Do you have a favorite picnic spot?⁠⁠ As someone who loves to find respite from the summer heat by dipping a toe in a body of water, anywhere with a beachfront is best in my book! And this past August, my friends over at Empress Gin set me up with everything I needed to enjoy a delicious snack and incredible cocktail outdoors.⁠⁠ They sent along charcuterie fixings, a bottle of their one-of-a-kind gin, and a challenge to mix a fun and fantastic summertime drink. I was instantly hooked: challenge accepted!

With the beautiful PNW sun as my inspiration, I chose to pair Empress’ herbaceous tasting notes and iconic color with two classic summer flavors: pineapple and coconut. And voila! The Purple Sunshine was born, quickly becoming a welcome addition to my summertime cocktail recipe rotation.

And after its creation I thought, why not test this libation out in its intended environment? So I gathered some friends and headed to the waterfront with meats, cheeses, and all my favorite picnic snacks in hand. And let me tell you, the trip did not disappoint!

If there is one thing you can count on, its that this Queen Bee can be found soaking up the sun at every opportunity; especially when surrounded by good friends, delicious food and–of course–cocktails! And, as someone who has spent most of their days in the Pacific Northwest, I know that these perfect days should never be taken for granted.

Here, the dreary, grey days of fall, winter, and spring are never far away. Thankfully I know that–no matter how cold things get outside–one sip of a Purple Sunshine gin cocktail can transport me back into that summer feeling in no time.