Meet St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur
In Section: Food & Drink Blog » Posted By: Ted Scheffler
My first encounter with St-Germain Delice De Sureau elderflower liqueur happened whilst I was helping to judge the 2009 Park City Cocktail Contest. The winning cocktail wound up being Deer Valley Resort’s St-Germain Cocktail. Since then, I’ve become quite a fan of this exotic liqueur.
St-Germain is an artisanal liqueur made from 100% fresh, wild, hand-picked elderflowers (sureau in French) picked in late spring in the foothills of the Alps. The seductive bouquet is your first hint that St-Germain is something special, with aromatic hints of honeyed pears and white peaches along with Meyer lemons. The taste is tropical and flowery — a riot of lychee, pear and Muscat notes. Here in Utah, it sells for about $34.
There are lots of nifty-tasting cocktails to be enjoyed using St-Germain, including the French Pear Martini, St-Honore 75, The Montparnasse and the East End Cooler. But the simplest way to imbibe is simply to pour St-Germain over ice, with or without a splash of soda.
Here is the recipe for the classic St-Germain Cocktail: In a tall ice-filled Collins glass, stir together 2 shots of Champagne or dry white wine, 1 1/2 shots St-Germain and 2 shots sparkling water or club soda. Garnish with a twist of lemon. Sip with Sartre alongside.
For more St-Germain cocktail recipes click here.
Tags: bars, cocktail contest, Deer Valley, liquor laws
