The Secret Garden Gin Cocktail Featuring: Empress Gin
Empress 1908 Gin has taken the internet by storm and is currently the “Most Instagrammable Spirit”! Personally, I haven’t explored the world of gin until recently! And as you can imagine, this bottle caught my eye. The vibrant indigo color that you see straight from the bottle is truly striking. Although, the real magic unveils when you introduce other ingredients!
The History
Named after the Fairmont Empress Hotel, a National Historic Site located in Victoria, British Colombia, Empress Gin was created at the infamous tea time that is offered at the hotel.
The Flavor
In regards to the colors, you may be surprised to know that the Gin is all-natural, handmade, and made in small batches. There are several botanicals that make up the flavor and I personally think it’s a premium choice for a gin. There are about 8 natural botanicals that go into its distillations including the following:
- Butterfly Pea Blossom
- Fairmont Empress Tea
- Juniper
- Grapefruit Peel
- Coriander Seed
- Cinnamon Bark
- Rose Petal
To get the most out of the color changing element, here are a few tips!
- For an more blue color to Empress 1908’s natural indigo shade, add more alkaline ingredients. These can include fresh cucumber, green tea, certain ice and syrups.
- For a beautiful purple shade, add a splash of acidity. I did this in my cocktail with lemon juice and tonic. But feel free to use any type of citruses like lime or grapefruit to really bring out the color and flavor!
- For a gorgeous pink shade, you’ll want to add liqueurs, or perhaps a sparkling wine. Or even better yet, both!
If you visit EmpressGin.com, you’ll find so many recipes to try to really make an impression with your friends. For us, we did a spin on a Gin and Tonic that really brought out the indigo hue as well as the purple.
Read below for the recipe!
