Respect Yours Elders: St Germain Cocktails

When I went to visit my bestie in San Francisco, she made me an amazing cocktail using St Germain's  elderflower liqueur. I never heard of this until she made me this drink she dubbed "The Elderwand." The liqueur had a distinctive floral flavor with a slight hint of sweetness and citrus note. I was completely won over, so much so that I bought a tiny bottle for myself while in the Bay Area.

Teeny tiny bottle

This night was the night that I was to test out my mixology skills. I have never been a bartender, but I'm not one to shy away from a tasty cocktail. Here are the concoctions that surfaced out of my subconscious.

Let the magic begin

Elderflower and Grapefruit

1/2 oz St Germain elderflower liqueur
1 oz vodka
1 oz freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
1 packet of artificial sweetner, I used Splenda
grapefruit peel for garnish (optional)

Place 3-4 ice cubes into a shaker. Add all ingredients except for peel and shake until well incorporated  Place peel into martini glass and pour chilled cocktail into glass without the ice. You could also sugar the rim if you like.

Elderflower and Grapefruit

The grapefruit cocktail was a little tart, a little sweet and a great drink for a girls night. Fun, flirty and floral.

Elderflower Strawberry Lemonade

1/2 oz St Germain elderflower liqueur
1 oz vodka
1 strawberry, fresh or frozen and thawed
1 oz lemon juice
lemon peel for garnish (optional)

In a rocks glass, add 3-4 ice cubes and all ingredients. Use spoon to mix cocktail, serve cold.

Elderflower Strawberry Lemonade

The strawberry lemonade cocktail was sweet with a little kick. Very fruity and summery.



Elderflower and Mint Simple Syrup

1/2 oz St Germain elderflower liqueur
1/2 oz vodka
2 tsp mint simple syrup (see directions below)
splash of lime juice
1-2 oz lemon lime soda
mint leaves for garnish (optional)

Mint simple syrup:
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup fresh mint leaves, torn

For simple syrup, place all ingredients in a medium pot or medium high heat. Bring pot to a boil and stir until sugar is dissolved. Bring pot to a simmer and steep mint for another 5 minutes. Turn off heat and when cooled, pour into an airtight container and keep in fridge.

For cocktail, add 3-4 ice cubes to a rocks glass and add all ingredients. Stir with spoon until chilled.

Elderflower with Mint Simple Syrup

The great thing about the mint cocktail was how smooth it was. The simple syrup gave the cocktail a silky mouth-feel and it's light refreshing flavor with a minty aftertaste made this simple cocktail sing.

The Elder trio

I'd say that the cocktail night was a success. At least Boyfriend and his sister liked the flavors and I enjoyed playing bartender for the night. Now how am I gonna find a way to finish these drinks? Hmm.

-Akemi-chan