Victoria Distillers Announces Empress 1908 Gin, A Color Changing Gin

Posted on June 12, 2017
By Distillery Trail
In Blog

Victoria Distillers of British Columbia has announced its latest addition to their craft spirits portfolio, Empress 1908 Gin. Empress 1908 Gin is a hand-crafted, all-natural, indigo blue spirit. During the distillation process, it is infused with the vibrantly tinted butterfly pea blossom, which creates a distinctive, indigo blue hue. With the addition of citrus or tonic, Empress 1908 Gin is transformed from its indigo blue hue to monarch purple and then rose petal pink.

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The distiller says Empress 1908 Gin is inspired by the tea and cocktail programs of the Fairmont Empress Hotel of Victoria. Hand crafted in small batch copper-pot stills, this is a gin with phenomenal depth and boldness of spirit. Gently refined, nuanced and enduring.

“We are thrilled to be launching Empress 1908 Gin in the United States,” remarked Peter Hunt, President of Victoria Distillers, “and will be announcing our distribution partnership details shortly. Empress will launch this summer in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Florida and California, with other states to follow.”

Victoria Spirits was purchased from long-time owners and distillers Bryan and Valerie Murray in 2015. The name was changed to Victoria Distillers and moved to a unique location on the Seaport Place waterfront of Sidney, BC. The new owners say the name was changed to help bring focus to the makers and collaborators, as well as highlighting the distillery as a destination.

The new and larger distillery facility opened its doors in May 2016. It maximizes the opportunity to involve the local community and visitors in the experience of creating artisan spirits. The new distillery offers a bustling center for consumer education – through tours and tastings – and a site for collaboration.