With February arriving over the weekend, my thoughts have naturally turned to romantic Valentine's Day plans, especially seeing as I got engaged over Christmas (EEK! No, I can't believe it either...)
Well, the fates have well and truly conspired in my favour, as this week I discovered the wonder that is Pinkster gin.
Yes, that's right, it's a pink gin! How perfect for Valentine's Day cocktails!
But why is it pink? Because one of the many botanicals used is fresh raspberries.

At first I thought it was a raspberry gin, with tons of raspberry syrup added to make it sweeter and less alcoholic, but I was delighted to discover I couldn't be further off the mark.
This is a proper, gin-lover's gin: crisp, fresh and sippably smooth, with a subtle hint of a fruity twist from the raspberries accompanied by juniper and a peppery, almost mineral quality.
I started out sipping it over ice but then added some tonic and Pinkster's recommended sprig of mint (clap it first to release the minty oils) and it was a dream. I love how unique it is - I'd never normally serve gin with mint but this is the perfect match. And yes, the light pink tinge was just a massive bonus in my eyes.
After gaining lots of loyal fans (myself now included) the Pinkster chaps have just got themselves stocked in Ocado - woohoo! You can grab a bottle of Pinkster for £32 - or it's also £30.33 at Master of Malt.
So what about some pink Valentine's Day cocktails? They've been super generous and given me four to choose from:
The Hot Ticket cocktail recipe (serves one)
Ingredients:
50ml Pinkster gin
5 fresh raspberries (plus extra to garnish)
3 slices fresh red chilli
25ml Falernum (a tropical liqueur - well worth having in the cupboard!)
10ml sugar syrup
2 dashes chocolate bitters
Extra raspberries, to garnish
Shake it!
Shake together all the ingredients (in a cocktail shaker, jam jar, anything you have close to hand!) and then double strain into a coupe (Champagne saucer) for an added classy touch.
Straining is pretty important so you don't end up with bits of chilli floating in your drink! If you don't have a proper strainer, use as tight a sieve as you can find, or even a clean pair of tights!
Garnish with fresh raspberries on a cocktail stick.
Pinkster's Loving Fizz cocktail recipe (serves one)
Ingredients:
50ml Pinkster gin
5 fresh raspberries
5 fresh mint leaves
25ml fresh lime juice
25ml sugar syrup (or a little less if you prefer it dryer)
Soda water, to top
Shake it!
Shake all of the ingredients together, and then strain into an ice-filled Collins glass (or pretty tumbler).
Top with soda water and garnish with a mint sprig.
Valentini cocktail recipe (serves one - a lovely twist on a classic martini!)
Ingredients:
50ml Pinkster gin
15ml sweet vermouth (I recommend the Belsazar vermouth I reviewed last week!)
Dash orange bitters
Bar spoon of triple sec (or a generous teaspoon if you haven't got one)
Rose petals, to garnish
Shake it!
Well, actually, don't shake it. Simply stir the ingredients thoroughly and then strain into a chilled coupe glass (Champagne saucer).
Garnish with three rose petals.
Cherry Delightful cocktail recipe (serves one - great for a dessert cocktail!)
Ingredients:
25ml Pinkster gin
25ml Cherry Brandy
25ml Orange Juice
25ml Fresh Cream
Shake it!
Shake all the ingredients together, and then strain into an ice-filled rocks glass (or square tumbler).
Garnish with an orange peel twist and a maraschino cherry.
So there you have it. Four beautiful cocktails. Probably don't drink them all on Valentine's Day or it may turn from a night to remember into a night where you don't remember anything at all...