What the heck is Pinky?

I was looking at a menu from the Tonga Room on Arkiva Tropika, and for the Honolulu Cocktail it lists the following ingredients:

1 oz rum
1 oz pineapple juice
3/4 oz pinky

Does anyone know what "pinky" is? Below is a picture of the menu from Arkiva Tropika.

"I am Lono!" -- Hale Ka'a Tiki Lounge

[ Edited by: arriano 2011-10-30 18:00 ]

Pinky Vodka maybe?

http://www.pinkyvodka.com/

Pinky Vodka has only been around since 2008. At $1 for a drink, I'm thinking that menu is older than that :D

Grapefruit juice, I believe.

The "Brown Derby" Hollywood version was a bit different but this drink was made popular there.

2 oz gin
1/2 oz pineapple juice
1/2 oz fresh orange juice
1/4 oz lemon juice
1/4 oz simple syrup
1 dash Angostura® bitters

This dates back to the 1930s and was originally a Gin based drink, so it looks like the other is a "Island
Style" version with Rum and would make sense that Grapefruit juice was used also.

Of the 15 recipes I looked up all of them used Gin.

[ Edited by: Chuck Tatum is Tiki 2011-10-30 20:51 ]

On 2011-10-30 20:34, MadDogMike wrote:
Pinky Vodka has only been around since 2008. At $1 for a drink, I'm thinking that menu is older than that :D

Haha, I didn't look at the menu prices.

maybe "pinky" is a dose of pink gin (gin w/dash of Angostura bitters).

Thanks for the input. Maybe grapefruit. The picture of the drink looks like it might be garnished with a grapefruit slice. Then again, gin and bitters seems possible as well. Guess I could try both ways and see which one tastes better. The Tonga Room web site is no help as they don't even include this drink on their menu any more.

I think pink grapefruit sounds most likely. One ounce of rum, 1.75 total ounces of juice, and the sweetness of pineapple would be balanced by the slight thirst-quenching bitterness of grapefruit.
But the other: 1 ounce rum, 0.75 ounces gin (1.75 oz. total) and only 1 ounce pineapple? That doesn't sound like a "refresher".
I suppose another possibility is pink lemonade.

Talked to some old & (old school) bartenders I use to work with
and the consensus is "Pink Grapefruit Juice"

[ Edited by: Chuck Tatum is Tiki 2011-11-08 15:00 ]

My research has led to the same conclusion as Chuck Tatum is Tiki. White grapefruit was the norm, and when the hybrid "Pink" grapefruit was developed (in the mid '50's I believe) ... it was referred to as "Pinky" to differentiate it from the white. I got this information from the head bartender of Francis Langford's Outrigger restaurant here in Jensen Beach, and old acquaintance of mine, which closed in the early '80s. Langford (Evinrude) had her own Grapefruit Plantation which produced both versions of the fruit as well as lemons and limes for the restaurant. Sadly,they are all just memories now . . .

I thought pinkies were baby mice used to feed reptiles? Seems they would be more of a drink garnish than an ingredient.

:D Sorry about that! But I did resist the urge to Photoshop one into a drink :D

Mix one up with the grapefruit juice & let us know how it came out?

Thanks everyone for the posts. Reaffirms what a great resource this board is. I'll definitely mix one up next week and try it. (I have to go to the store to get a pink grapefruit, and it's currently Beer Week in San Diego and I'm already on drink overload). Thanks again!

On 2011-11-08 18:35, MadDogMike wrote:
I thought pinkies were baby mice used to feed reptiles? Seems they would be more of a drink garnish than an ingredient.

Blecch!

Well well well - Porpoise, I will never doubt you again. He suggested that "pinky" might be pink gin, a combination of bitters and gin. That didn't seem right to me, but turns out he apparently wasn't too far off.

Today I discovered on an old Tiki Bob menu another Honolulu cocktail. And it describes the ingredients as "pink rum and pineapple." Pink rum? Could that be bitters and rum? Well, yes as a matter of fact. Who knew? Here it is (or was):

Still does not make sense with the first recipe you posted
I still believe it's pink grapefruit juice that the menu is referring to.