What is elderflower liqueur? And how do you use it?

While branded elderflower liqueurs like St Germain are a fairly new invention, the flavour has been with us for centuries, mostly as a cordial across northern Europe. Elderflower has even been sipped as far back as Roman times. In other words, she old. The modern grown-up iteration was devised much later, around 2007 when son of Chambord-glory and third-generation distiller Robert J. Cooper ventured out on his own to create St Germain (despite his famous father’s misgivings). 

The name St Germain is pretty unique. Turns out old Robbie J. has a soft spot for the French creatives. The St-Germain-es-Prés area was once the artistic epicentre of Paris – housing notable famous artists and novelists – Hemingway, Picasso, Baudelaire and more. Robert was inspired to capture that creative juju in his St Germain liqueur, even shaping the bottle to be in the art-deco style – a li'l wink and a nod to the neighbourhood's aesthetic.

So, obviously elderflower liqueurs are made from elderflowers, but what else? Well, the flowers are actually a big deal. All are handpicked and harvested from the foothills of the French Alps and they only flower in spring, but are at their ripest for just one week. French farmers hand-harvest them and then race against the clock to capture the unique fragrance and flavour of the ripe blossoms. They are macerated in grape-neutral spirit within 48 hours of being picked before the sugar element is mixed in – 180g per litre. 

Now the crucial questions: What exactly does it taste like? And why does it blend in so harmoniously with most spirits? Elderflower has a very intriguing flavour, and elderflower liqueur is no different. Elderflower liqueurs are sweet but not overly so, and they have a beautiful floral element, but it’s all balanced with some subtle citrusy notes like lemon zest. And if you really pay attention, your tongue can pick up passionfruit, pastry and even lemon meringue pie flavours. Because of this, it not only works with most spirits but also most white fruit flavours like apple, pear and grapes, hence the name bartender’s ketchup.

No sweat. There are some excellent cocktails that use elderflower liqueur. First up, we have the aforementioned Hugo Spritz. Delicious, refreshing and super light – it gained traction on TikTok a few years ago and shows no signs of slowing. Next up is the Elderflower Martini – a floral take on the OG, but mixed up with vodka instead of gin, this drink is super sexy and means business, but it’s also very pretty. Ava Matthew’s Basil and Elderflower Spritz cocktail is great for serving a few peeps and is wonderfully simplistic. Cara Devine’s Gin Sour with Celery Bitters is wonderfully savoury and floral. And lastly, but not leastly, our fave elderflower cocktail – the Courtside. Pretty in pink, sweet and fruity, this is everything you want in a cocktail. 

But if you want to keep it super simple, mix some elderflower liqueur through your Gin and Tonic, Gin and Tonica or even your voddy, lime and soda.