Trellis Gin & Tonic

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Cocktail History

The Trellis Gin & Tonic is a simple pink and purple gin cocktail that we created using the classic gin and tonic formula. Its beautiful ombré color is achieved by using purple Victoria Distillers Empress 1908 Gin, Fitch & Leedes Cucumber & Rose Pink Tonic Water, and crushed ice, and its bitter quinine taste is balanced by a dash of fresh lime juice.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Butterfly Pea Blossom Gin: This is the base spirit. We used Victoria Distillers Empress 1908 Gin because it adds a light and refreshing juniper taste, herbal black tea flavor, and a purple hue thanks to one of its main ingredients—butterfly pea blossom.

Pink Tonic Water: This stretches the drink and adds tonic water’s distinct quinine flavor. We chose Fitch & Leedes Rose & Cucumber Pink Tonic Water (gifted) for its garden-inspired cucumber and floral flavors and its unique light pink color that pairs well with the purple gin.

Lime Juice: This adds sour citrus flavors that balance out the bitterness of the tonic water’s quinine taste. We always use fresh citrus juice because it’s less bitter than the bottled stuff and tastes better.

Cucumber Ribbon: This is the garnish. It adds a fragrant cucumber aroma and brings out the cucumber flavor in the tonic water when dropped into the drink.

Tasting Notes

The Trellis Gin & Tonic features aromas of cucumber from the garnish and florals from both the tonic water and gin, an initial savory floral taste, a bitter sharpness from the quinine on the finish, and lingering notes of rose and cucumber in the throat on the swallow.

Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: By going with the Empress Gin for the Trellis Gin & Tonic, you not only get additional cosmetic character but also extra botanicals that take the tonic to the next level. Alex thought the two ingredients packed enough flavor that nothing else needed to be added, while Kendall preferred it with a splash of fresh lime juice to soften the bitterness. Either way, it’s a dazzling garden-inspired beverage that is great for springtime.

Recipe

Tools & Glassware We Recommend

More Gin Cocktails

If you like this gin cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:

• Rosemary Gin & Tonic: A gin cocktail made with grapefruit shrub, lime juice, grapefruit tonic water, grapefruit slices, and rosemary

• Gin Rickey: A classic gin cocktail made with lime juice, club soda, and a lime wheel

• Lemon Thyme Gin & Tonic: A lemon gin cocktail made with lemon juice, thyme syrup, Indian tonic water, and a lemon wedge

• Marmalade Gin Mule: A gin cocktail made with lime juice, orange marmalade, ginger beer, and a lime slice