St-Germain French Artisanal Elderflower Liqueur, Made with Fresh Handpicked Elderflowers, No Artificial Flavours, 20% ABV, 70cl / 700ml

Product Information

The elderflower liqueur can be consumed right away, or aged longer if desired. It will keep indefinitely! The sweetening requirement is what makes cordials distinct from dry flavored spirits such as gin. In the United States, where “cordial” and “liqueur” are used interchangeably, regulations require that they contain at least 2.5 percent sugar by weight and be made from “fruits, flowers, plants, or pure juices therefrom, or other natural flavoring materials, or with extracts” of those materials. In Europe, cordials refer to non-alcoholic drinks. We use the terms based on U.S. regulations. Soon after, he tried to create an alcoholic product that captures this flavor - equally good as the syrup did. To focus on his elderflower liqueur, Rob Cooper had to leave the family business where he had been working up until then, and which produced and sold Chambord among others. -At least he remained within the industry. St Germain liqueur is from France, and it is the world's first commercially produced elderflower. It got its name from the fashionable quarter of St-Germain-des-Près located in Paris.

How do you say St Germain?First off, don’t say “Saint”. It’s actually pronounced “Sahn-jer-MAHN.” But however you want to say it to not sound too pretentious with your friends, go for it! St Germain has become widely popular because there’s really nothing like it. The flavor is light, sweetly floral, and fragrant, with notes of citrus, pear and passionfruit. It’s hard to describe until you taste it! It adds a unique smooth finish to any drink. Only fresh and fragrant elderflowers are used to flavor the base spirit. These flowers are hand-harvested in late springs from local farmers in Haute Savoie. The yellow-golden shade of the liqueur is achieved naturally due to the pollen. Why is it called St Germain? Pour a 750ml bottle of vodka over the elderflowers, t hen top the jar with lemon slices to keep the flowers submerged under the vodka. Regulations allow cordial producers creative license with not only the spirit and flavoring agent, but also how they’re incorporated. Some add flavoring agents after distillation by one of several methods. Infusion involves steeping the flavor source; maceration entails more aggressive crushing of the flavor components before steeping; percolation pumps water or spirits over the ingredients to extract flavors. Finally, flavor can be added by compounding, simply adding the flavoring extract to the spirit. Heartier flavoring agents such as seeds and flowers may be distilled along with the distillate, often for the second distillation, similar to the gin-making process.It’s important to consider that elderflowers turn into elderberries, so taking them will mean fewer berries on the tree. This usually isn’t an issue as elder trees are widespread and very prolific. St Germain is a liqueur that’s made with elderflowers, the small white flowers of an elderberry plant. With its beautiful vintage bottle, it looks like a liqueur that’s been produced for centuries by French monks like Chartreuse. But turns out, it’s a lot more modern than you might expect.

If you don’t have access to fresh elderflowers, dried elderflowers can also be used, just use about half as much as fresh. In 2012, Cooper sold St. Germain to the Bacardi Group. Sadly, four years later, at only 39, he did in his Santa Barbara home. Harvesting & Processing Elderflowers Insects love elderflowers, so be sure to give the flowers a few shakes before using to remove them. It also helps to let them sit for an hour or two outside to let any remaining bugs vacate. Depending on the size of the elderflowers you collect, you will need about 20-30 whole flower heads for this liqueur recipe.This elderflower martini is so fresh and floral! Featuring homemade sweet and sour mix, gin, vodka and St Germain, it's everything bright and floral! The perfect use for this liqueur. If you’re interested in learning more about elderflower, we have a complete guide on it where you’ll learn where it comes from, how it’s made, what it tastes like, and more.