Drinks on board: Pink Gin – a toast to the Royal Navy

When it came to physical well-being, people in the 19th century placed great faith in the essences of nature. One such product was Angostura bitters, ruby-red in colour and reputedly effective against all manner of ailments. Its inventor was a German, Johann Gottlieb Benjamin Siegert, who served as a field surgeon in Simón Bolívar’s army during the Wars of Independence in South America.

Thanks to the Royal Navy

Word of the beneficial effects of his spirit, which had been produced in Trinidad since 1875, soon spread, including amongst the many Royal Navy officers stationed in the Caribbean.

There are even more drinks on board here.

Taking a purely pragmatic approach, in keeping with the saying ‘two is better than one’, they combined Angostura with the gin available on board and ended up with a pink-coloured mixed drink: Pink Gin. It quickly found its way into bars across England – and from there, out into the wider world.

The ingredients for Pink Gin

• 60 ml gin
• 4 dashes of Angostura

How to make it

Pour 4 dashes of Angostura into a glass – ideally a chilled one – and swirl it around until the Angostura coats the inside of the glass. Then top up with 60 ml of gin. You may wish to add a twist of lemon zest. It should strictly be served without ice – but that depends, of course, on the temperature.

Book recommendation:

“Cocktails according to the Beaufort scale – drinks for every wind force”