Empress 1908 Gin

That vibrant indigo liquid is gin — not violet liqueur, not sloe gin — and the color comes from a flower. Victoria Distillers in Sidney, British Columbia, one of Canada's oldest craft distilleries, launched Empress 1908 in June 2017, inspired by the afternoon tea and cocktail programs of the Fairmont Empress Hotel across the water in Victoria, built in 1908. Eight botanicals go into the copper pot stills: the hotel's own signature black tea blend, juniper, rose petal, coriander, grapefruit peel, ginger root, cinnamon bark, and butterfly pea blossom — discovered in another Empress tea blend — which lends an earthy, herbal note and a deep indigo hue that shifts to lavender, pink, or fuchsia the moment citrus or tonic touches it. Bottled at 42.5% ABV (85 proof), micro-distilled in small batches. Drinkhacker, reviewing the full lineup, found it delicious and very attractive in a G&T and best over a single cube, letting its layers play: lavender and florals early, then cinnamon, pine, black pepper, black licorice, and a long finish. Expect grapefruit and lemon peel brightness over clean juniper, a soft texture, and a dry, slightly herbal finish with faint rose and tea tannin. It took Silver at the 2019 New York International Spirits Competition and became one of the most popular gins on the market. Honest note: the blue fades over time — darker means fresher. The Lavender Haze cocktail made it a Swiftie favorite; a G&T with lemon makes the color show.

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