Empress 1908 Recipe

Prepare and measure

Chill a coupe or Nick & Nora glass in the freezer or with ice water. Measure all liquid ingredients: 2 oz London dry gin, 0.5 oz Empress 1908 (or butterfly pea gin), 0.75 oz fresh lemon juice, 0.5 oz simple syrup, 0.25 oz dry vermouth, 2 dashes orange bitters. If using egg white, separate and reserve half an egg white (about 0.5 unit).

Dry shake (if using egg white)

In a cocktail shaker without ice, add the gin, Empress 1908, lemon juice, simple syrup, dry vermouth, bitters, and the 0.5 egg white. Dry-shake vigorously for 15–20 seconds to build a silky foam.

Shake with ice

Add a generous handful of ice to the shaker (about 1 cup). Shake vigorously for 10–15 seconds until the shaker is very cold and well-chilled, or for 12–18 seconds if you did not do a dry shake. The Empress gin's indigo color will deepen and, once mixed with lemon juice, may shift toward a violet hue.

Double-strain and serve

Double-strain the cocktail into the chilled coupe using a Hawthorne strainer and a fine-mesh strainer to remove ice shards and egg white solids. The finished drink should have a silky foam layer if egg white was used, and a clear violet-to-indigo color.

Express a lemon twist over the surface of the cocktail to release oils, then rub the twist on the rim and drop it in (or rest it on the glass). Alternatively, float a single edible flower gently on the foam for a showpiece presentation.

Serve immediately. Advise guests to sip and enjoy the evolving color and floral notes that recall British Columbia's coastal blossoms and botanicals.