Hocus Pocus Witch’s Brew

Alyssa

6 years ago

We needed a drink spooky enough for our Hocus Pocus drinking game and this bright blue and purple bad boy was just the thing.

The secret ingredient in this cocktail is Empress Gin from Victoria, British Columbia. Empress is infused with butterfly pea blossoms, which literally makes the gin bright purple. We actually can’t believe we found a gin as perfect as this just in time for Halloween. Once the gin is mixed with Blue Curacao and lemon juice it naturally layers to create this beautiful ombre effect. Heck yes!

In addition to the colour, this cocktail was perfect for our Hocus Pocus drinking game because it’s easy to make and it’s not super sweet, meaning that your hangover won’t be quite as bad the next day (but it will still exist). You definitely won’t want to keep pausing the movie to make an elaborate cocktail – these guys practically make themselves. If you don’t want to go the cocktail route then we recommend an easy-drinking beer like Bud Light or Rolling Rock, because this drinking game is not for the faint of heart.

2 oz Empress 1908 Gin. If you don’t have access to Empress 1908 Gin you can soak any gin with butterfly pea blossoms (which you can buy here) for 24 hours so your gin has a blue tint, or use a butterfly pea extract (like this one) and add it to your gin for an instant colour change.
1 oz Blue Curacao
1 oz lemon juice
Soda water
Crushed ice

Fill a highball glass with crushed ice. Next, add the Blue Curacao followed by the lemon juice. Then add the gin and top with soda. Pour all of the ingredients gently, especially the soda as otherwise the drink will not layer. If you naturally have a heavy hand, then pour the ingredients over the back of a spoon to help you pour gently. Drink, repeat.

For a video tutorial, check out our Instagram Reel or this Tik Tok.

Looking for other spooky activities, games or cocktails? Check out some of our other ideas and recipes below: