Every year leading up to Valentine’s Day we team up with Pinkster Gin to give away some of their delicious pink gin and other goodies. I’m so pleased we can do this again this year as I’ve been a fan of Pinkster Gin from the first sip and it has remained one of the very few pink gins that I enjoy on a regular basis.
As the past year has been somewhat chaotic and lonely for many, we thought it would be nice to give the winner a chance to nominate a person they would like to share a tasting experience with. I will explain the giveaway shortly, but first let me just tell the story of Pinkster Gin (in case you’ve lived in a cave and aren’t familiar with them).
Pinkster Gin
Pinkster is an all-natural gin which is both distilled and compound. The base spirit is distilled with five key gin botanicals, including juniper and black peppercorn, then after distillation, the gin is left to macerate with three more botanicals, including the legendary juicy raspberries. These raspberries are locally grown and selected with care. Even with its blush colour and the number of raspberries used, the gin is not sickly sweet, and the raspberries aren’t overpowering. The taste is slightly tart with subtle sweetness, making it a wonderfully smooth gin. Juniper is nicely present with a hint of pepper and coriander.
When Stephen, the man behind Pinkster Gin, was told to stay away from wine and beer as he had developed a yeast allergy, he decided to play around with different spirits. He had previously enjoyed making sloe gins at home, therefore experimenting with other fruits made total sense. He tested a great variety of fruits and berries, but felt the raspberries gave the best flavour balance to his new spirit.
After testing his homemade brew amongst friends, he was ready to find help. The next step was to find a distillery to work with. Today, G&J Distillers provide the equipment and skills to distil the base gin and help with the rest of the production, even though Stephen keeps a close eye on the processes and makes sure each batch of raspberries is consistent with his premium brand.
Serving suggestions
The recommended Pinkster G&T is served with Fever-Tree Tonic and slightly bruised mint leaves, but it is also a great gin for use in many cocktails.
Elegance (serves 2)
60ml Pinkster Gin
20ml Rosé Vermouth (I used The Starlino)
40ml Homemade blueberry syrup*
15ml Fresh lemon juice
Prosecco
In a cocktail shaker, combine all but the Prosecco and shake well with ice. Double strain into a Champagne flute and top up with the fizz. Garnish with a lemon twist or a few blueberries.
*To make the syrup, simply add sugar, water and blueberries to a saucepan. Muddle the blueberries gently to release more flavour. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Take off the heat, cover with a lid and leave to sit for 30 minutes to an hour. Strain and store in the fridge.
Cream of Pink
40ml Pinkster Gin
15ml Pinkster Gin Jam (adjust to taste)
15ml Fresh lime juice
10ml Maraschino
30ml Coconut milk
Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into an ice-filled tumbler and garnish with frozen berries.
For more recipes with Pinkster Gin, check our previous Valentine’s Day post.
Pinkster Gin Giveaway
As I mentioned at the beginning, this year we are all about sharing. We are giving away two Pinkster Gin Home Tasting Kits* and the winner can choose who to send the second set to. You can also choose to have both sent to your home, should you wish to share with another person in your household.
You can then enjoy mixing and sampling the products together. There is also the option to tune into Pinkster Gin tutored tasting. Kick back for 50 minutes as ginmeister Stephen guides your through five different cocktails. The tutorial is available on their website, so you can fix a Zoom tasting with a friend at a time that suits you.
To enter:
The competition is only available on Twitter.
- Follow both Pinkster Gin and On the Sauce Again.
- Retweet this post.
- Tag a gin-loving friend (doesn’t have to be the one you’d end up sharing with if you win).
UK entries only. Must be 18+ to enter. Competition closes on Valentine’s Day 14.02.2021. COMPETITION HAS NOW ENDED.
Disclaimer: In paid collaboration with Pinkster Gin. Some of the links used are affiliate links. If you buy through the links, I may receive a commission for the sale. This has no effect on the price for you.
