Empress 0.0 Indigo Gin Non-Alcoholic

Empress 0.0 Indigo Gin is a zero-alcohol (0.0% ABV) alternative to gin from Empress, the Victoria, British Columbia distillery brand. It is built to echo the botanical character of the distillery's Empress 1908 Indigo Gin, with juniper and citrus as the stated reference notes. Its most distinctive trait is colour. Butterfly pea blossom gives the liquid a deep indigo-blue, and that pigment responds to acidity, so the drink shifts toward purple or pink once tonic or citrus goes in. On flavour, expect a juniper-and-citrus profile rather than a heavily floral or spice-driven one. Non-alcoholic gins usually have a lighter body than a spirit at 40% ABV, so the botanicals tend to read cleaner and a little thinner on the finish. That makes the mixer choice matter more than it would with a standard gin. The Gin & Tonic is the obvious use, and it is the one that shows off the colour change. Build it in a balloon glass or a tall highball over plenty of ice, pour the Empress first, then top with a good tonic. The blue turns violet and then pink as the tonic mixes through. A lemon or grapefruit wheel pushes the colour further and fits the citrus side of the profile, and a sprig of rosemary or thyme adds an herbal note that sits well with juniper. A Tom Collins works in the same way: lemon juice, a little simple syrup and soda over ice, with the lemon turning the colour as it goes in. Spirit-forward drinks need more care. A Negroni or a Martini depends on the weight and bite of alcohol, which a 0.0 base cannot supply, so treat any non-alcoholic version as a different drink and not a like-for-like copy. If you try it, a splash of non-alcoholic bitter aperitif for the Negroni, or a chilled glass with a citrus twist and a dash of dry vermouth alternative for a Martini-style serve, is the sensible route. Keep the bottle in a cool place, serve it over ice rather than neat, and use clear, fresh ice so the colour stays easy to see.