Blooming Gin Garden Cocktail

The blooming gin garden cocktail reimagined cocktail classic with a fully floral palette that's perfect for springtime happy hours at home. First published March 2018 and last updated April 2022.

Happy First Day of Spring, y'all! To get us into the swing of the season, today's recipe--the blooming gin garden cocktail--is fragrant, floral, herbal, and, best of all, delicious! I like easy gin cocktails because they're strong and refreshing at the same time and this purple gin cocktail is much the same. Gin differs from many other types of liquor because it has an herbaceous taste to it, which is usually due to juniper or some other type of botanical element. The trick to making a good gin cocktail is incorporating natural ingredients that complement this like fruits, veggies, and herbs.

If you like herby and floral spring cocktail ideas, try these drinks next!

• Hibiscus Gin & Tonic
• Lavender Mint Julep
• Strawberry Mint Mimosas

What You'll Need for this Recipe

• Elderflower Liqueur
• Gin
• Lemon Juice
• Rose Hibiscus Extract
• Sparkling Water
• Violet Liqueur

I've made this girly cocktail with gin of all kinds, including Citadelle Gin and Empress 1908 Gin and it's just perfect each time. As you can probably tell from the ingredient list, it is a spirit-forward gin drink. The original gin garden cocktail includes gin, apple, cucumber and elderflower. My riff on this classic includes an actual garden of florals including violet, rose, hibiscus, and, of course, elderflower.

As far as tools, grab a cocktail shaker, along with a jigger. If you're using fresh lemon juice, which I highly recommend, you'll also need a sharp knife and cutting board. That's about it. If, by chance you don't have a jigger, a plain old shot glass can work instead.

You're only a few steps away from the perfect drink for spring: delicious, simple to make, and just a few ingredients. Like my bubbly bourbon & berries cocktail, it's easy to drink even if you aren't normally a fan of the kind of the liquor involved.

What Does this Cocktail Taste Like?

The purple color of this drink may not necessarily scream "garden" but it comes from a good place. That place is violet liqueur. If you're into the dirty Sprite look without the side effects, this blooming gin garden cocktail might be the one for you. 🙂 And, although you can't tell by looking at it, elderflower liqueur plays a significant part in the taste of this drink too. The result might surprise you but this is actually a cocktail that tastes kind of like grape kool-aid! Except it's more sophisticated and a bit effervescent from the sparkling water.

How to Serve the Cocktail

It's my biased opinion that this purple gin drink looks most beautiful served in a pretty coupe glass. But if you want to make it a lighter sip (in strength and in color), strain it into a highball glass and top up with extra sparkling water. In either case, I love to garnish with edible flowers. A dried citrus wheel would also be a nice touch. For those who prefer their drinks extra chilled, floral ice cubes double as a lovely springtime garnish and temperature control.

I hope you'll enjoy this elegant bubbly gin drink soon and very soon. And sharing is caring so be sure to pin the recipe and follow me over on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!

Blooming Gin Garden Drink Recipe