving Pink Gin.
Variations
A typical pink gin is one part ginGin
Gin is a spirit which derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries . Although several different styles of gin have existed since its origins, it is broadly differentiated into two basic legal categories...
and one dash of angostura bitters.
Though there are no major variations of pink gin, many bartender
Bartender
A bartender is a person who serves beverages behind a counter in a bar, pub, tavern, or similar establishment. A bartender, in short, "tends the bar". The term barkeeper may carry a connotation of being the bar's owner...
s vary the amount of angostura bitters used. Occasionally the drink is topped up with iced water.
A bartender may ask the customer whether he wants it "in or out", upon which the bartender swirls the angostura bitters around the glass before either leaving it in, or pouring it out (leaving only a residue), and then adding the gin.
It is also common, especially in the UK, for pink gin to be served as 'pink gin and tonic', typically consisting of 4 dashes of angostura bitters and 2 shots of gin
Gin
Gin is a spirit which derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries . Although several different styles of gin have existed since its origins, it is broadly differentiated into two basic legal categories...
, which is then topped up with tonic water
Tonic water
Tonic water is a carbonated soft drink in which quinine is dissolved. Originally used as a prophylactic against malaria, tonic water usually now has a significantly lower quinine content and is consumed for its distinctively bitter taste...
. This is served in a highball glass
Highball glass
A highball glass is a glass tumbler which will contain 8 to 12 fluid ounces . It is used to serve highball cocktails and other mixed drinks.A highball glass is taller than an Old Fashioned glass, and shorter and wider than a Collins glass....
over ice, and then can be garnished with lemon
Lemon
The lemon is both a small evergreen tree native to Asia, and the tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit. The fruit is used for culinary and non-culinary purposes throughout the world – primarily for its juice, though the pulp and rind are also used, mainly in cooking and baking...
.
In popular culture
A horse named after the cocktail competed in the 1997 Grand National1997 Grand National
The 1997 Grand National was the 150th official renewal of the world-famous Grand National steeplechase held at Aintree near Liverpool, England...
steeplechase
Steeplechase
Steeplechase may refer to:* Steeplechase, an event in horse racing* SteepleChase, a Danish jazz label* Steeplechase , a 1975 arcade game released by Atari...
finishing fourteenth.
Pink gin was drunk by Hattie (Jean Simmons
Jean Simmons
Jean Merilyn Simmons, OBE was an English actress. She appeared predominantly in motion pictures, beginning with films made in Great Britain during and after World War II – she was one of J...
) in The Grass is Greener
The Grass Is Greener
The Grass Is Greener is a 1960 comedy film featuring an ensemble cast consisting of screen veterans Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, Robert Mitchum, and Jean Simmons,directed by Stanley Donen...
(1960). She liked her bitters to be burnt with a match prior to adding the gin.
Lottie Cassell offers a pink gin to Logan Mountstuart in Episode 1 of Channel 4's Any Human Heart (TV series)
Any Human Heart (TV series)
Any Human Heart is a 2010 BAFTA award–winning TV adaptation of the novel Any Human Heart by William Boyd. It was announced in April 2010 and broadcast in four parts from 21 November to 12 December 2010 on Channel 4 in the UK and in three parts during February 2011 on the PBS series Masterpiece in...
. 2010 (UK), 2011 (US).
Pink gin is a popular drink in Graham Greene's 'The Heart of the Matter'.
In the James Bond novel The Man With the Golden Gun
The Man with the Golden Gun
The Man with the Golden Gun is the twelfth novel of Ian Fleming's James Bond series of books. It was first published by Jonathan Cape in the UK on 1 April 1965, eight months after the author's death. The novel was not as detailed or polished as the others in the series, leading to poor but polite...
, agent 007 orders a pink gin with Beefeater and "plenty of bitters" in the bar of the Thunderbird Hotel in Jamaica, which is operated by his nemesis Francisco Scaramanga
Francisco Scaramanga
Francisco Scaramanga is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the James Bond film and novel The Man with the Golden Gun. The film was so named because it described Scaramanga's possession of a golden gun....
.
In Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie
Dame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to...
's Poirot, episode Triangle at Rhodes, some of the characters drink Pink Gin, one such cocktail being used as the delivery method of a deadly poison.