Recipes
Spice Up Your Next Cocktail!
Add a kick to your summer with these recipes!
Ready to change up your summer sips? We’re here to bring you a selection of spicy cocktails to try when you feel like raising the heat, each with increasing intensity! Whether you’d prefer to keep it safe by adding spice to a classic seasonal flavour profile or you’re keen to make something truly unique, one of these has your name written all over.
READY TO GET STARTED? JUMP TO THE RECIPES:
1. Paloma Pamplemousse 🌶
Let’s start on the tamer side of the spice spectrum with one of our old faves! We always love a flavourful rim on a cocktail, and this mix of salt, sugar, and cayenne really lifts this recipe. Citrusy and sweet with a touch of heat, it’s quite the dynamic sipping experience!
Ingredients
- 1½ oz Empress 1908 Indigo Gin
- ¾ oz Pamplemousse Liqueur
- ½ oz Mezcal
- ½ oz Fresh Lime Juice
- Grapefruit Soda (to top)
- Salt, Sugar, & Cayenne
- Grapefruit Slice
Method
Rim a cocktail glass with salt, sugar and cayenne. Shake all ingredients on ice except grapefruit soda, and strain into the cocktail glass over fresh ice. Top with grapefruit soda and garnish with a grapefruit slice.
2. Hot Charlotte 🌶🌶
Let’s kick it up a notch with this intriguing blend of elderflower, cucumber, lime, and tabasco sauce by @jfdesfosses! The florals and crisp vegetal notes make for a surprisingly delicious combo when mixed with the savoury spice of tabasco for a cocktail that’s bound to tickle your taste buds.
Ingredients
- 1½ oz Empress 1908 Indigo Gin
- 2 Cucumber Ribbons
- 1½ oz Elderflower Liqueur
- ¾ oz Fresh Lime Juice
- Tabasco Sauce, to taste
- Cucumber Ribbon & Chili Powder, to garnish
Method
Add Empress 1908 Indigo Gin and cucumber ribbons to a cocktail shaker, and muddle. Add elderflower liqueur, lime juice, and tabasco sauce to taste, and shake 10-15 seconds with ice until chilled. Strain over a large format ice cube and garnish with a cucumber ribbon and chili powder. Enjoy!
3. Red Snapper 🌶🌶🌶
If you’re a fan of Bloody Marys, this gin variant by @emilylaurae will be right up your alley! The pinnacle of savoury cocktails, the spiciness is right at home when combined with tomato juice, olive brine, and the vegetal notes of our Empress Cucumber Lemon Gin.
Ingredients
- 2 oz Empress 1908 Cucumber Lemon Gin
- 5 oz Tomato Juice
- ½ oz Castelvetrano Olive Juice/Brine
- ¾ oz Lemon Juice
- ¾ oz Lime Juice
- 4 dashes Tabasco Sauce
- 3 dashes Worcestershire Sauce
- ½ tsp Celery Salt
- ¼ tsp Coarse Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Ground Horseradish
- Celery Stalks, Lemon Wedge, Castelvetrano Olive & Cherry Tomato on a cocktail pick, to garnish
Method
Combine all ingredients (other than the garnishes) into a cocktail mixing glass and stir well to combine. Add ice and stir gently until the ingredients are chilled. Strain the Bloody Mary mixture from the mixing glass into a tall cocktail glass with ice. Garnish with a celery stalk and lemon wedge, before placing a cocktail pick skewered with an olive and cherry tomato on top.
4. Empress Firebird 🌶🌶🌶🌶
Spiced with both a homemade jalapeño simple syrup and hot chili bitters to your heart’s content, this tropical number by @kirbyjeannecreative is a must-try if you’re feeling especially adventurous! We especially love how they pair with the tangy burst of pineapple and bittersweet Campari for even more complexity.
Ingredients
- 1½ oz Empress 1908 Indigo Gin
- ¾ oz Campari
- ½ oz Lime Juice
- ½ oz Jalapeño Simple Syrup*
- 1½ oz Pineapple Juice
- 2-5 drops Hot Chili Bitters
- Pineapple Wedge & Maraschino Cherry, for garnish
Method
In a cocktail shaker add all of the ingredients, except the pineapple wedge and cherry. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Strain into an ice filled glass. Garnish with the pineapple wedge and cherry.
*To mix up the simple syrup, bring ½ cup of water, ½ cup of sugar and ½ a jalapeño with seeds to a simmer. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Strain out the jalapeño and place in a jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
5. Little Saigon 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶
Finishing strong with this refresher inspired by Vietnamese cuisine, the potent heat from the bird’s eye chili along with fresh herbs, ginger, and lemongrass mix together in perfect harmony that illuminates the senses upon first taste. Given the intensity of this chili varietal, feel free to adjust the amount to your preference!
Ingredients
- 1½ oz Empress 1908 Cucumber Lemon Gin
- ¾ oz Fresh Lime Juice
- ¾ oz Lemongrass Ginger Syrup*
- 3 Basil & Mint Leaves, each
- 3 slices Bird’s Eye Chili (optional, according to spice preference)
- Lime Yuzu Soda, to top
- Cilantro Sprig & Bird’s Eye Chili, for garnish
Method
Gently muddle basil and mint with syrup and lime juice in shaker tin. Add gin and chili slices and shake over ice. Strain into collins glass filled with ice, top with soda, and garnish.
*To make lemongrass ginger syrup, combine 250g each sugar and water with 50g each of roughly chopped ginger and lemongrass to a saucepan over medium heat and stir until sugar dissolves. Take off heat and let infuse for about 20 minutes. Strain into a container, seal, and keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Similar to food, spice is a wonderful way to add layers of depth that can bring more excitement to any of your tipples, whether it’s sweet and tangy or more savoury. Even if you don’t have the greatest spice tolerance, it’s easy enough to add just a touch of heat for more pizzazz. Let us know if one of these cocktails becomes your new favourite!
For more cocktail inspiration, check out our Instagram, Cocktail Page, or Blog!
Sip responsibly!
