Pacific Empress Gin and Tonic made with color changing butterfly pea flower Empress 1908 Gin is a gin cocktail recipe with a Pacific Northwest twist.
This purple and pink gin cocktail is a fruity variation of classic gin and tonics using delicious Empress Gin that’s just perfect for refreshing in the summer whether served by the glass, pitcher or punch bowl!
Empress Gin cocktail
What makes this gin cocktail recipe so delicious and beautiful is the Empress 1908 Gin it’s mixed with. It’s the absolute BEST gin for gin and tonics. Empress 1908 color changing gin is hand-crafted and micro-distilled in copper stills by Victoria Distillers in British Columbia, Canada. Inspired by the famed tea service at the Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria this beautiful gin changes color depending on what it’s mixed with. Enjoy a dark purple gin on the rocks, lilac gin and tonics and all sorts of different blue and pink cocktails. It all depends on how acidic or basic your ingredients are.
To learn more about butterfly pea flower health benefits and how to create a range of fun colors with butterfly pea flowers check out this recipe for Butterfly Pea Flower Color Changing Mojito.
Not only is all-natural, gluten-free Empress 1908 Gin beautiful it’s also delicious! With a blend of botanicals like rose petal, coriander, grapefruit, ginger, cinnamon bark, and Fairmont Empress Blend butterfly pea flower tea Empress 1908 makes it so easy to create the most delicious and awe inspiring cocktails at home.
Like the Pacific Empress Gin and Tonic, a light refreshing cocktail with a Pacific Northwest twist!
Ingredients
- Empress 1908 Gin
- Blackberries – fresh or frozen, or substitute blackberry jam.
- Honey – or other sweetener of your choice.
- Pineapple juice – or substitute fresh pineapple puree thinned with a little pineapple juice, orange juice or coconut water.
- Lime juice – from 1 small lime or substitute with a pour of limeade instead.
- Tonic water – tonic is a perfect complement to the fruity flavors in this gin cocktail. Substitute club soda if you’d like although I’d suggest also increasing the lime to account for the lack of quinine. You could also sub hard cider or spiked seltzer to add an extra kick.
- Garnish (optional)– blackberries, pineapple leaf, edible flowers, pineapple spear, lime twist, juniper berries, evergreen sprig, etc.
Step by step instructions
This is such an easy (but super impressive!) cocktail to whip up!
- Muddle a few fresh or frozen blackberries with honey in a rocks glass and fill with crushed ice. You can also use a collins glass, champagne flute, really, whatever glass you have. Alternately you can use blackberry jam instead of the berry/honey mixture.
- Pour pineapple juice over ice.
- Add the juice of one fresh squeezed lime.
- And a generous pour of premium tonic water.
- Carefully pour a float of Empress 1908 Gin to top.
- Garnish as desired.
- Enjoy!
- And watch the colors change before your eyes!
Variations
- Make a bright pink gin cocktail recipe instead. Simply combine ingredients rather than layer. Then top with tonic.
- Need a bit more kick? Add some St Germaine elderflower liquor or substitute the tonic for spiked cider or hard seltzer.
- To make a pitcher gin and tonic cocktail or even a pink gin punch multiply the ingredients and mix together. Serve immediately or refrain from adding tonic and top each glass with tonic after pouring.
- Leftover pink gin cocktail? Make fruity gin and tonic ice cubes! Freeze mixture in ice cube trays then serve topped with tonic water, or blend into a bright pink gin and tonic slushie!
Ingredients
- 1.5 ounces Empress 1908 Gin
- .25 pint blackberries a handful, fresh or frozen
- ½ ounce honey
- 3 ounces pineapple juice
- 1 ounce lime juice from 1 small lime
- 2 ounces premium tonic water
Instructions
- Muddle blackberries with honey in a rocks class or collins glass. Fill with ice.
- Pour pineapple juice and lime juice over ice and add tonic water.
- Carefully float Empress gin on top.
- Garnish as desired and enjoy!
Lauren
I love the pineapple taste with a gin and tonic! I once ran out of ice cubes and used frozen pineapple and have always loved it since. Great recipe!
Tara
Such an absolutely gorgeous cocktail. I love that color and all the fun variations. Beautiful styling too.
Jeff Albom
This drink is stunning. The pineapple juice and gin flavours are awesome.
Michelle
I have never heard of Empress gin until now, but your drink is GORGEOUS! My sister is having a purple/plum wedding and shower, and I can’t wait to serve these at it!
Carley
Wonderful views on that!
Suzy
Delicious and beautiful