Advanced
Sweet & Herb
5 minutes
Cocktail Glass
Ingredients
Despite containing only three ingredients, to make a Pinky cocktail correctly demands two shaking techniques, a handful of bartending tools, and a little patience.
Elegant, herbal and sweet, the Pinky is a testament to the saying that good things come to those who wait.
How to Make a Pinky Cocktail
Bar tools you’ll need
Jigger
Boston Shaker
Fine Strainer
Hawthorne Strainer
How to Mix
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Use a jigger (or measuring instrument) to measure and pour Plymouth Gin into the smaller tin of a Boston shaker. Do not add ice yet.
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Use the jigger again to measure and add grenadine into the shaker tin.
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Add egg whites (or alternatively, aquafaba.) First, crack an egg over a bowl and let the egg white drip into the bowl while holding the yolk in the shell. Next, gently transfer the yolk between shell halves until the white is fully separated, then add the whites into the shaker.
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Connect the shaker tins and shake vigorously to emulsify the egg white and create a frothy texture.
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Open the shaker, add ice cubes, then perform a wet shake to chill and dilute the cocktail.
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Separate the shaker tins, ensuring the cocktail is in the larger tin. Place a Hawthorne strainer over this larger tin. Hold a fine mesh strainer in your other hand, then pour the cocktail through both strainers into a pre-chilled cocktail glass.
All about the Pinky cocktail
The Pinky is a fairly obscure yet classic gin cocktail made with equal parts Plymouth Gin and grenadine (pomegranate syrup), shaken with egg whites for that silky, velvety cocktail foam. Elegant and sophisticated, it’s one to serve during an elegant afternoon tea or cocktail evening.
The Pinky is a spirit-forward cocktail that highlights the floral and juniper notes of Plymouth gin, complemented by the syrupy, fruity sweetness of grenadine. The frothy head achieved from the egg whites adds a welcome smoothness and accessibility to the drink.
Little is known or documented about the history of the Pinky cocktail. What we do know is that it was included in a popular cocktail book printed in 1930 and written by an American author who left the United States during Prohibition to work in a famous hotel bar in London.
- Dry shake first
Although in the video, ice cubes are added to the shaker first before the ingredients, we highly recommend shaking this cocktail first dry (i.e. without ice) to emulsify the egg whites, followed by a wet shake. This will give your drink that wonderful, frothy cocktail foam. - Double strain
For the perfect pour, we recommend double straining the Pinky cocktail. This means pouring the cocktail through a Hawthorne strainer together with a fine mesh strainer to catch any ice particles getting in your drink and to ensure you get that perfect, silky finish. - Pre-chill your glassware
If it wasn’t clear already, the Pinky is all about the finer details – a dry shake, followed by a wet shake, double straining your cocktail, and serving your drink in a pre-chilled cocktail glass.Place your glassware it in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Sipping a Pinky cocktail from a chilled cocktail glass just heightens the drinking experience, as does the velvety mouthfeel and silky smooth texture.
- Make your own grenadine
We highly recommend making your own grenadine at home. Homemade grenadine is far superior because it tastes authentic. It’s slightly tart and full of fresh, fruity, and floral notes. Store-bought versions often taste overly sweet with a quality that tastes like artificial cherry syrup. Watch Rico show you how to make homemade grenadine syrup.
- Serve the Pinky into a pre-chilled cocktail glass or coupe glass and pair it with an afternoon tea of delicate finger sandwiches (such as cucumber or egg mayonnaise), a slice of sponge cake, or scones with cream and jam.
- Although neither the 1930s cocktail recipe for a Pinky or our drink recipe include a garnish, you could float a dried rose petal or a lemon twist on top of the drink to complement the botanical notes and add another elegant visual element to your drink.
Pinky Cocktail FAQ
No. While the Pinky isn’t a difficult drink to make per se, it’s not a beginners cocktail. Why? The Pinky cocktail uses two different shaking techniques (a dry shake, followed by a wet shake) and requires several bartending tools to make, including two different strainer types. However, once you’ve mastered these techniques, it’s an easy enough drink to make.
We recommend using Plymouth Gin, which is a juniper-forward gin and the gin used in the 1930s cocktail book that featured the Pinky cocktail recipe.
We recommend shaking all the ingredients first without ice so that the egg whites (or aquafaba) emulsify, then shaking again with ice cubes.
If you don’t wish to use egg whites in your cocktail, use aquafaba, which is the brine from chickpeas. Check out our article which explains what aquafaba is and how to use it in your cocktails.
