🌸 Bengal Lounge

Empress 1908 Gin, pink grapefruit, rose, cinnamon, lemon & dry Champagne

Empress 1908 Gin
8 min
Shaken
Champagne Flute
~13%
Sona
Ingredients
  • 45ml Empress 1908 Gin (this specific gin is required for the colour chemistry)
  • 20ml fresh pink grapefruit juice
  • 10ml rose syrup
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon syrup (cinnamon stick steeped in simple syrup)
  • 15ml fresh lemon juice
  • 60ml dry Champagne to top
  • Edible rose petal & grapefruit twist to garnish
Method
  1. 1
    ShakeCombine Empress gin, grapefruit juice, rose syrup, cinnamon syrup, and lemon juice with ice. Shake 15 seconds.
  2. 2
    StrainStrain into a chilled Champagne flute. The drink will be blue-purple.
  3. 3
    TopAdd Champagne. As the Champagne aerates the citrus, the colour shifts from blue to pink-rose.
  4. 4
    GarnishFloat an edible rose petal. Twist a strip of grapefruit peel over the surface.

About This Cocktail

Empress 1908 Gin is produced by Victoria Distillers in British Columbia, Canada, but named for the Empress Hotel in Victoria — itself named for Empress Victoria of India. The gin's distinctive indigo colour comes from butterfly pea blossom, which shifts from blue to purple-pink when the acidic lemon juice is added. Sona's Bengal Lounge uses this chemistry as theatre: the drink is built blue in the glass, and shifts to pink-rose as the grapefruit and lemon arrive. The pink also references West Bengal's most iconic flower — the lotus.

Variations

Gin Fizz VersionReplace Champagne with soda water — a lighter, non-sparkling-wine version
No Colour-ChangeUse any regular gin — you lose the theatre but the flavour remains excellent
Saffron BengalAdd 3 saffron strands to the shaker — the saffron-rose-grapefruit combination is a Mughal court-inspired variation
Bartender Tips

The colour-change reaction is pH-dependent — more lemon juice (more acid) makes it pinker; more Empress (more butterfly pea blossom) makes it bluer. You can adjust the balance to your visual preference. The colour change is irreversible — once pink, it stays pink. Empress 1908 is available at most well-stocked liquor stores in North America. Cinnamon syrup: simmer 2 cinnamon sticks in 200ml simple syrup for 10 minutes.

Source Restaurant
Restaurant
Sona, Flatiron District, New York City (restaurant closed June 2026; recipe preserved)
Spirit
Empress 1908 Gin
Method
Shaken, topped
ABV
~13%
Gin Guide All 69 Indian Cocktails Indian Mocktails (87) Cocktails A–Z
Where to drink this
Restaurant
Sona Permanently Closed
Address
Flatiron District, New York City (permanently closed June 2026)
Style
Modern Indian fine dining
Accolades
Michelin Bib Gourmand · celebrated cocktail programme before closure

Sona was one of New York City's most acclaimed modern Indian restaurants, co-owned by model and restaurateur Priyanka Chopra Jonas. Known for its nuanced interpretation of Indian cuisine and a cocktail programme that treated Indian ingredients with genuine respect, Sona closed in June 2026. These recipes preserve the drinks that made it special.