Have you ever read the label on
bitters? Not just the ingredients, but everything that it is supposed to cure... there's a long list. As the story goes,
Angostura bitters was invented as a remedy for stomach problems. As bitters made its way to the
British Navy, the officers needed a way to drink it (make it somewhat more
palatable)
and thus it was added to gin.
Properly made, this is made with Plymouth Gin - the traditional gin of the British Navy. This gin is a unsweetened variety (compare to Sloe gin) that is typically 57% alcohol or "navy proof" so that if gin was to spill on the gunpowder, the gunpowder would still explode when need be.
One wonders if the popularity of pink gin within the gay community has any thing to do with the navy... Hello Sailor!
To make Pink Gin (also known as Gin and Bitters):
The bitters should be added to a cocktail glass initially and swirled or roll around until the inside of the glass is coated with bitters. Excess should be shaken out. This takes between 1-4 dashes. Pour in the gin. The gin is to be
neat (no ice) and warm. The resulting color should be
pink.
Everything Bartender
http://www.webtender.com/db/drink/689
http://power2youth.com:8080/power2youth/chill_gin.jsp
http://212.24.85.85/01/people_matters_0102/general_matters/gin.html