Millennials, Your Gin Is Here

Pantone might have declared “Ultra Violet” to be 2018’s color of the year, but the beverage world is firmly in the throes of a “think pink” moment. “Rosé All Day” has spilled over to a panoply of pink ciders, pink vodka…. And pink gin.

Gin Lane 1751 did not intend to jump on a pink bandwagon but they seem to have grabbed a zeitgeist by the coattails with “Victoria,” a naturally-tinted gin with a decidedly Millennial Pink hue. But you can look back a couple of millennia to find the origin of gin blended, as this one is, with Angostura bitters; the Victorian-era British Navy popularized the practice as a seasickness cure.

Yes, I said the sailors concocted a hard liquor to make you not feel like barfing. Go figure.

Victoria’s a full-throated little vixen of a spirit, no wallflowers were included in this array of botanicals. It has a warm, bitter-spicy character, with the typical notes of juniper and citrus (discernible angelica and a decent ration of star anise and other warm spices are present too). It’s smooth, on the rich end of the gin spectrum, has a hint of sugar to it, and will probably do best in mixed drinks where it can really shine and not be buried under a ton of other ingredients: Think G&Ts, gimlets and Rickeys; it also probably makes a fun twist on the French 75 with a rosé bubbly. (It will most likely mess up the look of an Aviation.)

Gin Lane has the following suggestions for making the most of this robust yet delicately-colored concoction. Perhaps these would be good recipes for your next sea voyage!

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VICTORIAN GARDEN

Ingredients
2 parts Gin Lane 1751 ‘Victoria’ Pink Gin
1 part St. Germaine Elderflower Liqueur
½ part Lemon Juice
Top with Club Soda
Lemon wedge garnish

Directions: Serve in a tall glass filled with ice. Garnish with lemon wedge.