The Grapefruit Eastside Cocktail is a fresh libation mixed together with ingredients like cucumber, fresh lime juice, grapefruit juice, and Empress 1908 Gin! Enjoy it for your next happy hour or summertime picnic! 

For this recipe, I partnered with Empress 1908 Gin to mix up the Grapefruit Eastside Cocktail! Recipe and ideas are my own.

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The Grapefruit Eastside Cocktail

The Grapefruit Eastside Cocktail reminds me of those relaxing, summer days when you’re hanging outside with friends and enjoying the season to the fullest! And in my opinion, there’s nothing better than adding some food and drinks to the mix! 

If you’re a fan of a fun summer picnic, then the Grapefruit Eastside Cocktail is the perfect drink to pair with your gathering to make it an elevated and sophisticated event! It features one of my favorite gins – Empress 1908 Gin, a blend of fresh citrus juices, mint, cucumber, and simple syrup. Gather some friends (in person or virtually), put out a spread of your favorite snacks, and enjoy sipping on this delicious cocktail!

What Kind of Alcohol is Used in an Eastside Cocktail?

This classic cocktail is typically concocted with fresh lime juice, cucumber, mint, simple syrup, and gin. And since gin is the only spirit mixed in this libation, it’s important to use a premium one like Empress 1908 Gin! The classic Eastside cocktail is all about fresh ingredients like fresh lime juice, so, when possible opt to use real lime juice to elevate this cocktail even more. 

When crafting up this riff I added in a splash of fresh grapefruit juice to enhance the Empress 1908 Gin even more. The acidity from the grapefruit juice balances beautifully with the botanicals in the gin. Don’t just take my word for it, try it for yourself!

Ingredients for the Grapefruit Eastside Cocktail

One of my favorite ways to elevate a cocktail is to mix in fresh ingredients like fruit, vegetables, and herbs. It’s a simple way to incorporate some greens and create a drink with a unique flavor. For the Grapefruit Eastside Cocktail, I muddled and mixed together six ingredients for a refreshingly fun twist on a classic cocktail. Check out the ingredients I used! 

• Empress 1908 Gin: This spirit is not only aesthetically pleasing with its purple hue, but also incredibly tasty, made with eight botanicals, some of which include juniper, rose, coriander seed, and butterfly pea blossom!
• Cucumber: Muddle up some cubed cucumber to release the fresh juices which acts as the base of this cocktail.
• Mint: This is one of my favorite herbs to include in a mixed drink. It’s potent and oh so refreshing, muddle it with your cucumber to infuse the bright flavors together.
• Simple syrup: Create a lightly sweetened flavor by adding in some simple syrup. Bonus points if you make your own!
• Lime juice: A squeeze of fresh lime juice can really enhance this cocktail and bring out the flavors from the simple syrup and Empress Gin.
• Grapefruit juice: a splash of fresh grapefruit juice provides a bright citrus element to this delicious cocktail
• Cucumber slices, grapefruit, and mint: Garnish this gorgeous cocktail with some fresh ingredients like a cucumber slice, grapefruit wedge, and a sprig of mint.

Wanna Know More About Empress Gin?!

This premium, hand-crafted spirit from British Columbia, Canada is micro-distilled in small batch copper-pot stills. It includes flavors of eight botanicals: juniper, rose, coriander seed, grapefruit peel, ginger root, cinnamon bark, butterfly pea blossoms and the Fairmont Empress Blend Tea. The butterfly pea blossom exudes subtle earthy notes and an all-natural indigo hue. This gin has a stunning secret to reveal: with the addition of citrus or tonic, Empress 1908 transforms from vivid indigo blue to a delicate soft pink! Check out the story and process of how Empress Gin is made. 

Interested in trying this product for yourself? Find out where you can purchase it here and enjoy this all-natural and gluten-free spirit by mixing it up in the Grapefruit Eastside Cocktail!

How to Make the Grapefruit Eastside Cocktail

To make this refreshing cocktail grab your ingredients and get to mixin’! 

You’ll need just a few things to get started like a muddler, cocktail shaker, and your preferred cocktail glasses. 

Once you’ve grabbed your equipment, you’ll start by adding your cubed cucumber, mint leaves and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker and muddle, muddle, muddle until the ingredients have been broken down and juices have been released and infused together. 

Next, you’ll add the fresh squeezed lime juice, fresh squeezed grapefruit juice, Empress 1908 Gin, and ice and shake vigorously or until chilled. Then, strain the mixture into 2 glasses over ice. If desired, garnish with cucumber slices, grapefruit and mint.

More Gin Recipes to Try

• Raspberry Lemonade Cocktail
• Strawberry Rhubarb Cocktail
• Berry Tea Cocktail – P.S. this one is made with Empress Gin too!!

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