When Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8 at the age of 96, my friend Elisabeth R sent me a Seattle Times article about a queen-related cocktail called a Black Velvet made with a dark stout (think Guinness) and Champagne. It was created to mark the death of Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert, in 1861. The color is meant to evoke the state of mourning that had spread across the empire. We agreed that this cocktail didn’t really appeal to us and went back and forth about what cocktail would be appropriate to mark the loss of the only Queen of Great Britain we had ever known. 

It turns out that the Queen’s favorite cocktail is Dubonnet (a French fortified wine) and gin. She is said to have enjoyed one daily prior to lunch (thank you to Elisabeth’s friend, Sue T, for educating us on this!). Still not quite to our liking.

With further thought, we give you the British 70. It’s a take on a French 75 – ‘British’ for obvious reasons and ‘70’ to mark the number of years that Queen Elizabeth II reigned. Gin (very British) and Champagne (very celebratory) seemed to be a good way to celebrate a queen who reigned so long.

I had in my mind that this cocktail should be purple given its connection to royalty. I used Empress 1908 gin which is naturally purple in color due to the butterfly pea blossom (or flower) used to impart both color and flavor. Empress 1908 Gin is distilled by Victoria Distillers and inspired by the Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. This hotel is known for its high tea in which butterfly pea blossoms sometimes may be found. To continue the purple theme, I muddled a blackberry and garnished it with a few more. To finish out this cocktail, I added freshly squeezed lemon juice (which reacts with the butterfly pea blossoms in the gin and lightens it), simple syrup and sparkling wine, such as a French Crémant, Spanish cava or Italian prosecco. 

We were having our friends, Lauren and Chris M, for dinner the night that I made this cocktail. They have two of Queen Elizabeth II’s favorite dogs – Finegan and Phebe the Corgis. I asked Lauren if she had a small Corgi figurine that I could use for a photo. She did not, so I improvised. If you look closely, the Corgi in the photo has a crown on his neck.

While this is a perfect drink to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s 96 years, it also would be a great signature cocktail for a future sorority gathering. Fittingly, Elisabeth and Lauren are both Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority sisters and our colors just happen to be purple (violet) and white.

Here’s another purple cocktail that uses butterfly pea blossoms (or flowers) – Butterfly Pea Flower Tea Cocktail.

British 70

 

British 70
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Recipe type: Drink
Author:
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • 1 ounce gin (see Notes)
  • ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice (~ ½ lemon) (see Notes)
  • ½ ounce simple syrup (see Notes)
  • 3 ounces sparkling wine (such as French Crémant, Spanish cava or Italian prosecco)
  • 3 to 4 blackberries, divided
Instructions
For a clear cocktail:
  1. Muddle 1 to 2 blackberries in a shaker. Add gin, lemon juice and simple syrup and ice. Shake until chilled.
  2. Strain into a Champagne flute. Top with sparkling wine. Garnish with 1 to 2 blackberries.
For a fruity cocktail:
  1. Muddle 1 to 2 blackberries in a Champagne flute, add gin, lemon juice and simple syrup and stir.
  2. Top with sparkling wine. Garnish with 1 to 2 blackberries.
Notes
* I used Empress 1908 Gin and muddled the blackberries in the Champagne flute to ensure a deeper purple color. Any good-quality gin works well although it will not be as deep a purple.
* Before squeezing lemons, heat it in a microwave for about 20 seconds and then rub it back and forth on the counter top. This easy two-step process results in more juice per piece of fruit.

SIMPLE SYRUP
1 cup (8 ounces) water
1 cup granulated sugar
Bring the water to a simmer in a saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add the sugar and stir until it completely dissolves. Remove the pan from the heat. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Pour the syrup into a clean 1-pint bottle, cap it and refrigerate it until needed. Makes 1½ cups and keeps two months or longer in the refrigerator.
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