Butterfly Pea Flowers – Natural Blue Colour-Changing Botanical
Create spectacular colour-changing gin, cocktails, vodka and drinks with dried Butterfly Pea Flowers (Clitoria ternatea).
These naturally vibrant blue flowers contain pH-sensitive pigments that produce a striking deep blue colour when infused. Add an acidic ingredient such as lemon, lime or tonic and watch the colour shift through purple towards pink.
Perfect for home gin makers, distillers and cocktail enthusiasts looking to create naturally colourful drinks without simply adding artificial blue colouring.
Each pack contains 5g of dried Butterfly Pea Flowers.
Why You'll Love Them
- Natural colour-changing botanical
- Creates brilliant blue and indigo infusions
- Changes towards purple/pink when acidity is added
- Excellent for gin and vodka infusions
- Create eye-catching colour-changing gin
- Great for cocktails and mocktails
- Can also be brewed as Butterfly Pea Flower tea
- Dried flowers – easy to infuse and strain
- Only a small amount is required
- 5g pack
- Botanical name: Clitoria ternatea
Make Colour-Changing Gin
Butterfly Pea Flowers are particularly popular for creating blue and colour-changing gin.
Infusing the dried flowers into gin or another clear spirit extracts their natural blue pigment. When an acidic mixer or garnish such as tonic, lemon or lime is added, the drink changes from blue through shades of violet and pink.
The effect comes from naturally occurring anthocyanin pigments that respond to changes in pH.
It's a simple way to create a dramatic colour-changing gin at home.
How to Use Butterfly Pea Flowers in Gin or Vodka
For a simple infusion:
Use approximately 10–15 flowers per 1 litre of gin or vodka.
Allow the flowers to infuse for approximately 12–24 hours, then remove or strain the flowers once you've achieved the desired colour. These are the directions currently supplied with Border's product.
The spirit should develop a striking blue colour.
When serving, try adding:
- Tonic water
- Fresh lemon
- Fresh lime
- Lemonade
- Other acidic cocktail ingredients
The increased acidity triggers the characteristic colour change.
Make Your Own Colour-Changing Gin
For an easy home version, start with a clear gin or neutral spirit and infuse with Butterfly Pea Flowers.
For even more gin character, combine them with traditional botanicals such as:
Juniper berries, coriander seed, angelica root, orris root, citrus peel and other gin botanicals.
Border Brewing Supplies stocks individual gin botanicals and botanical blends, making it easy to experiment with your own recipes.
Butterfly Pea Flowers also pair particularly well with Edwards Kookaburra Gin Essence for creating a colour-changing Australian-style gin.
Why Does Butterfly Pea Flower Change Colour?
The dramatic effect isn't artificial colouring.
Butterfly Pea Flowers contain naturally occurring anthocyanins, pigments whose appearance changes depending on the acidity of the liquid.
In less acidic conditions the infusion appears blue or indigo.
Add acidic ingredients such as lemon or lime and it shifts towards purple and pink.
That's why Butterfly Pea Flowers have become popular for colour-changing gin and cocktails.
More Than Just Gin
Butterfly Pea Flowers can also be used for:
- Vodka infusions
- Cocktails
- Mocktails
- Butterfly Pea tea
- Iced tea
- Lemonade
- Colourful drink garnishes
- Experimental beer brewing
- Other creative beverages
They can even be used in beer. Brewers have experimented with Butterfly Pea Flowers specifically for their dramatic natural colour and pH-dependent colour changes.
Storage
Because the natural colour can fade with prolonged exposure to light, store the dried flowers in a cool, dry and dark location.
Once you've made a blue spirit infusion, keep the bottle away from direct sunlight to help preserve its colour. Your existing Border instructions already recommend storing the finished blue spirit in a dark place.
Specifications
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Product | Dried Butterfly Pea Flowers |
| Botanical Name | Clitoria ternatea |
| Pack Size | 5g |
| Form | Dried Flowers |
| Colour | Natural Blue / Indigo |
| Primary Use | Gin & Spirit Infusion |
| Other Uses | Cocktails, Tea, Mocktails & Brewing |
| Colour Changing | Yes – reacts to acidity |
| Suggested Spirit Rate | Approx. 10–15 flowers per litre |
| Suggested Infusion Time | Approx. 12–24 hours |
What's Included?
1 × 5g pack of dried Butterfly Pea Flowers
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Butterfly Pea Flowers?
Butterfly Pea Flowers are the flowers of Clitoria ternatea. They're well known for producing a vivid natural blue infusion and for changing colour when the acidity of the liquid changes.
Can I use Butterfly Pea Flowers to make blue gin?
Yes. That's one of their most popular uses. Infuse the dried flowers into gin to produce a striking blue/indigo colour.
Why does Butterfly Pea gin turn purple or pink?
The flowers contain pH-sensitive anthocyanin pigments. Adding acidic ingredients such as lemon or lime changes the appearance of these pigments, shifting the drink from blue towards purple or pink.
How many Butterfly Pea Flowers should I use in gin?
For this product, we recommend approximately 10–15 flowers per litre of gin or vodka.
How long should I infuse them?
Approximately 12–24 hours is a good starting point. Remove the flowers once you've achieved the colour you're looking for.
Can I use Butterfly Pea Flowers in cocktails?
Absolutely. They're excellent for colourful cocktails, particularly drinks containing citrus because the acidity creates the colour-changing effect.
Can I make tea with them?
Yes. Butterfly Pea Flowers can be steeped in hot water to produce a naturally blue herbal infusion. One Australian recipe, for example, uses them to prepare Butterfly Pea tea for a colour-changing gin and tonic.
Can I use Butterfly Pea Flowers in beer?
Yes. They're also used experimentally by brewers to create naturally blue/purple beer and unusual colour effects.
Why Buy from Border Brewing Supplies?
Buy Butterfly Pea Flowers 5g from Border Brewing Supplies for an easy way to create colour-changing gin, cocktails and botanical drinks at home.
- Quality dried gin botanicals
- 5g pack – ideal for small-batch gin infusions
- Competitive online pricing
- Australia-wide shipping
- Click & Collect available
- Local pickup in Tweed Heads South
- Gin botanicals for Gold Coast, Tweed Heads & Northern NSW
- Individual botanicals and complete gin botanical blends available
- Spirit essences and distilling supplies available
- Specialist home brewing and distilling advice
