The Empress: A Passionfruit Gin, Vodka, or Mocktail Recipe

A vibrant fusion of cherry, coconut, passionfruit, and rosewater, the Empress is as alluring as it is refreshing. Enjoyable with your choice of vodka, it’s namesake Empress gin, or even alcohol-free, this passionfruit drink recipe is inspired by the lush, abundant energy of the Empress tarot card. 

This post may contain affiliate links to products I use and suggest. As an Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

A Cocktail Fit for An Empress

Inspired by The Empress tarot card, this passionfruit cocktail is designed to feel lush, vibrant, and indulgent. 

The Empress card represents our creative possibility, the beautiful potential and pleasures of life. She shows how we can plant and nurture our desires into a beautiful, plentiful garden of abundance.

The Empress card is also associated with the planet Venus of values, beauty, love, and wealth in astrology, so this recipe needed to be a fruity, feminine and abundant

Combining the tropical notes of passionfruit and coconut, with floral rose water and decadent cherry turn this recipe into an intentional moment of indulgence and pleasure, equally suited for summer gatherings, romantic evenings, or moments of ritual and celebration for nurturing one’s desires to growth.

Let’s get into the ingredients you will need, and substations to make the recipe work best for you!

Ingredients & Substitutions

Inspired by the lush, sensual energy of The Empress tarot card, this vibrant pink cocktail combines passionfruit, coconut, and floral notes—crown with sparkling grapefruit—for a tropical, pink Venus-inspired recipe is as alluring as it is refreshing.

This passionfruit cocktail recipe has many options: it can be made with vodka, Empress 1908 Gin, or as a mocktail, making it an easy option for gatherings, celebrations, or summer evenings. 

Here’s everything you’ll need to make The Empress at home, including substitutions and options to make the recipe work for you.

Base Ingredients

Here are the core ingredients of the recipe. You’ll find variations for the cocktail and mocktail version further down below.

• Cherry – adds a sense of abundance, pleasure and indulgence (depth of color of the recipe will depend on the cherry)
• Thyme (optional) – Thyme is not necessary, but it adds a verdant garden essence, encouraging growth and love
• Passionfruit (Real Puree-Infused Syrup) adds a decadence, fruity touch to the recipe and a sense of celebratory love and peace
• Rosewater – what’s a garden without rose? A symbol of love and femininity, the rosewater really comes out in the ingredients of this recipe
• Grapefruit – not as tangy as lemon or lime, grapefruit adds a refreshing, joyful/uplifting touch that compliments the florals of the recipe. The amounts will differ from the cocktail to mocktail versions.
• Grapefruit Soda or Sparkling Wine (Optional) – A feminine, fruity, flirty cocktail could use a bit of a sparkling touch for celebration! This recipe also has an optional topper –  your choice of grapefruit soda (I like Q Mixer’s grapefruit best) or a little bit less of sparkling wine (which you can sub for dealcoholized sparkling wine for the mocktail. But this is totally optional – it taste great without it as well.

Cocktail Options – Empress Gin or Vodka?

• Coconut Rum (see substitution options below) – for a feminine recipe, I wanted coconut for its association with the moon. It enhances the tropical essence of the recipe while adding a peaceful ton.

You also have a choice of either vodka or butterfly pea flower Empress 1908 gin for the base alcohol. While I originally made the recipe with vodka and love the way it expresses in this drink, I also HAD to try it with its namesake, Empress 1908 gin. Here’s the difference between the two:

• Empress 1908 Gin – Deepens both flavor and color, adding more of a floral-berry note to the recipe
• Vodka – lighter, will accent the passionfruit more

But truly, the difference is not super extreme. Both will work! 

Mocktail Version

This passionfruit cocktail is JUST (if not more) delicious in nonalcoholic mocktail form. With a few quick adjustments, it can quickly be made alcohol-free (and perfect for gathering with the gals). Here’s how to make the recipe mocktail version:

• Increase the grapefruit. With the lack of an alcohol replacement, the passionfruit mocktail needs more citrus to balance the recipe, about ½ ounce more.
• Forego the alcohol. Empress now has a nonalcoholic butterfly pea flower spirit, so that may worth trying (although I have not tried that myself).
• Substitute coconut rum for coconut water (you can increase to up to ½ ounce, but not more). You can also use Beckett’s ’27 nonalcoholic coconut rum spirit (one of my favorites for nonalcoholic mocktails).
• Opt for grapefruit soda or try delacoholized sparkling wine. The sparkling addition is a great optional add to make up for the lost volume. I recommend Q Mixer’s grapefruit soda, but I also tried traditional grapefruit sodas.

There’s always a slight adjustment with making nonalcoholic versions. Just adjust the sweetness (passionfruit syrup) to citrus (grapefruit) ratio depending if you prefer it sweeter, or less so. A good rule of thumb is start with less and add more to taste.

General Substitutions

Many aspects of this recipe can be swapped in creative ways! In fact, when I originally made this recipe for an event The Witch’s Summit in 2025, I knew I’d have to adjust the recipe for venue. 

• You can swap the coconut rum for Real Coconut Cream, and the passionfruit syrup for a passionfruit liqueur. 
• Even if making the cocktail version, you can use coconut water instead of coconut rum, too.