(Note: this post was originally published on February 18, 2021. It has since been updated with new photos and a few tweaks.)
If you've been dreaming of a colorful, unique cocktail that is a departure from the classics, you've come to the right place. This red, blue, and purple unicorn drink is a hybrid between a daiquiri and a gimlet; it has the sweetness of rum and the complexity of gin, so it's the best of both worlds.
Although it may sound surprising, creating a daiquiri-gimlet hybrid actually makes a lot of sense. Both are based on the same concept: distilled product + lime juice + sweetener (usually simple syrup). A daiquiri uses rum (for example, check out my Spiced Pomegranate Daiquiri) and a gimlet uses gin (for example, my Watermelon Mint Gimlet or my Maple Rosemary Gimlet). Both spirits make frequent appearances in tiki-style drinks though, so combining them in this Unicorn Cocktail creates a subtle tiki vibe.
I'm sure this is exactly what unicorns drink, don't you agree?
This Unicorn Cocktail has three distinct layers that create its unique color and flavor. The bottom layer is muddled raspberries. The middle layer is essentially a daiquiri with rum, lime juice, agave, and blue spirulina for color. The top layer is a float of Empress 1908 Gin. Can you believe that this bright cocktail is completely naturally-colored?
While blue curacao is often used to make drinks blue, it's essentially just sugar and food coloring (ok, and a bit of orange liqueur). I'm not a big fan of either of food coloring or loads of sugar in my drinks, so I've spent a lot of time experimenting with how to get blue cocktails naturally. I've finally gotten the technique nailed down and am excited to share my secret.
To make a blue cocktail naturally, I use blue spirulina! It's an edible algae, and a relative of the more common green spirulina. I find it works best if I dissolve the spirulina in a dash of warm water first, then mix it into the cocktail after dissolving. It's a great trick and I guarantee you'll be making lots of blue spirulina cocktails once you get the hang of it.
If you're not familiar with Empress 1908 Gin, it's a joy to work with. It gets its gorgeous color from butterfly pea flower and has a lovely and somewhat non-traditional array of botanicals (including grapefruit and cinnamon, yum!). It's nice for sipping on its own, and wonderful for mixing because it can work with so many different flavors. Its hue is light purple, so it makes for a stunning float on top of this whimsical spirulina cocktail.
There's a funny story behind this blue spirulina cocktail. When I first created this recipe in February of 2021, we had just traveled back to Vermont from Kaua'i in the midst of COVID quarantine regulations. We had to quarantine for ten days, during which time we had little food in the house. About two days in (I have a short attention span and very little capacity for sitting still), I started dreaming of a colorful unicorn drink.
This blue spirulina cocktail was born out of the ingredients I could find in our house while quarantined: frozen raspberries, rum (not enough to make a full drink though, hence the gin addition), a couple limes, some agave, and a partial bottle of Empress 1908. See below for one of the original photos of this unicorn drink; I think those raspberries had been in the freezer for months!
Here's what you'll need for this Unicorn Cocktail, as well as some thoughts, tips, and possible substitutions. If you make any substitutions, I'd love to hear about it in the comments section below.
I think this unique spirulina cocktail would be a great sip for just about any occasion, from a summer get-together to a birthday party. It's festive and fun and happy, and the fact that both rum and gin are present actually make it easier to pair with food flavors. I'm especially excited for you to try my blue spirulina trick.
I'm a firm believer that drinks should be fun and not take themselves too seriously. Yeah, I mixed a daiquiri and a gimlet and made all these crazy (natural!) colors, so what? If you want a stuffy, classic cocktail, get a dry martini with an olive. But I'm all about creativity in cocktails, and this Unicorn Cocktail is one of my greatest loves!
It makes me so happy to hear from you and see your creations! Please leave a comment below and let me know what you think about this recipe. If you post a photo on Instagram, hashtag #TheRogueBrusselSprout and tag me (@TheRogueBrusselSprout) in the post text so that I'm sure to see it.
As with all my cocktail recipes, please enjoy responsibly!
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Disclosure: I received free product from Empress 1908 Gin. However, all opinions and thoughts are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep The Rogue Brussel Sprout running.
An absurdly colorful sip that combines rum and gin, this unique Unicorn Cocktail is over-the-top in the best way possible. It's not quite a daiquiri and not quite a gimlet; it's a unicorn that magically does both!
Did you make this recipe? Did you make substitutions? How did you serve it? Any helpful tips? Please share your thoughts, since these insights are really useful to both me and to other readers.
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