FIRST JOURNEYS - 80 GINS AROUND THE WORLD - PIN 11 OF 80
VICTORIA DISTILLERS , British Columbia, Canada
AROUND THE WORLD, ONE BOTTLE AT A TIME,
PHILEAS FOGG WOULD SURELY APPROVE
Today's stop on the Atlas takes me to beautiful Vancouver Island and one of Canada's most iconic hotels.
Empress 1908 Gin is a collaboration between Victoria Distillers and the Fairmont Empress Hotel, overlooking Victoria's Inner Harbour. First released in 2017, it's probably one of the best-known colour-changing gins in the world, with its striking indigo hue coming naturally from butterfly pea blossom.
There's far more to this gin than its colour though. Alongside the traditional gin botanicals is a signature blend of black tea inspired by the Fairmont Empress's world-famous Afternoon Tea, giving the gin a wonderfully delicate floral and tea-like character. Warming notes of ginger and cinnamon round everything out beautifully, creating a gin that feels every bit as elegant as the hotel that inspired it.
The Fairmont Empress has welcomed guests since
1908 and has become one of Victoria's most recognisable landmarks. Overlooking the harbour, it's long been a destination for royalty, celebrities and travellers alike, with its celebrated Afternoon Tea remaining one of Canada's great culinary traditions.
Just a short drive away in the town of Sidney, Victoria Distillers has been producing award-winning spirits since 2008. Sustainability is a key part of their philosophy and the distillery shares an innovative geothermal energy system with the neighbouring Sidney Pier Hotel & Spa. Heat generated during distillation is recovered to help warm the hotel, while cooled water is returned to the distillery, reducing both energy consumption and water use with every distillation run.
Although the collaboration with the Fairmont Empress is relatively recent, Victoria Distillers' spirits had already become popular fixtures behind the hotel's bar. Bringing the two brands together to create a gin inspired by the hotel's iconic tea service was therefore a natural partnership.
I couldn't really visit the Fairmont without stopping for Afternoon Tea, so today I'll be joining the tradition virtually. Mine may come in the form of an Empress G&T rather than a china teacup, but with views across Victoria's beautiful Inner Harbour, I can think of few better places to pause on this journey around the world.
“Where afternoon tea meets a splash of colour.”
Serve:
Kiwi Smash
with an Empress 1908 Float
"Show me a bottle
and I'll tell you a story."