16 Empress Gin Cocktails That Will Instantly Elevate Your Entertaining Game

Updated at: 02-05-2026 - By: John Lau

There is something undeniably magical about pouring a glass of Empress 1908 Gin. The liquid tumbles into the glass like liquid twilight, a deep, jewel-toned indigo that shimmers under the light and then, with just a splash of tonic or citrus, shifts to lavender, blush, or rosy pink right before your eyes. No food coloring. No tricks. Just pure botanical alchemy.

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If you have been scrolling through gorgeous cocktail photos wondering how to recreate that dreamy, color-shifting magic at home, you are in exactly the right place. This guide is your complete companion to empress gin cocktails: where this extraordinary spirit came from, what makes it taste so special, and how to mix it into 15 breathtaking drinks that will have your guests absolutely floored.

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Whether you are hosting a dinner party, planning a bridal brunch, or simply treating yourself to a well-earned Friday-night ritual, these empress gin cocktails deliver elegance without effort, beauty without pretension, and flavor that speaks for itself.

Before you shake your first cocktail, it is worth taking a moment to truly appreciate what is inside that stunning black-and-gold bottle. Empress 1908 Gin is not just another pretty spirit. It carries a story rooted in heritage, botanical discovery, and one of the most iconic hotels in North America.

The History and Origin

In 2016, Victoria Distillers set out to create a gin unlike any other. Having always looked to their surroundings for inspiration, the iconic Fairmont Empress Hotel and its renowned afternoon tea program called to them as the perfect place to spark creativity. Their Master Distiller explored how each one of the hotel’s teas played with carefully selected botanicals, leading to a multi-sensory journey. The team settled on the extraordinary combination of Empress Signature Blend Tea and butterfly pea blossom, which was discovered in a blend called Blue Suede Shoes. In 2017, Empress 1908 Indigo Gin was born.

The Fairmont Empress Hotel opened on Victoria’s waterfront in 1908 and has served a luxury afternoon tea service ever since, along with a revolving selection of seasonal, hand-picked teas sourced from all over the world. The name “1908” is a direct tribute to the hotel’s founding year, and the spirit’s identity remains deeply tied to that legacy of gracious hospitality.

Handcrafted in small batch copper-pot stills, Empress 1908 Gin is created by Victoria Distillers and inspired by the legendary Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia. In addition to more traditional botanicals, they add a signature blend of black tea served at the Empress Hotel, and butterfly pea blossom, an exotic herb that balances the traditional citrus notes of gin with a warm herbal earthiness, and natural indigo colour.

The Botanical Lineup and Flavor Profile

Empress gin contains eight natural ingredients to impart flavor and color throughout the distillation process. The key botanicals are butterfly pea blossom, juniper, Fairmont Empress tea, ginger root, grapefruit peel, coriander seed, rose petal, and cinnamon bark.

Each botanical earns its place. The juniper keeps things grounded in classic gin territory. The rose petal adds a whisper of warmth and femininity. Ginger and cinnamon, both associated with India, are a subtle cultural nod: prior to India’s independence in 1950, British kings and queens were referred to as emperors and empresses. In 1877, Queen Victoria became the first Empress of India. As a nod to Canada’s commonwealth sibling, the brand included two of India’s most popular spices in its formula: cinnamon and ginger.

The result on the palate is layered and sophisticated: a forward earthiness from butterfly pea blossoms and Fairmont Empress House Tea blend, followed by robust citrus notes from grapefruit peel, delicate floral hints from rose petal and warm spice from ginger and cinnamon.

The Science of the Color Change

The most talked-about feature of empress gin cocktails is, without question, the mesmerizing color transformation. Butterfly pea blossoms contain compounds called anthocyanins that change color depending on the pH level of the substance they interact with. When they are in a neutral environment, like that of gin, they remain violet. When combined with an acidic substance, they express as red or pink, and with more basic companions, they turn blue.

This deep indigo hue changes to bright lavender, soft pink, or fuchsia depending on the mixer, adding to the rich sensory experience of enjoying an Empress 1908 cocktail. No artificial colours are used, so while the flavour will last forever, the unique indigo colour will fade over time.

Accolades and Cultural Impact

Since its launch, Empress 1908 has become a phenomenon. Empress 1908 Gin has grown to become the No. 1 super-premium gin brand in Canada, with over 100 percent growth. It earned a Gold Medal at the New York World Wine and Spirits Competition in 2017 and a Silver Medal at the 2019 NY International Spirits Competition.

On social media, empress gin cocktails have become a staple of aesthetically driven food and lifestyle content. The color-changing effect photographs spectacularly, making it a go-to choice for anyone who wants their cocktail to look as incredible as it tastes. It is a spirit that thrives at bridal showers, rooftop parties, styled dinner parties, and any occasion where beauty and flavor belong at the same table.

15 Best Empress Gin Cocktails List

Empress and Tonic

The one that started it all. Simple, iconic, and endlessly refreshing, the Empress and Tonic is the signature serve that showcases the gin’s color-shifting magic in its purest form.

Ingredients:

2 oz Empress 1908 Gin
4 oz premium tonic water (Fever-Tree recommended)
Ice
1 grapefruit slice, for garnish

Instructions:

Fill a copa or balloon glass generously with ice.
Add the Empress 1908 Gin directly over the ice.
Slowly pour tonic water on the side of the glass to preserve the bubbles.
Watch as the indigo shifts to lavender and blush.
Garnish with a grapefruit slice and serve immediately.

Picture a sunset captured inside a glass: deep purple at the base fading to a soft pinkish lavender at the rim, with a jewel of pink grapefruit resting on the edge. This is your effortless entertainer, the drink that requires almost no effort but delivers maximum drama. Serve this at a Sunday brunch and watch every single guest immediately reach for their phone.

Empress Martini

Regal, dry, and spirit-forward, the Empress Martini is a classic elevated by the gin’s stunning botanical depth. This is the cocktail you make when you want to impress without overcomplicating.

Ingredients:

2.5 oz Empress 1908 Gin
0.5 oz dry vermouth
Ice for stirring
Orange or lemon twist, for garnish

Instructions:

Add gin and dry vermouth to a mixing glass filled with ice.
Stir gently for 30 to 40 seconds until well chilled.
Strain into a chilled martini or coupe glass.
Express an orange or lemon twist over the glass and place on the rim.

Deep indigo in the glass with a clean aromatic nose, the Empress Martini is every bit as sophisticated as it looks. The dryness of the vermouth lets the gin’s floral and citrus botanicals take center stage. Pop the glass and shaker in the freezer for five minutes beforehand for an even more polished result. This is a Friday-night ritual dressed in its finest.

Empress Gin Sour

Silky, citrus-forward, and topped with a cloud of white foam, the Empress Gin Sour is a showstopper that is easier to make than it looks.

Ingredients:

2 oz Empress 1908 Gin
0.75 oz fresh lemon juice
0.75 oz simple syrup
1 egg white (or aquafaba for a vegan version)
Dried lavender, for garnish

Instructions:

Combine gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg white in a cocktail shaker.
Dry-shake vigorously without ice for 15 seconds to build the foam.
Add a generous handful of ice and shake again until very cold.
Double-strain into a chilled coupe glass.
Spoon any remaining foam from the shaker on top.
Garnish with a pinch of dried lavender.

This cocktail has flavors of citrus, juniper, and coriander, with a sour undertone from the lemon that is balanced by the sweetness of simple syrup. Add the lemon juice and watch it change colors from blue to purple. The color will again change to a soft lavender color. The lavender garnish resting on that white foam cloud makes this one of the most photographable cocktails in your repertoire.

Empress Garden Gimlet

Fresh, herbal, and alive with garden energy, this version of the Gimlet trades standard sweetness for something far more interesting.

Ingredients:

2 oz Empress 1908 Gin
0.75 oz fresh lime juice
0.5 oz simple syrup
3 fresh basil leaves
2 cucumber slices
Ice

Instructions:

Muddle cucumber slices and basil leaves in the bottom of a cocktail shaker.
Add gin, lime juice, and simple syrup.
Fill with ice and shake vigorously for 15 seconds.
Double-strain into a chilled coupe glass.
Garnish with a cucumber ribbon and a small basil leaf.

The muddled cucumber deepens the gin’s natural earthiness while the basil adds a herbal sharpness that cuts through the sweetness beautifully. The color shifts to a delicate slate blue in the glass, giving the whole drink an ethereal quality. Serve this at a garden party or outdoor brunch and it will be the first recipe everyone asks for.

Empress Bees Knees

A Prohibition-era classic reborn in glorious technicolor. The Bees Knees was originally created to mask the rough edges of bathtub gin, but with Empress at the helm, there is nothing to hide.

Ingredients:

2 oz Empress 1908 Gin
0.75 oz fresh lemon juice
0.75 oz honey syrup (equal parts honey and warm water, stirred to combine)
Ice
Lemon twist, for garnish

Instructions:

Combine gin, fresh lemon juice, and honey syrup in a cocktail shaker.
Fill with ice and shake vigorously until well chilled.
Strain into a chilled coupe or cocktail glass.
Garnish with a delicate lemon twist.

The classic Bees Knees is delightfully sweet with the delicate richness of honey. With Empress, the honey plays beautifully alongside the ginger and floral botanicals, and the lemon juice coaxes the gin into a gorgeous soft lavender. Clean, bright, and undeniably elegant. This is the cocktail equivalent of a cashmere sweater.

Empress Gin Moscow Mule

Bold, spicy, and fizzing with energy, the Empress version of the Moscow Mule turns this beloved classic into something visually spectacular.

Ingredients:

2 oz Empress 1908 Gin
0.75 oz fresh lime juice
4 oz ginger beer
Ice
Lime wheel and fresh mint sprig, for garnish

Instructions:

Fill a copper mug or collins glass with ice.
Add gin and fresh lime juice.
Top with ginger beer and give a gentle stir.
Garnish with a lime wheel and a generous sprig of fresh mint.

The ginger beer echoes the gin’s own ginger root botanical, creating a harmony of spice that makes each sip feel purposeful and warm. The lime juice works its pH magic, pulling the color from indigo into a vivid rosy lavender. The mint garnish adds a cooling aromatic note that makes the whole drink feel refreshing and lively. This one is a crowd-pleaser at every party.

Pink Empress

Two ingredients. Zero fuss. Maximum beauty. The Pink Empress is proof that the most elegant things in life are often the simplest.

Ingredients:

2 oz Empress 1908 Gin
4 oz sparkling pink grapefruit soda (Fever-Tree Sparkling Pink Grapefruit recommended)
Ice
Grapefruit slice, for garnish

Instructions:

Fill a cocktail glass or copa glass with ice.
Pour the sparkling pink grapefruit soda into the glass first.
Gently float the Empress 1908 Gin on top by pouring over the back of a spoon.
Add a grapefruit slice garnish and stir gently before drinking.

The Pink Empress brings the botanical recipe to the spotlight with sparkling grapefruit soda to highlight bold citrus notes. The layered effect before stirring is genuinely stunning: deep indigo floating above soft pink soda. It is a drink that looks like it was designed by an artist and tastes like summer in a glass.

Empress Elderflower Spritz

Light, fragrant, and utterly sophisticated, this spritz balances floral sweetness with bright citrus and lazy afternoon energy.

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Empress 1908 Gin
0.5 oz elderflower tonic water
0.5 oz fresh lemon juice
2 oz sparkling wine or Prosecco
Ice
Lemon slice, for garnish

Instructions:

Fill a copa glass generously with ice.
Add the gin and fresh lemon juice.
Top with elderflower tonic and sparkling wine.
Give a very gentle stir to combine without losing the bubbles.
Garnish with a lemon slice.

This take on the signature serve is delightfully refreshing with its subtle floral notes and bright citrus garnish. The elderflower adds a honeysuckle sweetness that lifts the rose petal notes in the gin, while the Prosecco gives everything a celebratory feeling. Serve this at a bridal shower, birthday brunch, or any occasion that deserves to feel special.

Empress Limoncello Spritz

Tangy, sun-drenched, and impossible to stop drinking, this Italian-inspired spritz feels like an Amalfi Coast afternoon in every sip.

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Empress 1908 Gin
0.5 oz limoncello
0.5 oz fresh lemon juice
2 oz sparkling wine
Splash of soda water
Ice
Lemon slice, for garnish

Instructions:

Fill a copa glass with ice.
Add gin, limoncello, and fresh lemon juice.
Top with sparkling wine and a generous splash of soda water.
Stir gently to combine and garnish with a fresh lemon slice.

The double hit of limoncello and fresh lemon juice drives the color into a vivid soft pink, while the tartness is balanced beautifully by the sweetness of the liqueur and the gin’s natural grapefruit peel botanicals. Tangy and bright, this recipe perfectly elevates the citrus in Empress’s botanical recipe. This one is summer in a glass, full stop.

Empress Lavender Lemonade

Dreamy, aromatic, and built for a warm afternoon on the patio, this long drink is as soothing to look at as it is to drink.

Ingredients:

2 oz Empress 1908 Gin
1 oz fresh lemon juice
0.5 oz lavender simple syrup (simmer 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, and 2 tbsp dried lavender, then strain)
4 oz sparkling water or lemonade
Ice
Fresh blueberries and mint leaves, for garnish

Instructions:

Fill a tall glass with ice.
Add gin, lemon juice, and lavender simple syrup.
Top with sparkling water or lemonade and stir gently.
Garnish with a small cluster of fresh blueberries and a few mint leaves.

The empress gin turns from dark indigo to a paler pinkish purple due to the acidity of the lemon juice. With the lavender syrup adding a soft floral sweetness, this drink takes on a stunning lilac hue that photographs beautifully. The blueberry garnish echoes the purple palette and adds a playful, seasonal feel. This is the cocktail you make when you want to feel genuinely pampered.

Q1908

Born at the legendary Q Bar inside the Fairmont Empress Hotel, this cocktail carries the full weight of that storied institution in every sip.

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Empress 1908 Gin
0.75 oz fresh lemon juice
0.5 oz honey syrup
0.5 oz elderflower liqueur (St-Germain)
1 egg white or aquafaba
Edible flower, for garnish

Instructions:

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice.
Shake vigorously and strain to remove ice.
Shake again without ice (dry shake) to build the foam.
Fine-strain into a chilled coupe glass.
Float an edible flower on the foam as garnish.

A favourite of the Fairmont Empress Hotel Bar, the Q1908 is smooth, balanced and beautiful. The soft, fluffy foam can be mastered with both egg white and aqua faba. Aside from creating a perfectly creamy texture, the foam provides the ideal surface to float your edible flower garnish. This is a cocktail for marking moments that deserve to be remembered.

Grapefruit Sparkling Indigo Martini

Citrusy, bright, and laced with just enough floral complexity to keep you thinking about it long after the glass is empty.

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Empress 1908 Gin
0.5 oz Lillet Blanc
1 oz fresh grapefruit juice
0.5 oz lavender simple syrup
2 oz Prosecco or sparkling rosé
Ice

Instructions:

Add gin, Lillet Blanc, grapefruit juice, and lavender simple syrup to a shaker with ice.
Shake vigorously for 30 to 45 seconds.
Strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass.
Top gently with Prosecco or sparkling rosé.
Garnish with a grapefruit twist if desired.

Using only a handful of ingredients, this Grapefruit Empress Gin Cocktail is easy to make, yet has a complex flavor profile. The boozy indigo martini is citrusy, floral, and tart. Most of all it’s refreshing and invigorating. Serve this when you want something that tastes as elevated as it looks. It is brunch cocktail royalty.

Empress Cucumber Basil Collins

A garden in a glass. This long, cooling Collins celebrates fresh herbs and produces a cocktail that feels like breathing in cool summer air.

Ingredients:

2 oz Empress 1908 Gin
0.75 oz fresh lemon juice
0.5 oz simple syrup
4 slices fresh cucumber
3 fresh basil leaves
3 oz soda water
Ice

Instructions:

Muddle cucumber slices and basil leaves in the bottom of a cocktail shaker.
Add gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup.
Fill with ice and shake vigorously.
Strain into a tall collins glass filled with fresh ice.
Top with soda water and stir gently.
Garnish with a cucumber ribbon and a fresh basil leaf.

Simple, light and beautiful, this cooling cocktail features delicious garden herbs, refreshing cucumber and a splash of soda water. The cucumber drives the pH toward the blue end of the spectrum, giving this cocktail a deeper, more mysterious hue than its citrus-forward cousins. It is refreshing, aromatic, and utterly irresistible on a warm day.

Queen Bee

Honey-sweet and warmly spiced, the Queen Bee is a fall-season tribute dressed in royal indigo, perfect for cozy evenings when you want something comforting and beautiful.

Ingredients:

2 oz Empress 1908 Gin
0.75 oz honey syrup
0.5 oz apricot jam (dissolved into a syrup with a splash of warm water)
0.75 oz fresh lemon juice
Pinch of cinnamon
Ice

Instructions:

Combine gin, honey syrup, apricot syrup, and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker.
Add ice and shake vigorously for 15 seconds.
Double-strain into a chilled coupe glass.
Dust with a tiny pinch of cinnamon and garnish with a lemon twist.

The classic Bees Knees, all dressed up for fall. Traditional honey sweetness is complimented by the burst of apricot jam and warm cinnamon spice. Cozy up by the fire with the Queen Bee in hand. The apricot adds a stone-fruit jamminess that makes this feel indulgent and seasonal, while the cinnamon echoes the gin’s own spice notes in the most satisfying way.

Empress Blackberry Rosemary Gimlet

Bold, fragrant, and deeply beautiful, this berry-infused Gimlet is for those who want their empress gin cocktails to feel like a sensory event.

Ingredients:

2 oz Empress 1908 Gin
0.75 oz fresh lime juice
0.5 oz rosemary simple syrup (simmer 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, 2 rosemary sprigs; strain and cool)
6 fresh blackberries
Ice
Fresh rosemary sprig and blackberries, for garnish

Instructions:

Muddle 6 fresh blackberries in the bottom of a cocktail shaker.
Add gin, lime juice, and rosemary simple syrup.
Fill with ice and shake vigorously for 15 to 20 seconds.
Double-strain into a chilled rocks glass over a large ice cube.
Garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary and 2 or 3 whole blackberries.

This variation infuses the traditional Gimlet with a delicious blackberry sweetness and aromatic rosemary to satisfy all your cocktail cravings. The deep berry color layers with the indigo gin to create something almost impossibly gorgeous in the glass: deep jewel-toned purple with a herbaceous, forest-floor aroma. This is a cocktail that feels like autumn in the most romantic sense.

Empress Gin Aperol Paloma

Bittersweet, grapefruit-forward, and effortlessly cool, this Paloma riff combines Aperol’s signature orange bitterness with the gin’s citrus botanicals for something that feels like a modern Italian aperitivo hour.

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Empress 1908 Gin
0.75 oz Aperol
1 oz fresh grapefruit juice
0.5 oz fresh lime juice
2 oz sparkling grapefruit soda or soda water
Ice
Grapefruit wheel and salt rim (optional), for garnish

Instructions:

Optional: rim a copa glass with a light salt border using a grapefruit wedge.
Fill the glass with ice.
Add gin, Aperol, grapefruit juice, and lime juice.
Top with sparkling grapefruit soda and stir gently.
Garnish with a fresh grapefruit wheel.

Fill a rocks glass with ice. Add gin, Aperol and grapefruit juice. Stir gently. Add a nice slice of grapefruit. The Aperol turns the color a vibrant sunset orange-pink, making this one of the most vividly beautiful empress gin cocktails on this entire list. Bitter, bright, and deeply satisfying. Perfect for happy hour on any day of the week.

Conclusion

Empress 1908 Gin is truly in a category of its own. It is a spirit that does not just ask to be sipped; it demands to be admired, shared, and celebrated. From its roots in the gracious afternoon tea traditions of Victoria’s Fairmont Empress Hotel to the breathtaking color chemistry hidden inside every butterfly pea blossom, every bottle carries a story worth telling.

What makes empress gin cocktails so endlessly exciting is their versatility. You can go simple with a two-ingredient Pink Empress, sophisticated with a spirit-forward Empress Martini, seasonal with a Queen Bee, or deeply herbal with a Blackberry Rosemary Gimlet. In every case, the gin does something no other spirit quite manages: it transforms the act of making a cocktail into something that feels genuinely special.

The fifteen recipes in this guide span moods, seasons, and occasions. Some are perfect for brunches glowing with morning light. Others belong to candlelit dinner tables or golden hour on the patio. A few are made specifically for those evenings when only the most indulgent, beautiful thing in your glass will do.

Whatever the occasion, pick up a bottle of Empress 1908, invite the people you love, and let the indigo work its magic. The color will shift, the ice will clink, and someone at your table will inevitably ask, with wide eyes: “How did you make that?”

Now you know exactly what to say.

Sources: https://chesbrewco.com
Category: Cocktails

16 Empress Gin Cocktails That Will Instantly Elevate Your Entertaining Game Updated 05/2026

The History and Origin

The Botanical Lineup and Flavor Profile

The Science of the Color Change

Accolades and Cultural Impact

15 Best Empress Gin Cocktails List

Empress and Tonic

Empress Martini

Empress Gin Sour

Empress Garden Gimlet

Empress Bees Knees

Empress Gin Moscow Mule

Pink Empress

Empress Elderflower Spritz

Empress Limoncello Spritz

Empress Lavender Lemonade

Q1908

Grapefruit Sparkling Indigo Martini

Empress Cucumber Basil Collins

Queen Bee

Empress Blackberry Rosemary Gimlet

Empress Gin Aperol Paloma

Conclusion

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