MG Pink Gin Review: Spanish Gin Goes Strawberry, but Where Has the Juniper Gone?
Pink gin is a dangerous playground. Add a little fruit to a respectable London Dry and you can create a fragrant, refreshing spirit. Add too much sweetness, however, and the poor juniper disappears beneath a mountain of strawberry candy. MG Pink Gin, produced by the historic Spanish distillery MG Destilerías, sits somewhere between these two extremes.
It is cheerful, fruity and decidedly uncomplicated. Strawberry takes centre stage, with citrus providing a welcome flash of freshness and juniper reduced to a supporting role. At 37.5% alcohol, MG Pink is relatively gentle for a gin, although the sweetness makes its presence felt more than the alcoholic strength.
This is a gin designed for generous ice, tonic water and summer afternoons, not for solemn discussions about botanical complexity.
The Basics
- Producer: MG Destilerías
- Product: MG Pink Gin, also sold as MG Rosa
- Origin: Vilanova i la Geltrú, Catalonia, Spain
- Category: Strawberry-flavoured distilled gin
- Alcohol: 37.5% ABV
- Base spirit: Agricultural grain alcohol
- Botanicals and flavourings: Juniper, coriander, citrus, natural strawberry and lime flavourings
- Style: Fruity, lightly sweetened pink gin
- Colour: Bright pink
- Bottle size: 700 ml
- Serving: With ice and tonic water
The Distillery: A Spanish Gin with Nearly Two Centuries of History
MG Destilerías was founded in 1835 and remains one of Spain’s longstanding family spirits producers. Its headquarters are in Vilanova i la Geltrú, a coastal town southwest of Barcelona.
The company began producing gin in the twentieth century, building its reputation around a traditional juniper-led recipe. MG Pink is a considerably more playful interpretation of that heritage.
The original MG Gin follows the familiar aromatic architecture of classic dry gin: juniper provides the resinous backbone, while coriander and citrus contribute spice and freshness.
The pink edition changes the priorities. Strawberry becomes the most immediately recognisable aroma, transforming a traditionally austere spirit into something softer, sweeter and considerably more accessible.
There is nothing inherently wrong with that approach. The question is whether the fruit adds an interesting dimension or simply makes the gin easier to drink.
How MG Pink Gin Is Made
MG Pink starts with a grain-based spirit and juniper-led gin distillates. Strawberry flavouring is then incorporated to give the finished product its unmistakable fruity personality.
The recipe also includes coriander, citrus distillates and natural lime flavouring. Unlike a traditional unsweetened London Dry, MG Pink contains added sugar.
This matters because pink gin is often marketed as little more than a classic gin with natural fruit. In reality, sweetness is part of this particular product’s identity, influencing both its texture and its behaviour in cocktails.
The resulting spirit is closer to a modern flavoured gin than to the uncompromising botanical style of a classic London Dry.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Clear, brilliant pink with a delicate salmon tint. Bright and immediately recognisable.
Bouquet: Strawberry dominates from the first impression, with a ripe, almost confectionery sweetness. Red berries and a modest citrus accent follow, while juniper emerges more discreetly in the background. The perfume is cheerful and inviting, although hardly sophisticated: anyone looking for the resinous intensity of a traditional gin may wonder where the pine trees have gone.
Palate: Soft, fruity and noticeably sweet. Strawberry takes command again, accompanied by a gentle citrus sharpness and a restrained botanical bitterness. The texture is rounded, without the fierce alcoholic bite of stronger gins. Juniper contributes some dryness, but lacks the authority to challenge the fruit seriously. Pleasantly refreshing when diluted, rather sugary when tasted neat.
Finish: Medium-short, with persistent strawberry sweetness, a faint citrus note and a modest touch of juniper. Clean enough, but lacking the spicy complexity that makes a great gin memorable.
Our Verdict
MG Pink Gin is an enjoyable, inexpensive strawberry gin with a very clear idea of its audience. It is fruity, easygoing and perfectly suited to a casual gin and tonic.
Its limitation is equally obvious: the strawberry overwhelms much of the botanical character, leaving a spirit that feels closer to a sweet summer mixer than to a genuinely compelling gin.
A classic gin and tonic benefits from juniper’s dry, resinous bite. MG Pink takes that familiar formula in a sweeter direction. Use a dry tonic and plenty of ice rather than adding more fruit syrup.
It could also provide the strawberry element in a variation on the Strawberry Gin Fizz, although the sugar needs adjusting accordingly. It is much less convincing in a spirit-forward drink such as the White Negroni, where the sweet strawberry character would intrude on the more delicate botanical interplay.
At this price, MG Pink is a decent party gin, not a revelation. Buy it for its strawberry charm, not for its complexity.
Price
€17.00 for a 700 ml bottle.
Food Pairings
Pulled pork, empanadas, hamburgers.
