Making color changing Butterfly Pea Tequila sounds like it would be a long and complicated process, but it is actually so easy! This dark purple spirit is easy, fast and it makes cocktail hour so much fun.
I made this tequila infusion to go in a Galaxy Margarita, but you can use it for other cocktails too! It would work great in a Fade to Pink cocktail, or to make a purple Tequila & Tonic instead of the Empress & Tonic gin cocktail.
What is a butterfly pea flower?
The butterfly pea is an edible flower that has a dark purple color.
When it's mixed with liquid, the color seeps out into the liquid.
It doesn't add much of a flavor, just a slight herbal note. But the cool part is that the dark purple liquid will change to a pink color when mixed with an acidic ingredient, like citrus juice or tonic water!
Also, it turns to more of a true blue when you add something basic (like milk or baking soda).
It makes for a cool party trick. You can read more about the science in this NLM article.
Ingredients
You'll just need two ingredients for this infusion: tequila blanco, and dried butterfly pea flowers.
Using tequila blanco will give the infusion the brightest possible color (unlike reposado, which will always have a slight yellow tint).
Other Infusions
You can use the same technique to infuse these flowers into just about any type of alcohol! Try out a butterfly pea vodka, gin, pisco or cachaça.
You can also infuse it into clear liqueurs, like Cointreau, Italicus or Luxardo Bitter Bianco.
Or, you can even use the dried flowers to add to a simple syrup recipe. Check out my post on flavored cocktail syrups for more syrup recipes!
Equipment
You'll need just a couple of things to make this infusion. Ideally, you'll want to have a sealable glass jar, like a mason jar, to do the infusion itself.
Once the infusion is done, grab a strainer and a funnel, as well as a clean glass bottle to store the liquid.
Instructions
Mix the tequila and butterfly pea flowers in a jar. Then seal up the jar, and shake it all together.
Then, let the mixture sit and steep. It'll take around 20 minutes, or even less if you want a lighter purple color.
Once the liquid gets to the color you want, use a funnel and strainer to transfer the liquid to your storage bottle.
Cork up the bottle and you're done! This infusion will keep at room temperature indefinitely, since the alcohol preserves it.
Hint: If you accidentally leave the infusion sitting too long and it turns really dark, don't worry about it. Just add more tequila in afterwards until it reaches the color you prefer.
Top tip
If you don't have the equipment to make this recipe, just add 3 or 4 butterfly pea flowers directly to a bottle of tequila. You can shake it up and just leave them in there!
It may take longer to get to the color you want, but if it's not getting there, add in a couple more flowers. Just be careful to strain them out when making cocktails.
📖 Recipe
Butterfly Pea Tequila
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup dried butterfly pea flowers
- 8 ounces tequila blanco (or other clear spirit)
Instructions
- Add the tequila and the butterfly pea flowers to a glass container.
- Seal the container, and shake it up.
- Let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes, or less if you want a less intense purple color.
- Pour the tequila into the storage bottle using a strainer and funnel together.
- The butterfly pea-infused tequila will keep indefinitely. Cheers!
Kimberly says
I love how easy it is to make this fun infusion! Let me know if you have questions about this recipe!