Golden Empress Gin Cocktail

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As we get ready to say goodbye to summer, and welcome all the flavors of fall, we need something to sip on that perfectly combines summer and fall into one delicious drink! This Golden Empress Gin Cocktail is just that! It is bright and citrusy with hints of anise making it the perfect drink to sip on as the weather changes and the autumn leaves begin to fall.

Sometimes a simple sipping cocktail that is not overly sweet is the absolute best, and this Golden Empress is exactly what we want to sip on. With a botanical-forward flavor profile, this is surprisingly smooth.

We are big gin-lovers and Empress 1908 Gin is one of our all-time faves! If you are looking for more gin cocktails like this, check out our Spicy Empress Greyhound Cocktail or the Spiced Pomegranate and Rosemary Gin Spritz!

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Ingredients
Instructions
Substitutions
Variations
Equipment
Storage
Top tip
FAQ
Related
Pairing
📖 Recipe

Ingredients

The Golden Empress Gin Cocktail is made with a few simple ingredients: Empress 1908 Indigo Gin, Galliano, lemon juice and club soda.

Empress 1908 Indigo Gin: Empress 1908 Gin is an Indigo-colored gin infused with butterfly pea flower giving it that striking purple-blue color. Butterfly pea flower is one of the 8 botanicals in this gin, and its natural color-changing properties from changes in pH levels contribute to a variety of stunning cocktails.

Galliano: Galliano is slightly sweet by itself, but has a very uncommon flavor profile, which comes from the variety of herbs and spices used when made. Anise, star anise, cinnamon, juniper, and vanilla are just a few flavors found in Galliano. We get a lot of star anise and vanilla, making it a perfect pairing with Empress 1908 Gin.

Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice balances this cocktail and gives it the bright citrusy flavor.

Club Soda: Or carbonated water, smoothes out the drink a bit and makes it a bit bubbly.

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

The Golden Empress cocktail could not be easier to make in a few steps:

Step 1: Add Empress 1908 Gin, Galliano and lemon juice to a shaker with ice.
Step 2: Shake vigorously for 30 seconds until chilled.
Step 3: Strain into a low ball glass over a large ice cube.
Step 4: Top with club soda and enjoy!

Hint: Use a fine sieve to strain the cocktail as you pour it so that no chunks of ice or lemon seeds end up in the cocktail.

Substitutions

Gin - Empress 1908 Gin makes this cocktail a bit more special, but if you don't have it or can't find it for any reason, you can replace it with your favorite London Dry Gin.
Galliano - If you can't find Galliano, you can use Sambuca or Yellow Chartreuse in its place, although this will slightly change the flavor of the final cocktail.

Variations

Looking to experiment with the flavor profile of this cocktail? Try this out:

Use a different citrus - play around with different citrus flavors in this drink like lime, grapefruit or orange for a fun twist on the Golden Empress Gin Cocktail.

Equipment

The following bar equipment is important to have on hand for the Golden Empress:

Cocktail Shaker: Invest in a good cocktail shaker so that you can get the perfect shaken drink every time!
Jigger: It's important to measure out your ingredients when making cocktails and a jigger allows you to easily do so.
Fine Sieve: We use a fine sieve to strain our cocktails.

Check out more of our favorite Bar Tools HERE!

Storage

We recommend making and drinking this cocktail immediately as it is super easy to throw together.

If you want to make this Golden Empress Gin Cocktail for a crowd, you can batch make this by adding all ingredients together and keeping it in an airtight container in your fridge to serve the same day for a party.

Top tip

Serve the Golden Empress Gin Cocktail over large ice cubes to make the golden color of the drink shine!

FAQ

What is so special about Empress 1908 Gin?

Empress 1908 is a hand-crafted, high quality gin that has a unique indigo color. The unique color comes from infusing the gin with butterfly pea flower.

How does Empress 1908 Gin change color?

Empress Gin is infused with butterfly pea flower, giving it a beautiful indigo color. Butterfly pea flower has natural color changing properties with changes in pH. Adding acidity to Empress, like lemon juice, changes the color to light purple/pink. Adding a base to Empress, like alkaline water or cucumber juice, changes the color to lighter blues and aqua greens.

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with this cocktail:

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