Some days, when I get back home after a long day of prepping for and teaching a class at night, I just want to collapse on the couch with a glass of wine. And inevitably of course, some days I get back home and realize I don't actually have any wine around the house.

Yesterday was one of those days. I got back home close to 10pm with a slice of pizza and just didn't feel like trekking back out again, especially in the wind and snow. So I did the next best thing: make myself a gin cocktail.

Pink gin is the ideal cocktail for someone who really likes the taste of gin (me). It's practically gin straight up. It was a popular drink in 19th century England and is widely believed to have been first created in the Royal Navy. At the most basic level, it's just gin and a few drops of Angostura bitters, which adds the pink hue, and served with a twist of lemon.

Instead of the complete barebones approach, I like to add a bit of water and lemon juice to mellow it out. You can also add a bit of tonic or seltzer instead, or make a sweeter fizzy version with simple syrup and splash of white wine.

It may still be minimalist, but then again, so are many other good things in life.

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Pink Gin

Serves 1

Ingredients

2 ounces gin
3 dashes Angostura bitters
Ice
Seltzer, tonic water, or plain water to top off
A few drops of fresh lemon juice (optional)
Twist of lemon peel for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Combine the gin, bitters, ice, water, and optional lemon juice in a cocktail shaker. Shake for a bit, until the liquid is very cold, and strain into a small glass. Add a twist of lemon to garnish if you’d like, and serve.