Guides
How Swapping Your Spirit Can Transform Your Cocktail!
Add different dimensions to your cocktails by switching out your gin!
We often promote getting creative with your cocktails by swapping out ingredients like a different syrup or juice. What about using a different type of gin? Upon first glance, it can seem like it wouldn’t make a huge change, but this category of spirits is incredibly diverse with various botanical recipes that introduce their own twists. We’re going to show you some examples of classics where your choice of gin can make two seemingly identical cocktails distinct!
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G&T
Refreshing and bittersweet, the gin and tonic is one of our favourite ways of showing off the botanicals of our spirits. The more robust flavour profile and texture of Empress 1908 Indigo Gin makes for a G&T that’s wonderful year-round and despite its simplicity, it’s a visual and flavour showstopper.
Using Empress 1908 Elderflower Rose Gin leans to a lighter approach with floral notes and a hint of spice to complement the tonic. While it also makes for a tasty sip any time of year, it’s a must-add to your spring and summer rotation!
INGREDIENTS
- 2 oz Empress 1908 Gin of choice
- 3 oz Premium Tonic Water
- Grapefruit Slice (for Empress Indigo Gin) or Orange Slice (for Empress Elderflower Rose Gin)
METHOD
Fill a copa glass with ice, add Empress 1908 Gin and tonic water. Garnish with a citrus slice.
Martini
Spirit-forward and the definition of elegance, the martini is a great way to make the gins the stars of the show. Empress Indigo Gin lends itself to a particularly distinctive martini with its richer texture and earthy undertones that contrasts from the typically crisp and bracing finish.
The Martini Floreale still has a richness and sweetness from the rose and black carrot that are balanced by the aperitif. However, Empress Elderflower Rose Gin introduces a floral dimension for a dynamic flavour experience that reads like a garden in a glass that’s enjoyable any time of day.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 oz Empress 1908 Gin of choice
- ½ oz Lillet Blanc
- Grapefruit Twist (for Empress Indigo Gin) or Orange Twist (for Empress Elderflower Rose Gin)
METHOD
Stir all ingredients over ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist.
Sour
Like sipping a tangy cloud; there’s nothing quite as crowdpleasing as a well-made sour! Despite the effect citrus can have on dulling flavours, these two certainly have their own unique characteristics.
The bold profile of Empress Indigo Gin makes the Q1908 especially luxurious with a hint of decadence, almost like a dessert sour. The Elderflower Sour’s floral notes from the gin are elevated further with the presence of the egg white that makes this a delicate beauty!
INGREDIENTS
- 2 oz Empress 1908 Gin of choice
- ¾ oz Fresh Lemon Juice
- ¾ oz Simple Syrup
- 1 oz Egg White or Aquafaba
- Edible flowers (for Empress Indigo Gin) or Rose Petals (for Empress Elderflower Rose Gin)
METHOD
Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake and strain to remove ice. Shake again without the ice. Fine strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with edible flowers.
French 75
What better way to celebrate a new spirit than with a French 75? Delightfully crisp with the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity, this type of cocktail is our go-to when raising a glass to mark a special occasion!
The effervescent French 75 elevates similar lighter notes in each spirit, but in profoundly different ways. The Empress 75 cuts some of the weight of Empress Indigo Gin for an intriguing experience where it’s crisp and refreshing with a faint hint of florals, yet is still grounded by the heavier aromatics like ginger and tea. The Elderflower Rose 75, on the other hand, maximizes the floral and citrus for a delightfully refined approach!
INGREDIENTS
- 1½ oz Empress 1908 Gin of choice
- ¾ oz Fresh Lemon Juice
- ½ oz Simple Syrup
- Sparkling Wine
- Lemon Twist (for Empress Indigo Gin) or Orange Twist (for Empress Elderflower Rose Gin)
METHOD
Shake on ice, fine strain into a chilled flute, top with sparkling wine. Garnish with a twist.
By having another option as your base spirit, you can really create some delicious twists on classics. If you feel like you need a change of pace with your Empress 1908 sips, try taking some of our recipes made with Empress Indigo Gin and swapping it out with our Elderflower Rose expression and vice-versa and see what you get! That experimentation and exploration is all part of the fun of making cocktails in the first place.
For more cocktail inspiration, check out our Instagram, Cocktail Page, or Blog!
Sip responsibly!