If you somehow missed the elderflower liqueur boat when it sped along 10-15 years ago, let’s get you aboard now with the St-Germain Spritz!

St-Germain is a lovely botanical liqueur named after one of the swankiest sections of Paris. It gets its pale yellow hue from pollen, which is fitting because this elixir is positively made for days spent buzzing in the sun (the bees, not you!). The iconic white flower’s essence blends with notes of pear and honeysuckle for a truly original, and daresay, feminine flavor.

St-Germain’s classy bottle harkens back to Prohibition days, but it was only invented in 2007. By an American, actually — not the French. After seeping into, and arguably conquering every corner of the cocktail world, this special spirit was scooped up by Bacardi in 2013.

The Perfect Twist

For a while, I mixed St-Germain with champagne or prosecco (actually, this has a name — ‘St-Germain Royale’). When trying to order this at a cafe in Paris last summer, my poor French landed me a St-Germain Spritz, and I haven’t looked back. The ‘spritz’ adds another part sparkling water to the liquor and sparkling wine … along with a crucial dash of citrus.

The original St-Germain Spritz recipe calls for a twist of lemon. In my case at the café, they used Perrier water and two lime wedges. Leave it to the Parisians to perfect it. You can switch it up with oranges or lemons … either will lend a critical acid balance to the honey sweet florals in a novel way. I like the lime version best!

The sparkling water you use will make a difference, too, due to mineral content. Experiment with regular club soda, Perrier, San Pellegrino, or Saratoga waters!

For a non-alcoholic option, sub elderflower syrup for the St-Germain, nix the sparkling wine and double the club soda.

Let summer sizzle!

St-Germain Spritz

Course: CocktailsDifficulty: Easy

Servings

1

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

The never-fail cocktail for sunny spring and summer days

Ingredients

• 1.5 ounces (one shot) St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur

• 1/4 cup Champagne, Prosecco or sparkling white wine

• 1/4 cup sparkling water (club soda, Perrier, etc)

• Citrus to taste (2 lime wedges squeezed, lemon or orange)

• Ice

Directions

• Pour St-Germain, sparkling wine, and sparkling water into a liquid measuring cup
• Add plenty of ice to a white wine glass.
• Pour the liquid ingredients over ice.
• Squeeze in citrus of choice and stir. Sip or serve with a straw.

Notes

• The sparkling water you use will make a difference, too, due to mineral content. Experiment with regular club soda, Perrier, San Pellegrino, or Saratoga waters!