Pinky Vodka Redux

About a year ago, I reviewed a new spirit by the name of Pinky Vodka. It's a Swedish vodka flavored with rose petals and wild strawberries among other botanicals. It has a charming and delicate aroma and flavor, unlike the one-note obnoxiousness of many flavored vodkas. Here's a few cocktails I played around with this time, looking again for combinations that would not mask the subtle and delicate flavors involved, but rather build upon them.

The Pinky Cloud Cocktail
Based on the Silver Fizz.

2 oz. Pinky Vodka
½ oz. Sugar
½ oz. Lemon Juice
1 Egg White
Dash of Fee Bros. Cherry Bitters

Combine all ingredients in shaker with ice, shake thoroughly until it sounds more like a solid mass, then strain into glass. Top with sparkling water if desired. It's a creamy and refreshing summer beverage, though one that's difficult to make in large quantities. It helps to get your dinner guests to do the shaking for you--sometimes it's fun to pass the shaker around the table to get it really frothy.

The Pinky Champagne Cocktail
No clever name here, and this recipe riffs off the Bellini and French 75 cocktails. Makes two.

2 oz. Pinky Vodka
1 Very Ripe Peach
1 oz. Triple Sec
Sparkling Wine or Champagne, a good use for leftovers.

Use a muddler to mash up half a very ripe peach in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Add the vodka and triple sec. Combine with ice and shake thoroughly, and divide the mixture in two Champagne flutes. Top with sparkling wine and garnish with a slice of peach. Note: If you want sweeter cocktails, use a sweeter sparkling wine like Moscato d'Asti. Also, a warning with this one... Champagne cocktails tend to have a way of sneaking up on people, so use caution. The sweet and bubbly nature trick you into forgetting the shots of liquor involved. The original French 75 has felled many a strong man.

Pinky Cosmopolitan
One simple area where Pinky Vodka really shines is with a simple Cosmopolitan.

1 oz. Pinky Vodka
1 oz. Unsweetened Cranberry Juice
1/2 oz. Triple Sec
1/4 oz. Lime Juice

Combine in a shaker with ice, shake or stir, and strain into martini glasses. Garnish with a strip of citrus peel or even a slice of clementine floating on top. Very refreshing and tasty as the weather is warming up.

Of the recipes that I've posted, this one is the easiest to adapt to serving a larger crowd, and you can make a pitcher ahead of time without losing any freshness. This one also works well on the rocks if you want to sit and linger with it or if it's really hot outside.

Of course, the best use of Pinky Vodka is impressing female friends, who are inexplicably drawn to pose for paparazzi-style photos while holding the stylish bottle. Many thanks to dear A. here who tested the Pinky Cosmopolitan and found it much to her liking.

While some of the marketing and publicity around Pinky might be very feminine, there's nothing to be scared of here, guys. This isn't sweet, it's not a gimmick, and you can do some cool stuff with it. Like I said last time, I think this is a vodka for gin lovers because of the floral elements. If you're a fan of things like Hendrick's, consider adding this to your home bar.


Note: This bottle was received as a sample from Pinky Vodka.