Blueberry Gin Fizz Cocktail (Empress Gin Cocktail)

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Learn how to make this gorgeous Blueberry Gin Cocktail or Empress Gin Cocktail—layered with blueberry syrup, spicy ginger beer, and purple Empress gin. Follow my easy steps to create this lovely ombré layered look with a simple “float” process.

Nothing says welcome summer like this layered red, white and blue cocktail, perfect for patriotic holidays or just because you want a beautiful patriotic cocktail.

We love fun and fancy drinks at our house, try these other reader favorites: Cherry Bomb, Maple Whisky Sour or this summery fresh Watermelon Slush and this Hibiscus Mojito {Cocktail or Mocktail}.

I enjoy giving precise details in my recipe posts to lead my readers through any questions. If you’re just here for the printable recipe, feel free to click “Jump to Recipe” right under the title of this post, and you’ll head straight there!

Empress Gin Fizz Simple Ingredients

This beautiful red, white and blue-berry gin cocktail drink is so simple!

Blueberry Simple Syrup | make this simple syrup ahead of time and keep in the fridge for fabulous drinks. Including this non-alcoholic blueberry limeade.

Mint | I love the taste of mint in this gin fizz, brightens it up nicely.

Ginger Beer| I used a delicious spicy, Ginger Beer (non-alcoholic), but you can also use regular Ginger Ale, Club Soda, Tonic Water, or sparkling water; it will alter the sweetness depending on what you decide to use.

Lemon | Just a squeeze, adds a lovely citrus brightness to the drink, and changes the purple gin to more of a blue.

Flavorful Empress Gin | I used Empress Gin, an all-natural, gluten-free gin infused with 11 botanicals, including butterfly pea blossoms, giving it this gorgeous purple-blue color.

Garnish | Skewer fresh blueberries onto a pretty cocktail stick and freeze or use fresh. Add a twist of lemon and or a sprig of mint makes a beautiful garnish for this cocktail.

Recommended Tools

• I love these classic old fashioned glasses from Riedel.
• And this wood muddler.

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How to Make a Blueberry Gin Cocktail (Patriotic Cocktail)

Step 1 | Make Blueberry Syrup

This blueberry gin cocktail comes together quickly once you make the blueberry syrup!

Step 2 | Prepare base of gin fizz cocktail

Place 3-4 mint leaves in the bottom of an old-fashioned glass.

Pour 2 oz Blueberry syrup over the mint and muddle gently with muddler, or use end of a wooden spoon. Squeeze in 1/8 of a lemon, or to taste.

Step 3 | Add Ice and Ginger Beer

Fill the glass with cubed or crushed ice (I like crushed in my cocktails, so crushed some in my blender).

Lay a spoon upside down on top of the ice and slowly pour a few ounces of the ginger beer (or mixer) to float it on top of the blueberry syrup mixture.

Step 4 | Slowly float gin on top

Slowly pour the gin over the back of the same spoon, floating it on top of the other two layers.

Garnish with blueberries, lemon twist and mint sprig if desired. Stir before sipping.

How to Float Liquor in a Drink

Learn this bar-tending secret in seconds using this simple and easy floating method, or layered cocktail.

Start with the heaviest layer of liquid first; in this case, it’s the Blueberry Simple Syrup.

Next we add ice, because we want it nice and chilled, we will do the mixer layer next.

The easiest way to describe how to float layers of liquor or in this case, three different liquids is by pouring slowly over the back of a spoon. Any spoon will work, I used a tablespoon for this drink.

Pouring the liquid over the back of a spoon slows the liquid’s dispersion, allowing it to “float” on top of the previous layer. Look at you, getting all sciency!

What is Empress Gin?

So, have you ever heard of Empress 1908 Gin? It’s not your typical gin – it’s got this amazing blue color that’s not just for show. They use butterfly pea flowers, or butterfly pea blossom, to give it that natural indigo hue. They took inspiration from the Fairmont Empress Hotel in British Columbia and put it in a bottle. (P.S. We’ve stayed at several Fairmont hotels and are always impressed; the Empress is on our bucket list!)

They make it using a special distilling process in these small-batch copper-pot stills. And when it comes to the bottle itself, they’ve gone all out with a super classy, sleek bottle and label design.

But let’s talk about the taste. Empress 1908 has this refined juniper flavor; you can pick up on these subtle hints of citrus and flowers. Imagine something smooth and revitalizing yet delicate – that’s what you’re getting. Perfect for making your favorite Empress Gin cocktails.

Empress gin is the way to go if you’re up for an adventure in the gin department. You can snag a bottle at most places that sell spirits or just order it online. Oh, and if you know someone about gin, this could be the perfect gift.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Rim the Glass in Lemon Sugar

To get this lemon sugared rim look for the blueberry gin fizz, follow these simple instructions.

Place a few tablespoons of sugar in a shallow dish (I used all-natural cane sugar) and 1 teaspoon of lemon or lime zest.

Rub the zest and sugar together gently with your fingers to flavor the sugar.

Using a wedge of lemon or lime, rub around the rim of glass (and down the side if you want the look above). Then roll the glass in the lemon sugar and turn upside down to rim the glass.

More Easy Cocktail & Drink Recipes

If you like this Blueberry Gin Fizz, you will almost be guaranteed to enjoy these cocktails and drink recipes. Browse all of my cocktail recipes.

• Strawberry Gin Cocktail
• Hibiscus Dark & Stormy Cocktail
• Cranberry Bourbon Sour
• Tangerine & Thyme Gin & Tonic
• Cucumber Cooler
• Healthy Hibiscus Margarita
• 4 ingredient Margarita (on the rocks or frozen)

Homemade Strawberry Refresher

The Strawberry Refresher is a light non-alcoholic drink made with summer fresh strawberry syrup, lime juice and your favorite mixer. Perfect for a warm spring or summer day, refreshing and delicious.

Read more

Easy Frozen Paloma Cocktail

Try our Frozen Paloma recipe made with grapefruit juice, lime juice, and simple syrup! This tangy and sweet drink is perfect for any occasion, and the frozen twist adds a unique touch to the classic Paloma. Don’t miss out on this crowd-pleaser!

Read more

More Patriotic Recipes

Memorial Day, 4th of July or Labor day or just a summer sip. You might enjoy these other red, white and blue Patriotic recipes!

• Patriotic “No Churn” Ice Cream
• 4th of July Cookie Cake (Patriotic Skillet Cookie)
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
• Red, White & Blue Patriotic Recipes
• Red, White and Blueberry Yogurt Parfaits
• No Bake Lemon Icebox Pie Recipe

I hope you loved this Blueberry Gin Fizz Recipe, An Empress Gin Cocktail — if you did, would you share your creation on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest? And be sure to comment below!

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Blueberry Gin Cocktail

Author: Kathleen Pope

5 from 18 votes

Learn how to make this gorgeous, layered Blueberry Gin Cocktail or a Blueberry Gin Fizz. Layered with blueberry syrup, spicy ginger beer, and Empress gin. Follow my easy steps to create this lovely ombré layered look by a simple "float" process.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 5 minutes mins

Course Cocktails

Cuisine American

Servings 1 cocktail

Calories 276 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  Old Fashioned Glasses
• ▢
  acacia Wood Muddler

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

Blueberry Gin Cocktail

• ▢ 2 oz blueberry simple syrup
• ▢ 3-4 mint leaves
• ▢ 1/8 lemon, wedge
• ▢ 2-3 oz Ginger Beer , or mixer of choice
• ▢ 1 1/2 – 2 oz Gin , I used Empress 1908 Gin to give it this beautiful hue
• ▢ Optional Garnish | Lemon Sugared Rim, Skewered blueberries, twist of lemon and/or mint sprig

Blueberry Simple Syrup

• ▢ 1 cup cane sugar, I use organic, all natural cane syrup
• ▢ 1 cup water, filtered
• ▢ 1 cup blueberries, fresh, washed (or frozen)
• ▢ Small handful of fresh mint, optional

Instructions

 

• Place 3-4 mint leaves in the bottom of an old-fashioned glass
• Pour 2 oz Blueberry syrup over the mint and muddle gently with a muddler, or use end of a wooden spoon.
• Squeeze in 1/8 of a lemon, or to taste. Fill the glass with cubed or crushed ice (I like crushed in my cocktails, so whirred some ice in my blender).
• Lay a tablespoon upside down on top of the ice and slowly pour a few ounces of the ginger beer (or mixer) to float it on top of the blueberry syrup mixture.
• Finally, slowly pour the gin over the back of the same spoon, floating it on top of the other two layers.
• Garnish with blueberries, lemon twist and mint sprig if desired. Stir before sipping.

✱ Kathleen’s Tips

How to layer or float liquor in a cocktail:

Start with the heaviest layer of liquid first, I’ve taken the guess work out of the order for you. The Blueberry Simple Syrup is your heaviest layer, which is why we start with that on the bottom.
Next for this blueberry gin fizz, we add ice, because we want it nice and chilled, we will do the mixer layer next.
The easiest way to describe how to float layers of liquor or in this case, three different liquids is by going slow and using the back of a spoon. Any spoon will work, but I used a bit larger spoon in this drink.
• By pouring the liquid over the back of a spoon, this slows the distribution of the liquid into the glass, allow it to stay "floating" on top of the previous layer.

How to do a sugared rim?

If you want the look with the lemon sugared rim for the blueberry gin fizz, then follow these simple instructions.

1. Place a few tablespoons of sugar (I used all-natural cane sugar) and 1 teaspoon of lemon or lime zest.
2. Rub the zest and sugar together gently with your fingers to flavor the sugar.
3. Using a wedge of lemon or lime, rub around the rim of glass (and down the side if you want this look above), then roll the glass in the lemon sugar and turn upside down to rim the glass.

Can I Make into a Mocktail?

Yes. Use the blueberry syrup on the bottom, maybe 3 oz instead of 2 oz. Use your favorite mixer or even a good lemonade for the middle and top with a blue soda or sports drink, if you want to stick with a red, white and blue look!

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving Calories: 276 kcal Carbohydrates: 48 g Protein: 0.3 g Fat: 0.1 g Saturated Fat: 0.02 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03 g Sodium: 38 mg Potassium: 73 mg Fiber: 1 g Sugar: 47 g Vitamin A: 130 IU Vitamin C: 8 mg Calcium: 20 mg Iron: 2 mg

Nutrition Disclaimer

The Fresh Cooky is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.

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About Kathleen Pope

Recipe Innovator | Food Photographer | Food Writer

Hi, I’m Kathleen Pope. Here at The Fresh Cooky you will find easy, mostly from-scratch, trusted recipes for all occasions. From speedy dinners to tasty desserts, with easy step-by-step instructions. I am here to help teach you how to make mouthwatering recipes without spending hours in the kitchen. Read more about Kathleen here.