Cocktail Vs Spirit: What Pink Gin Actually Is

Just the name pink gin is enough to conjure up images of something fruity, sweet, and a little bit flirty. If you've seen bottles of the stuff, the rose hue makes it an ideal choice for a spring brunch or a bridal shower. Order a pink gin from a classic cocktail menu, however, and you're likely to be served something very different. Strong, not at all sweet, and more orange than pink.

The confusion comes from the same name being used for two separate things. Pink gin is both a spirit and a cocktail, and apart from the gin component, they don't have much in common.

The pink gin cocktail is a minimalist mix of regular gin with Angostura bitters, which gives the drink its orangey-pink color. It's usually stirred with ice to both chill and ever so slightly dilute it, and is served with a twist of lemon in a chilled coupe glass.

What you find on the shelves of a liquor store is not a premix version of this cocktail, but rather a gin that's been infused with fruits after distilling. This gives it both a unique flavor and color, though the pink is often amped up with artificial coloring.

The original pink gin cocktail was borne of necessity. Sailors in the British Royal Navy used bitters as a cure for seasickness, but to make it more palatable, they cut it with a healthy dose of gin. By the late 1800s, the cocktail had made it onshore and onto the menus of London's bars. Although the pink gin is considered one of the iconic British cocktails, it fell out of fashion in the early 20th century.

Pink gin as a spirit came along much later, as part of a resurgence in the popularity of gin in general. Gordon's Pink Gin, flavored with raspberry, strawberry, and redcurrant, was one of the first to see commercial success. Released in 2017, it sparked a trend of pink gins, flavored with everything from rhubarb to roses.

Where confusion arises is that this bottled gin is a popular choice for making photo-worthy drinks, which can also be named pink gin cocktails. It serves as the base for the pink gin sour cocktail that went viral on TikTok, and this creamy frozen watermelon cocktail that doubles down on the pink tones.

The fruity pink gin is also a popular choice for a gin and tonic, offering a sweeter twist on the original. So if you're ordering at a bar rather than mixing at home, it pays to be clear with your bartender about exactly what it is you want to drink.