Empress Blossom

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As an at-home bartending enthusiast, one of my favorite approaches to mixing new cocktails is taking a classic recipe and putting a completely new spin on it. For this gorgeous cocktail, I’ve used a standard gin sour recipe and turned it into something incredible: the Empress Blossom.

Sour cocktails (including the well-known whiskey sour) typically rely on a combination of liquor, citrus, and a sweetener of some kind. I was surprised to find out that most traditional sour recipes didn’t list egg whites — they’re a far more modern addition! In fact, the first mention of a gin sour recipe I could find dated all the way back to 1862, in Jerry Thomas’ The Bartenders Guide, and egg whites were not included. At some point, adding a foamy top to a sour recipe became all the rage.

Less intense and more delicate in flavor than the popular whiskey sour, the gin sour allows the tartness of lemon juice and the botanical flavors of gin to mix into a wonderfully satisfying cocktail. The Empress Blossom, which uses Empress Gin as its key ingredient alongside orange blossom water and butterfly pea flower simple syrup, is a perfect blend of bright, floral flavor notes.

And my favorite part? When adding lemon juice to Empress Gin, it changes colors from a deep indigo to a stunning purple. (Talk about a camera-worthy cocktail!) So grab your favorite shaker, this is one gin sour recipe you’re going to want to try at home.

Step 1: Add all ingredients to shaker, and shake well. (See that color changing action? – so cool!)

Tip: This cocktail uses a “dry shake” method. Shaking first without ice lets the egg begin to foam. After, you can add ice and shake again, preventing that beautiful foam from being diluted.

Step 2: Add ice to shaker and shake until chilled.

Step 3: Strain mixture into a cocktail glass.

Step 4: (Optional) Garnish with lemon spiral or fresh flower blossom and enjoy!

If you’re looking for a new and exciting cocktail to try, this Empress Blossom Gin Sour is the perfect choice, wouldn’t you agree? Not only is it visually stunning, but it’s also packed with delicious, delicate flavors. So if you’re looking for a new cocktail recipe to impress your friends and guests or you simply want to treat yourself, this one is sure to hit the mark.

So raise your glass and enjoy this one-of-a-kind gin sour! I know you’re going to love it!