Pink Gin and Lemonade Cocktail

I recently discovered a novel twist on gin: pink gin! And once I had some, I of course used it to make a pink gin and tonic. But if you read that post, you can see that for one of the variations on the drink I added a little pink lemonade. It made the drink pinker, sweeter and more citrusy. 

So of course, it was not exactly a huge leap to go full-out pink gin and lemonade.

Lemonade is such an iconic drink for summer. Refreshing and thirst quenching. Any time you combine sweet with tart and put it in a glass, I am happy!

And the beauty of it is, pink lemonade is so readily available these days. Which means, we can use pink gin and pink lemonade to make a cocktail with maximum PINK.

Bring it!

What is pink gin?

Originally, pink gin was made fashionable by the British in the 19^th century. Plymouth gin was enhanced with a few dashes of bitters. The reddish color of the bitters gave the drink a pinkish hue.

These days, we can purchase strawberry-flavored gin which has not only the sweetness of strawberries but also a lovely pink color. It's a much more straightforward approach to pink gin.

And the color is unmistakably pink. 😀

Ingredients

• Pink Gin
• Pink Lemonade

Pretty simple!

How to make a pink gin and lemonade

Many mixed drinks are named to tell you exactly what they contain, and this one is no different. Pink gin. And lemonade. Not hard, is it?

But for maximum pink color, be sure to use pink lemonade. Otherwise, that pink gin will just give a slightly orange look to regular lemonade.

And the fun part is how you garnish. Some strawberry slices and a green garnish will complement the beautiful pink color; think of a slice of lime or a sprig of herbs. You could also use a lemon slice, to match the lemonade flavor. I tend to use a combination of lemon, lime and strawberry slices to create a whole party in my glass. 🥂

Expert Tips

Since you are probably making this on a hot summer day, it's a nice touch to chill your glasses in the fridge or freezer for a bit before mixing the drink. This ensures a nice cold drink. Plus, your ice cubes will hopefully melt a little slower.

Any glass you have will work for this drink. I made some in tall, skinny "Collins" glasses and also in balloon shaped wine glasses. I feel that the shape of the balloon glass helps to highlight the pretty pink color of the beverage, but in the end they all drink the same. 😄

Worried about carbs? Use a reduced calorie or sugar free lemonade. Cuts out all that extra sugar and you still get the great lemonade taste.

If you love this drink but want a slight bubbly quality, consider the pink gin and tonic option where I used both tonic and pink lemonade. Alternatively, you could just top with a little bit of soda water or sparkling water.

The beauty is, this is so easy to make your own!

Recipe FAQs

Are pink lemonade and regular lemonade the same?

Pink lemonade and regular lemonade have the same basic ingredients: lemon juice, water, and sugar, but pink lemonade gets its signature color (and sometimes a slightly different flavor) from added ingredients. Depending on the recipe or brand, the pink hue typically comes from cranberry juice, strawberry juice, raspberry juice, grenadine, or natural food coloring. In most cases, the flavor is nearly identical to classic lemonade, but some versions of pink lemonade have a hint of berry or fruitiness.

How was pink lemonade invented?

Pink lemonade dates back to the 1800s and was born in the world of traveling circuses. According to the most accepted story, a lemonade vendor accidentally dropped red cinnamon candies into a batch of classic lemonade, tinting it pink. The crowd loved the unexpected color, and a new drink was born.

Another early tale claims a circus worker mixed lemonade using pink-tinted wash water from a performer's costume, creating the same rosy hue.

While the fruit-flavored versions we know today came much later, pink lemonade's invention was rooted in circus improvisation-and a happy accident.

More pink cocktails

Since you have that pink lemonade anyway, try mixing up a Pink Senorita.

And for a whole different shade of pink, a dragon fruit cocktail will always get noticed!

📖 Recipe