There’s nothing particularly new about a pink drink. Pink Gin (a potent combination consisting of gin and bitters) originated with the British Royal Navy in the early 19th century, and grenadine-spiked examples—the Clover Club, the Monkey Gland and the Jack Rose—followed suit not long after. Concentrated in terms of both power and proof, these early rose-hued cocktails had no trouble defying our preconceptions about color.
Today, pink drinks represent a broad category—from low-proof spritzes to formidable tiki riffs. Here, a recipe collection of our favorite crimson-colored drinks, calling on everything from grapefruit to hibiscus to bitters to Campari (naturally).
Make It Classic
Pink Gin
A two-ingredient, 19th century favorite.
Clover Club
A pre-Prohibition original.
Paloma
Mexico’s tequila Collins.
Greyhound
A tart, classic highball.
Cosmopolitan
The 1990s liquid accessory.
Jasmine
The Pegu Club goes to San Francisco.
Bicicletta
The cause of many a swerving bicycle.
Jack Rose
New Jersey’s original applejack cocktail.
Shake It
Endless Summer
The Negroni on vacation.
Blood Orange Margarita
Mexico’s tequila daisy in a winter coat.
Dusty Trails
A strawberry-topped cross between a cobbler and a buck.
Prima Vera
A bitter-sour, thyme-topped refresher.
Bruja Smash
Strega’s black magic.
Grievous Angel
A brunch-ready, fruit-forward bourbon sour.
PFT
“Pretty Fluffy Thing.”
La Bomba Daiquiri
Proof that “fruity” and “sweet” are not synonymous.
Shake It With Egg White
Angostura Sour
A sum greater than its parts.
Campari Sour
Because, obviously.
Canelli Sour
Bright, bitter and fall-ready.
Pink Lady
A grenadine-spiked gin sour.
Barrymore Room
The Clover Club, reverse engineered with bourbon.
Make It Bubbly
Punch House Spritz
A spring-summer staple topped with lambrusco rosato.
Rome With a View
Part Collins, part Americano.
Hibiscus Punch Royale
A riff on the Caribbean classic.
So Long Sweet Summer
A blend of citrus, barrel-aged gin and cinnamon-peach shrub.
Rivington Punch
A wine spritzer-Aperol Spritz mash-up.
Dove Dispatch
An earthy twist on the Paloma—plus Campari.
Señorita Spritz
A genre-bending strawberry spritz by way of Peru.
Strawberry Letter
A bubbly, crimson-colored summery punch.
Make It a Wildcard
Frosé Y’all
Rosé, in slushie form.
Archangel
Aperol gives you wings.
Campari Radler
Think of it as a sudsy Americano.
Cold in the Shadows
A bitter, Californian ode to the shandy.
Bramble (Fresh)
The riesling of the cocktail world.
Sloe Moon’s Rose
A modern, pink twist on the swizzle.
Absent Stars
Rhum agricole meets tiki in New Orleans.
Bitter Mai Tai
A rum-driven take on a classic.
Babs in D.C.
A loose rendition of the Barbara West.