St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur

For many years now, elderflower syrup has been a somewhat common ingredient for a variety of cocktails. At least in Europe, and specifically in London. I’ll often get calls or e-mail from some bar here in the states asking where they can get elderflower syrup for some cocktail they want to add to their menu. The recipe is always one that they’ve gotten from England or France.

While it is possible to find elderflower syrup here in the states, it isn’t easy, and I’m not quite sure why. You’d think that if there was a flavor which was a well-known ingredient in England, that it would be relatively easy to find here. I mean after all, I can usually find a jar of Marmite without looking too hard, so why not Elderflower?

Fortunately this issue will soon be all but forgotten. A new product is currently making its way into our markets which will not only solve the problem but do it with style.

St. Germain, is a brand new product which I think will quickly make dramatic inroads into the more passionate and stately bars across the country. It’s subtle but impressive flavor is one that hints at both floral as well as ever so slightly fruity notes, with a delicacy that can be easily overpowered if used improperly. You can think of it as sort of a floral peer to the orange flavored Cointreau, and I expect that in many cases one can be substituted for the other in many drinks, although the results will be noticeably a brand new drink. Like Cointreau, St. Germain is also quite delightful taken simply by itself.

It was at the recent London Bar Show that I was able to first sample this product. I was not only notably impressed with the product itself, but as you can see in the image here, the bottling is also equally stunning. Prices across America of course vary based on the different laws, taxes, red-tape, and loopholes which are encountered, but the price point for St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur should be just a dollar or two above Cointreau, which I feel is the right place for it to be.

On their website you can of course find a short list of recipes using their product. I naturally had to make my own attempt at coming up with something a little on the unique side. While still recovering from a cold that I picked up sometime during my London visit, I think I’ve come up with a cocktail which provides an interesting combination of flavors… we’ll see if I think the same thing about it in a few days when my taster is fully operational.

Elderthorn

• 1 oz cognac (or brandy)
• 1/2 oz St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur
• 1/2 oz Cynar

Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass.

Bohemian

I really like the new St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur. It's all-natural, delicious, and very unique. The product is top quality, and the recipes the St. Germain folks have come up with are well considered. You can see some of the recipes over at the St. Germain website.

Most of those recipes are, obviously, designed to show off the St. Germain. I wanted to use a different approach, and show the versatility of the St. Germain product. I wanted to use it in more of an "every tiki drink needs a secret ingredient" way. The gorgeous floral aromas and hints of citrus and passion fruit seem to fit the bill perfectly.



Bohemian

1 oz St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur
1 oz Bacardi Superior
1 oz Lemon Hart Demerara Rum
.5 oz Licor 43
.5 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
.5 oz Fresh Lime Juice
1 drop absinthe

St. Germain is available now in New York and California, with wider distribution in the works. If you've come up with some St. Germain cocktails, post the recipes here or send me an e-mail. I am enjoying the flexibility of this product and am anxious to hear what the rest of you are coming up with.

posted by jimmyp