3 Empress 1908 Gin Cocktails You Can Make Right Now

A large serving of a purple gin and tonic. (Photo: Candie Getgen/Gin Raiders)

You’ve got your hands on a bottle of Empress 1908 Gin, but aren’t quite sure what to do next. Before you start mixing away, keep in mind that this gin has a party trick. Thanks to the addition of butterfly pea flowers, Empress 1908 Gin changes colors — from indigo, to blue and then to magenta — when acid is added. Here are some easy Empress 1908 Gin cocktails to help this spirit show its true colors.

Bee’s Knees

This prohibition-era cocktail is a personal favorite of ours and incredibly quick to make. All you need is honey, water, lemon juice and gin.

2 ounces Empress 1908 Gin

1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 ounce honey syrup

Honey syrup is made by heating up a 2 parts honey and 1 part water. Start with 2 tablespoons of honey in 1 tablespoon of water. Microwave the mix in a mug for about 30 seconds and stir till the honey is dissolved. This will make more honey syrup than needed for one drink, but you may want to add more honey syrup to taste or make another cocktail.

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and then strain into a chilled glass of choice. Add a lemon twist on top and sip away.

Tom Collins

It’s like a sparkling gin lemonade!

2 ounces Empress 1908 Gin

1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ ounce simple syrup (or your honey syrup from the Bee’s Knees)

5 ounces sparkling water

1 cocktail cherry of choice

Fill a tall glass with ice. Then, pour in all ingredients and enjoy. You should end up with a pink-tinted bubbly cocktail that is traditionally garnished with a lemon slice and cherry.

Purple Gin and Tonic

It would be foolish to not include a gin and tonic. This G&T is going to be purple, and sometimes a pretty-colored drink is all you need to feel special.

2 ounces Empress 1908 Gin

3-6 ounces tonic water

1 lemon or lime wedge

Fill a glass with ice and add in the gin with an amount of tonic you prefer. The tonic will provide just enough acid to make a purple cocktail. Garnish with a citrus wedge and squeeze it in for a pinker drink.

Buy yourself a bottle of Empress 1908 here.

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