Empress 1908 Gin - Small Batch Distilled - All Natural - 70cl

Product Information

One of the talented minds behind Empress 1908 Indigo Gin says this modern juniper spirit is “not your grandparent’s gin.” (Photo: Empress 1908) First things first: That vibrant blue liquid is gin — not violet liqueur, not sloe gin, not something from the planet Zebulon. It’s a straight gin colored to be blue, thanks to the addition of butterfly pea blossoms to the distillate.

I further like Empress 1908 Gin paired with fresh citrus. A Tom Collins is a nice drink here. Skip the Gimlet unless you’re using some fresh lime or homemade cordial. Overall, Empress 1908 GinI have been able to pass on what I have learned to my team,” he shared. “I truly enjoy teaching and mentoring. It’s an amazing feeling to watch my team grow in their roles here at Victoria Distillers.” While we often group Empress 1908 with other color-shifting or purple gins, Lecours sees it differently.

Empress 1908 is a slightly contemporary style gin with a heady citrus, juniper and coriander accord that takes copious cues from gin’s 300 year history. Empress Gin is a beautiful indigo color, somewhere between purple and blue, that gets its all-natural color from being distilled with the blossoms of butterfly pea plants. While you might expect this gin to taste different or have floral notes, it still has the same citrus, juniper, and coriander notes that make gin such distinctive alcohol. Butterfly pea flower, one of the gin’s most iconic botanicals, is a flower native to Southeast Asia that lends Empress 1908 its color-shifting feature and eye-catching color. Additionally, the gin sources inspiration from tea time at the legendary Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia. Thus, it includes Fairmont Empress Tea, the signature tea blend used at the hotel, created exclusively by the Metropolitan Tea Company.

The palate has a hint of rose early. If you’re looking for an overtly floral gin— this isn’t it. Ripe, boiled grapefruit, resinous juniper cones take hold mid-palate. 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. What Is Simple Syrup? Empress 1908 Gin is rather by the numbers as far as palate goes. The citrus is big and dominant, and for that reason I think it leans contemporary. A forward earthiness from butterfly pea blossoms and Fairmont Empress House Tea blend, followed by robust citrus notes from grapefruit peel, delicate floral hints from rose petal and warm spice from ginger and cinnamon. Accolades Despite how large of an impact gin has on the spirits industry around the world, the juniper-based liquor still seems to be reduced to its Christmas tree-like tasting notes (even if we know it is so much more than that). Therefore, it can be difficult to persuade new or juniper-averse imbibers to give gin a go. To this, Lecours explained that Empress 1908 is “not your grandparents’ gin.”