Pink Gin Sour
the recipe that always works
Place the cocktail glass in the freezer for half an hour.
Shake all the ingredients first without ice for 20 seconds — the dry shake for the foam.
Add plenty of ice and shake for another 15 seconds.
Double-strain into the chilled glass and place a fresh raspberry on the foam.
Pink without food coloring
If you want pink without relying on a bottle of syrup, you have plenty of options. Cranberry juice provides deep pink and adds bitterness — see the Cosmopolitan and the Sea Breeze. Raspberries and strawberries create a bright, sweet color. Pink grapefruit gives a soft salmon pink with a bitter edge, ideal in a Paloma. Pomegranate is the basis of real grenadine and colors drinks deep red to pink, depending on the amount. And hibiscus tea, cold-brewed, gives a surprisingly intense color without sugar — the best trick for alcohol-free versions. Be careful with egg white or aquafaba: it makes every color a shade paler but softer.
The right glass
When color is the focus, you want as much glass surface as possible and as little distraction as possible. A stemmed cocktail glass — martini, coupe, or Nick & Nora — shows pink at its best: the wide bowl catches the light, and the color is literally on display. Choose sleek, colorless glass without texture; facets break the color into pieces. For a wedding or party, there is also a practical consideration: stemmed cocktail glasses look more festive than tumblers, even when they contain exactly the same drink.
Royal Leerdam Cocktail Martini Glass 26 cl (4 pieces)
Onis Bespoke Cocktail Glass 15.5 cl Nick & Nora (6 pieces)
Together € 57,90.
The right tools
For pink cocktails, besides the glass, you use a shaker, a bar spoon for stirring, and a jigger for precise measuring. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you'll find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 3 bar tools — together € 63,80.
Six pink cocktails
Frequently asked questions
Which glass do you use for pink cocktails?
A stemmed cocktail glass holding 16 to 26 cl. View our Cosmopolitan glasses or the coupe glasses.
How do you make a cocktail pink without food coloring?
With cranberry, raspberry, strawberry, pink grapefruit, pomegranate, or cold-brewed hibiscus tea. Besides color, they also add flavor, which food coloring does not.
Which pink cocktail works well at a wedding?
Something bubbly that you can batch in advance: mix cranberry or raspberry syrup with lemon juice in a bottle, then top up with prosecco when serving. This way, you can serve an entire room in ten minutes.
Why does my pink cocktail turn pale?
Because of egg white or aquafaba, or due to over-dilution. Use a little more of your coloring ingredient when working with foam, and don't shake for longer than necessary.
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