Recipes
Celebrate Citrus Season with Our Favourite Fruity Cocktails!
Enjoy the zest of life with these vibrant sips!
One of the cornerstones of mixology, citrus has always been some of our favourite produce to play with in cocktails. After all, it perfectly elevates the top notes in our gins’ botanical recipes! That’s why we’re going to show you some sips that put the beauty of winter citrus in the spotlight.
Jump to the categories ahead!
1. Lemons 🍋
It doesn’t get more classic than the tried-and-true lemon, and it’s a bartender’s staple for good reason! The well-rounded acidity and subtle sweetness make it lend itself to many recipes, pairing well with virtually any ingredient for infinite versatility. An expressed twist of lemon is often welcome as a finishing touch for added aroma. Whether you’re mixing up a cocktail with a brighter and fresher palate or one that’s more robust with richer flavours, the lemon can do it all!
Lemon Berry Rose Bliss
Experience lemon in three ways in this fruity delight by @healthylittlepeach!
Ingredients
- 1 oz Empress 1908 Elderflower Rose Gin
- 3 oz Lemonade
- ½ oz Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1-2 tsp Raspberry Syrup, split
- ½ oz Limoncello
- ⅓ cup Heavy Cream
- Lemon Twist & Raspberries, for garnish
Shake the lemonade, gin, limoncello, raspberry syrup, and lemon juice in a shaker. Strain over ice. Froth together heavy cream and 1 tsp raspberry syrup. Add the cream to the top of the cocktail. Garnish with a lemon twist and fresh raspberries. Enjoy!
2. Limes 💚
Whenever you’re looking for an extra zip and zing to your sip, you can’t ignore the lime. Another staple for any mixologist, limes especially shine with their sharper, more bracing acid content; providing for a more crisp tasting experience. It’s also fantastic when combined with sweeter ingredients such as what you often find in tiki cocktails for even better balance!
Garden Gimlet
Enjoy the effortless elegance of the Garden Gimlet, featuring a touch of lime to accent our floral botanical recipe!
INGREDIENTS
- 2 oz Empress 1908 Elderflower Rose Gin
- ¾ oz Fresh Lime Juice
- ½ oz Simple Syrup
- Lavender Sprig, for garnish
METHOD
Shake ingredients on ice. Strain into a chilled coupe or Nick & Nora glass. Garnish with a lavender sprig for aromatics.
3. Oranges 🍊
Oranges always make a drink more fun, but they can be surprisingly tricky to work with. Especially when compared to lemons and limes, oranges lack the tartness needed to stand up to other ingredients in a cocktail. That being said, when used properly, it’s like sunshine in a glass! The juiciness and vibrant aromatics really sing when supported by a more acidic component. Pair it with Empress 1908 Elderflower Rose Gin to play off our botanical recipe!
Royal Holiday
Escape to the tropics with a glass of this zesty dream!
INGREDIENTS
- 2 oz Empress 1908 Elderflower Rose Gin
- 1 oz Orange Juice
- ½ oz Pineapple Juice
- ½ oz Fresh Lime Juice
- ¼ oz Orgeat
- Pineapple Slice & Fronds, for garnish
METHOD
Shake all ingredients with ice, strain over crushed ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with pineapple fronds & slice.
4. Grapefruit ✨
By now, you probably know how much we love grapefruit, especially in cocktails with Empress 1908 Indigo Gin! Its slight bitterness adds incredible dimension that’s unlike any other type of citrus. The juice in particular is also great for lengthening a drink since it’s still tangy, but not as assertive as lemons and limes. Check out our previous article on our favourite ways to use grapefruit in our sippable creations!
French Blonde
Light and beautiful, the delicate sweetness and botanicals blend seamlessly the burst of grapefruit.
Ingredients
- 1 oz Empress 1908 Indigo Gin
- 1½ oz Lillet Blanc
- ½ oz Elderflower Liqueur
- ¼ oz Fresh Lemon Juice
- 2 oz Grapefruit Juice
- Lemon Twist, for garnish
Method
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice, and shake until chilled. Strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a lemon twist & enjoy!
5. Blood Oranges ❤️
If you’ve never had this delectable fruit before, now’s the time to change that! A little more tart than regular oranges and with a berry-like note, this varietal is a great way to switch things up when you’re feeling inspired with your cocktails. The rich crimson hue especially makes for a stunning garnish!
Blood Moon
Try it out in this bittersweet and tangy cocktail by @tarynstastingtable!
Ingredients
- 1½ oz Empress 1908 Indigo Gin
- ¾ oz Aperol
- ¼ oz Maraschino Liqueur
- 1 oz Blood Orange Juice
- Blood Orange Slice, for garnish
Method
Add Aperol, Maraschino and Blood Orange Juice to a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake. Pour into an ice-filled glass and top with Empress 1908 Indigo Gin. Garnish with a blood orange wheel!
6. All the Citrus! 🤩
Why pick one when you can have them all? While all these fruits have similar tangy and fresh characteristics, they’re quite diverse in certain flavour notes that make them fun to mix and match. For instance, think about the bitterness of grapefruit and how you may want to elevate the acidity and introduce a bit of sweetness by adding other types of citrus.
Triple Citrus Cobbler
Indulge in this medley of citrus by @amandagryphon for a wonderfully refreshing treat!
Ingredients
- 1 oz Empress 1908 Indigo Gin
- ¾ oz Simple Syrup
- 1 slice Grapefruit, plus more for garnish
- 2 slices Blood Orange, plus more for garnish
- 1 slice Meyer Lemon, plus more for garnish
- Powdered Sugar (optional)
Method
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker and muddle the grapefruit, blood orange and Meyer lemon slices well. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass over crushed ice. Garnish with extra citrus wheels and a dusting of powdered sugar (optional).
Whether you’re using the juice for a bright burst of flavour or the peel for invigorating aromatics, the possibilities of incorporating these beautiful fruits into your cocktails are endless! We hope we’ve given you some delicious drinkspo for you to add to your mix list as we approach the end of citrus season.
For more cocktail inspiration, be sure to check out our Instagram, Cocktail Page, or Blog!
Sip responsibly!
