Recipes
Cocktails to Highlight Empress 1908 Elderflower Rose Gin’s Botanicals
Explore everything our gin has to offer with these tasty sips!
A while ago, you may have seen our feature on cocktails to elevate the botanicals of Empress 1908 Indigo Gin. Well, now we’re back with another round-up of our favourite ways to highlight our Elderflower Rose expression! Meet six of our nine botanicals and explore the cocktail recipe we think complements each one particularly well. Without further ado, let’s getting mixing!
Jump to the botanicals ahead!
1. Elderflower – Pink Lychee Rose Gin Spritz
Who doesn’t love elderflower in their gin cocktails? A very light botanical, elderflower boasts an almost fruity note and subtle sweetness that pairs beautifully with the other ingredients, especially the citrus.
We love the way that the Pink Lychee Rose Gin Spritz by @foodie_renee complements this flower with its delicate, yet bright flavour profile. Interestingly, elderflower has a quality that’s quite similar to lychee, making this combo a no-brainer!
Ingredients
- 1½ oz Empress 1908 Elderflower Rose Gin
- 9 pieces of Lychee
- ½ oz Passion Fruit Syrup
- 2 oz Club Soda
- Lemon Twist & Rose Petals, for garnish
Muddle lychee and passion fruit syrup in a shaker. Pour lychee mixture into a champagne flute, fill it with ice cubes, and add club soda. Float Empress 1908 Elderflower Rose Gin on top. Garnish with lemon peel and rose petals. Enjoy!
2. Rose Petals – Martini Floreale
Next up in our botanical bouquet, red rose petals not only contribute to the vibrant ruby hue, but also add elegant florals for a soft, airy sensation on the palate. The petals we use don’t overpower and make for a graceful sipping experience.
The Martini Floreale is a great choice for highlighting the same sophisticated vibe of roses while also having the Lillet Blanc round out the floral essence! The added bit of sweetness pronounces the berry-like note you find in rose petals, creating an illuminating, yet spirit-forward cocktail.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 oz Empress 1908 Elderflower Rose Gin
- ½ oz Lillet Blanc
- Orange Twist, for garnish
METHOD
Stir all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with orange twist.
3. Juniper Berries – Pink Linen
The juniper berries used in Empress Elderflower Rose Gin create the perfect base for the rest of our botanicals to lay upon. With a touch of sharpness and citrus notes, they help provide some contrast to the other softer flavours while still letting them shine!
Pair the crisp hit of juniper with cooling mint and cucumber for the ultimate refresher created by @holycityhandcraft! A little vegetal and a little floral, it’s a garden in a glass.
INGREDIENTS
- 1½ oz Empress 1908 Elderflower Rose Gin
- 1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
- ¾ oz Mint Syrup
- 3 Cucumber Slices
- Soda Water, to top
- Cucumber Ribbon, for garnish
METHOD
Combine all ingredients except soda water in a cocktail shaker, and muddle. Add ice, and shake until chilled. Strain over pebble ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with cucumber ribbon, and fresh mint sprig. Enjoy!
4. Orange Peel – Blossom & Tonic
To lean into the softness of the primary botanicals, our citrus of choice is orange peel for a burst of vibrant freshness. This dynamism helps bridge the more contrasting ingredients like the florals and spice for optimal balance!
The Blossom & Tonic is a great choice to spotlight the orange notes with its bright and crisp finish, especially if you go with a clean, citrusy tonic. The garnish unsurprisingly acts as a wonderful reminder with the rind’s fragrant oils and juiciness from the fruit!
Ingredients
- 2 oz Empress 1908 Elderflower Rose Gin
- 3 oz Premium Tonic Water
- Orange Slice, for garnish
Method
Fill a copa glass with ice, add Empress 1908 Elderflower Rose Gin and premium tonic water. Garnish with an orange slice.
5. Cinnamon – Rose Chai Sour
Cinnamon is simply divine when paired with delicate florals and bursts of citrus for an extra element of complexity. We especially love how it makes this gin versatile throughout the seasons, going well with the vibrant flavours of spring and summer as well as cozier notes of fall and winter!
Try out this sour by @spiritandspoon, using a chai syrup to elevate the bolder flavours of our Elderflower Rose expression! Upping the spices will definitely make for a unique showcase of a different facet of this spirit.
Ingredients
- 2 oz Empress 1908 Elderflower Rose Gin
- ½ oz Chai Syrup*
- ¾ oz Fresh Lemon Juice
- Egg White
- Dried Rose Bud, for garnish
Method
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker and dry shake (without ice). Add ice to shaker and shake again. Double strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with dried rose bud.
*To make chai syrup, steep 1 teabag of chai to 4 oz hot water until properly steeped. Remove teabag and add equal parts in sugar and stir to dissolve. Let cool and keep sealed in the fridge for up to two weeks.
6. Black Carrot – Elderflower Rose Negroni
Perhaps the most unique ingredient here, black carrot also plays a role in the striking hue of our gin! On top of that, there’s a hint of sweetness that comes from this ingredient as well as an earthy note that provides a deeper characteristic to contrast from the lighter botanicals.
Let’s build on these qualities with @highproofpreacher’s crimson twist on the white Negroni! The gentian liqueur in particular plays with a similar flavour palette to black carrot that’s a little more robust.
Ingredients
- 1½ oz Empress 1908 Elderflower Rose Gin
- ¾ oz Gentian Liqueur
- ¾ oz Blanc Vermouth
- 2-3 Dashes Orange Bitters
- Rose Bud, for garnish
Method
Combine ingredients and stir with ice. Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube or sphere. Garnish with a skewered rose bud.
We hope you enjoy these sips as much as we do and discover some new drinkspo for the next time you mix with us! At the end of the day, you should enjoy our premium gin in any way that strikes your fancy, but we especially like to recommend recipes that lean into what our botanical blend does best. By leveraging specific characteristics from the base spirit you’re working with and choosing complementary ingredients, you’re well on your way to making sippable perfection.
For more cocktail inspiration, be sure to check out our Instagram, Cocktail Page, or Blog!
Sip responsibly!
