Empress gin and lavender syrup cocktail is a delicious drink mixed with tonic and lavender syrup creating a very herbaceous tasty drink. Frothing egg white to top off the cocktail gives this lavender empress gin cocktail a special celebratory feel.
I was on a weekend getaway with a friend to Seattle earlier this fall. We accidentally found an Asian fusion restaurant with incredible floral and tasty drinks made with Empress Gin 1908 and Roku Gin.
Knowing empress gin has butterfly pea flowers sold me immediately. Anything Thai related, I gravitate towards and always think of how I can incorporate Thai recipes into everything I come across. Butterfly pea blossoms, an edible blue flower native to Thailand and Southeast Asia, are a natural food coloring in many Thai dishes.
After such a pleasant experience, I knew I wanted to recreate the drinks for my blog. So gathering ingredients, we did, and it was such a fun and educational experience doing so!
What Is Empress Gin 1908?
Empress Gin 1908 is a Victoria Distillers in British Columbia. Read their beautiful story of how this beautiful drink comes about! It started with the gorgeous Fairmont Empress Hotel, and Empress gin found its inspiration to form this classic lavender empress gin. I love that it has butterfly peas, edible flowers native to Thailand, as one of its main ingredients.
It has eight carefully selected ingredients, many from Asia, that make this gin extra aromatic and well-balanced.
Those 8 ingredients are butterfly pea blossoms, coriander seed, juniper berries, cinnamon bark, rose petals, grapefruit peel, ginger root, and their Fairmont Empress blend tea. Their black tea blends are world-famous tea used to serve guests at the Fairmont Empress blend hotel in Victoria, British Columbia.
Stay tuned for new recipes for aromatic empress gin cocktails coming soon.
Why This Recipe Works
- This lavender gin drink is delicious to serve during special occasions or when you want to have a happy hour with friends.
- It’s festive and fun! This purple cocktail changes color by adding a little liquid like lime or lemon juice. Lemon or lemonade.
- It’s a simple cocktail to make. You’ll be impressing your guests in a very short amount of time!
- With its floral flavors, the classic gin cocktail is a perfect drink to serve for the summer season or as a light pre-dinner drink any time of the year.
- The subtle floral notes add a delicate taste and smell to this tonic recipe.
- You can create many themes and color changes easily with Empress gin. Colors can range from deep blue to bright lavender shades of pink by adding a touch of lime, lemon juice, or soda water.
What Goes Into This Recipe
Empress Gin 1908. Most well-stocked liquor stores will carry these.
Lavender simple syrup. It adds a nice floral sweetness to this cocktail.
Lavender bitters. Use sparingly. Add more or less as preferred.
Lime juice. Fresh lemon juice will work too.
Egg white for brother. Use organic eggs if possible since it's uncooked.
Tonic water or club soda. Use your favorite tonic to add. Or you can skip it entirely. The drink is great, with or without it.
Ice 4-5 cubes. For chilling, put the drink in a shaker before pouring it.
Rim sugar rocks. Optional but adds a very festive feel to your drink!
How To Make This Recipe
Step 1. Squeeze The lime juice and set aside.
Step 2. Wet the edges of your favorite cocktail glass with water or lime wedges. Then dip the rim into the cocktail sugar and set aside. 
Step 3. Add empress gin, lavender syrup, bitters, and lime juice in a cocktail shaker.
Step 4. Add ice to the shaker, cover the lid, and shake the drink together until the shaker turns icy to the hands.
Step 5. Remove the top lid and pour into the rimmed glasses.
Step 6. Froth the egg white with a frother until smooth but not stiff.
Step 7. Pour the egg white froth into the drink.
Step 8. Add your tonic water to taste. Serve garnished with lavender sprigs, dried grapefruit wheels, butterfly pea blossom, fresh mint, a slice of lime wedge, or any of your favorite fresh herbs. Enjoy this new classic cocktail!
For another quick overview of the recipe, check out my Empress Gin Cocktail web stories here.
Helpful Kitchen notes And Expert Tips
- Use more lime juice if you like the stronger tangy sour taste.
- Lime lemonade instead for a less zingy taste.
- Add more lavender syrup if you want your drink a bit sweeter.
- Use the lavender bitters with caution, as it is strong.
- Use a small bowl to froth the egg white. A larger bowl where the end of the frother doesn't submerge makes it harder to foam up.
- Skip the egg white if you prefer not to have it.
- Mix 2 colors of rock sugars for a more festive feel.
Helpful Kitchen Tools for this Recipe
- Milk Frother
- Martini shaker set
- Shot glasses
- Coupe glasses
- Cocktail Rimmer. Or Lemondrop sugar rimmer
- kitchen scale
FAQs
Where can I find Empress gin?
Check your local liquor store. I found mine at Trader Joe's, on a military base, and at Total Wine & More.
Does Empress gin have lavender in it?
Empress gin does not have lavender in it. The lavender hue comes from butterfly pea blossoms, an exotic blue flower grown throughout Asia.
What is Empress Gin good with?
Empress gin pairs well with tonic, club soda, elderflower liqueur, and regular or lavender lemonade because of its fragrant citrus notes. Adding citrus juice is a great way to turn Empress gin into tasty cocktails.
Why is Empress 1908 purple?
The natural purple in Empress gin comes from the dried butterfly pea flowers that have made Empress gin well known as the Indigo gin.
Why did my Empress gin turn blue?
Adding citrus juice will turn the butterfly pea flower into many shades of blues, purple, and drink. The flower's magical scientific property makes it fun to work with. Empress gin uses butterfly pea flowers as one of its eight ingredients. When mixed with lemonade or tonic water, the color changes into shades of indigo, blue and pink.
More Recipes You’ll Love!
- Creamy coconut lime mojito
- butterfly pea flower tea, hot or cold
- butterfly pea flower lemonade
- Hibiscus tea recipe
- Thai iced tea
** Love a recipe you've tried? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and a review in the comments section further down the page. Or follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram! **
Print
Empress Gin and Lavender Syrup Cocktail
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Empress gin and lavender syrup cocktail is a delicious drink mixed with tonic and lavender syrup creating a very herbaceous tasty drink. Frothing egg white to top off the cocktail gives this lavender empress gin cocktail a special celebratory feel.
Ingredients
- 1 oz Empress 1908 gin
- 1 oz lavender syrup
- 1 oz fresh lime juice
- 2-4 drops lavender bitters (more or less as preferred)
- 1 egg white, froth until smooth and foamy
- 1-3 oz tonic water
- 4- 5 ice cubes
- Cocktail sugar for rimming the glasses.
Instructions
- Squeeze The lime juice and set aside.
- Wet the edges of your favorite cocktail glass with water or lime wedges. Then dip the rim into the cocktail sugar and set aside.
- Add empress gin, lavender syrup, bitters, and lime juice in a cocktail shaker.
- Add ice to the shaker, cover the lid, and shake the drink together until the shaker turns icy to the hands.
- Remove the top lid and pour into the rimmed glasses.
- Froth the egg white with a frother until smooth but not stiff.
- Pour the egg white froth into the drink.
- Add your tonic water to taste. Serve garnished with lavender sprigs, dried grapefruit wheels, butterfly pea blossom, fresh mint, a slice of lime wedge, or any of your favorite fresh herbs.
Enjoy your new favorite cocktail!
Notes
- Use more lime juice if you like the stronger tangy sour taste.
- Lime lemonade instead for a less zingy taste.
- Add more lavender syrup if you want your drink a bit sweeter.
- Use the lavender bitters with caution, as it is strong.
- Use a small bowl to froth the egg white. A larger bowl where the end of the frother doesn't submerge makes it harder to foam up.
- Skip the egg white if you prefer not to have it.
- Mix 2 colors of rock sugars for a more festive feel.
** Thank you so much for visiting my blog! This is truly a passion for me. If you have enjoyed these recipes and appreciate the hard work I put into them, I would love it if you would share them with your friends! Your recommendation is the highest review I could hope for, and I’d appreciate it! **
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 5
- Category: Drinks
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: Fusion
Keywords: roku gin cocktail, japanese gin, strawberry gin cocktail, red gin drink, gin and strawberry cocktail
Suwanee
Yay to delicious drinks and happy holidays to your family!
Pavel
YUMMY!!! My wife is always looking for a delicious new cocktail and this one was a hit, We’ve been making it all weekend!
★★★★★