Pink Gin

The Royal Navy's contribution to cocktail history: gin with Angostura bitters, stirred. Originally issued to British naval officers — Angostura for its supposed medicinal properties, gin as the vehicle. The simplest demonstration of bitters-forward gin minimalism; the gin analogue to the Sazerac's whiskey-and-bitters formula. Chill the gin first; a properly cold Pink Gin should arrive frostbitten. Some Royal Navy bars rinse the glass with bitters and discard rather than dose into the drink. Two dashes is the restrained standard; 4-6 dashes produces a more pronounced bitter character favored by modern revivalists.