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Empress 1908 Gin Sour Cocktail

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With a striking shade of lovely indigo and a distinctive flavor, this Empress 1908 Gin Sour cocktail is a show-stopping beverage. Made easily from common ingredients and with a distinctive look, this gin cocktail recipe is designed to impress.

Two empress 1908 gin sours.

An Easy Empress Gin Cocktail

Whether you’re celebrating life’s special moments, enjoying a cocktail with friends, or just sipping on a cocktail at the end of a long day, a fun and refreshing beverage like this Empress 1908 Gin Sour cocktail is always welcome. 

This easy cocktail recipe is made with Empress 1908 Gin and a few other everyday ingredients. While classic gin sour is made with London dry gin, I’ve given the original gin sour recipe a makeover with this fun colored gin.

Ingredients for a Empress 1908 Gin Sour: A purple bottle of gin, simple syrup, a lemon, an egg white, and bar tools.

What You Need

  • Empress Gin – About 2 ounces per cocktail.
  • Lemon juice – Freshly squeezed is best.
  • Simple syrup – Adds a touch of sweetness.
  • Egg white – This adds the frothy element to the top of the gin cocktail.
  • Ice – For shaking and chilling your cocktail.
  • Dried lavender – For a colorful and unique garnish.

Recommended Bar Tools

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You need a few specialty items to make this amazing cocktail:

  • 2 cocktail glasses – The prettier, the better.
  • A cocktail shaker – Make sure it has a tightly fitting lid.
  • A cocktail strainer – To pour the chilled cocktail without the extra ice cubes ending up in the glass.

How To Make An Empress 1908 Gin Sour Cocktail

This gin cocktail recipe makes enough for 2 cocktails. Double or triple the recipe to make enough for a crowd.

  1. Add the Empress Gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg white into a cocktail shaker.
  2. Shake the cocktail shaker until a white foam appears.
  3. Add a handful of ice to the shaker and shake again.
  4. Strain the cocktail into pretty glasses, leaving the ice cubes behind.
  5. Scrape any foam left in the shaker and add it to the top of each cocktail.
  6. Garnish with dried lavender, and serve!

What Is Empress 1908 Gin?

Empress Gin is a beautiful blue color that’s all-natural. Made with the blossoms of butterfly pea plants, you might expect this gin to taste different and have floral notes, but it still has the same citrus, juniper, and coriander notes that make gin such distinctive alcohol. 

This is also a color-changing gin. When you add acid, like lemon juice or lime juice, the gin changes color from purple to pink. 

What Does A Gin Sour Taste Like?

Gin has pronounced flavors of citrus, juniper, and coriander notes, and to love a gin sour, you have to love gin. A gin sour showcases the best gin with a sour undertone, usually from lemon juice, and the frothy foamy top to the cocktail is more or less flavorless.

This is a gin-forward drink tempered by lemon and balanced by simple syrup. It is refreshing and flavorful, and relatively potent, so always drink responsibly.

Close up of an Empress 1908 Gin Sour with a frothy top and lavender garnish.

What Is Simple Syrup?

Sugar doesn’t dissolve easily in cold liquids, so when you need to add a touch of sweetness to a gin cocktail recipe, you add simple syrup. 

Making simple syrup couldn’t be any easier. You simply:

  1. Add equal amounts of water and granulated white sugar to a small saucepan.
  2. Bring it to a boil, and then let it cool.

Simple syrup will keep for weeks in an airtight container in your fridge, so make some and keep it on hand for all sorts of fabulous cocktails!

Tips For Success

  • This cocktail is best served strained without ice.
  • Please note serving sizes are approximate, and the number of cocktails produced will vary depending on the size of your glassware.
  • Make the simple syrup ahead of time and chill it.
  • Set up a cocktail bar and let your guests serve themselves. There are great tips about setting up a DIY cocktail bar here.
An Empress 1908 Gin Sour with a frothy top and lavender garnish on a gold platter.

Variations

  • The foam on a traditional gin sour is made from egg white, but if you don’t want to use the raw egg white, you can use a pasteurized egg. For a vegan alternative use the same amount of aquafaba (chickpea liquid) or skip the egg white all together.
  • If you do leave the egg or aquafaba out, you can also skip the dry shake (the first shake without ice.)
  • Can’t find Empress 1908 Gin? Use your favorite gin brand, but it won’t be a pretty color.
  • Sours can also be made with whiskey, vodka, tequila, brandy, and more.
  • Use lime juice instead of lemon for a tasty twist.
  • Garnish your gin sour with a lemon twist or lemon slice instead of lavender.

How to Store

Once mixed, gin sours should be consumed. You can keep pre-squeezed lemon juice and the simple syrup in the refrigerator, but the gin itself should be kept in the original bottle in a dry, dark, cool place.

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Two empress 1908 gin sours.

Empress 1908 Gin Sour Cocktail

Empress 1908 Gin Sour, a show-stopping cocktail with a distinctive look thanks to color changing gin. A cocktail recipe designed to impress.
4.8 stars (5 ratings)
prep: 5 minutes
total: 5 minutes
servings: 2 cocktails

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces Empress Gin
  • 2 ounces lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
  • 1 ounce simple syrup
  • 1 ounce egg white
  • Ice (for shaking)
  • Dried lavender (as garnish)

Instructions

  • Put the Empress gin, lemon juice, simple syrup and egg white into a cocktail shaker.
  • Shake vigorously until a white foam appears.
  • Add a handful of ice to the cocktail shaker and shake again.
  • Strain into glasses.
  • Use a spoon to scrape any remaining foam in the shaker to the top of each cocktail.
  • Garnish with dried lavender.

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Notes

• As you will have noticed, Empress gin is a beautiful indigo blue color. This is because it’s made from the blossom of the butterfly pea plant. Despite its vibrant color it isn’t violet or floral in its flavor profile.
• Empress gin is also known as color-changing gin. When an acidic ingredient is added, such as the lemon juice, the gin changes color from purple to pink!
• Making simple syrup is incredibly easy, all you need to do is add equal parts water and sugar to a saucepan and bring it to the boil. Leave to cool before adding to your cocktails. Homemade simple syrup will last several weeks in an airtight container in the fridge.
• The foam from this cocktail comes from the egg white, however if you’re not comfortable consuming raw egg you can use the same amount of aquafaba (chickpea liquid) or leave it out. If you do leave it out you can also skip the dry shake (first shake without ice).
• This cocktail is best served strained without ice.
• Please note serving sizes are approximate and the amount of cocktails produced will vary depending on the size of your glassware.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Calories: 169kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 2gSodium: 34mgSugar: 7g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is for general information purposes only. For the most accurate information, calculate using your select brands and exact measurements.

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By on August 11th, 2022

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