Fueled by the iconic elderflower liqueur, the St-Germain Cocktail embodies the spirit of low-alcohol conviviality prevalent throughout Europe. Light, floral, and refreshing, it’s a warm-weather go-to, easy in both execution and drinkability. You know, the sort of light, lovely, ever-so-slightly tipsy, effervescent conviviality defined by sitting a spell and chatting and not checking your text messages or your likes on Instagram while someone else is talking. Of course, we couldn’t pull our attention away from this cocktail even if we tried—or if we suddenly doubled our Instagram followers. But don’t take our word for it. Try it and see for yourself.–Drew Lazor | Camille Ralph Vidal

4 delicate tumblers filled with St. Germain Cocktail with a little ice and a lemon twist, sitting on a silver tray on a marble table.

St. Germain Cocktail

5 from 1 vote
St. Germain, Champagne or prosecco, and soda water. Lightly effervescent, slightly inebriating, and thoroughly enjoyable.
David Leite
CourseDrinks
CuisineFrench
Servings1 drink
Calories131 kcal
Prep Time5 minutes
Total Time5 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 1 ounce St. Germain*, or more, to taste
  • 2 ounces dry sparkling wine
  • 2 ounces soda water
  • Lemon twist, for garnish

Instructions 

  • Combine all of the ingredients over ice in a Collins glass, highball glass, or glass tumbler.
  • Stir gently and garnish with the lemon twist.
  • Start sipping immediately (as if we had to tell you that!).

Notes

*What is St. Germain liqueur?

You can be forgiven for not ever having tasted St Germain liqueur. Unfortunately, we can’t be all 20s era, Champers swilling, Ritz hotel patrons. St. Germain is a delicate French bevvie, made from elderflowers. It has a lovely grapefruit, peach, and floral taste that works so well with the sparkling white wine of your choice.
Elderflower blossoms are hand-picked in the late spring, adding romance to the aura of the lithe, lively spirit. It’s just the je ne sais quoi that your next cocktail needs.
How to Drink French Fluently

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How to Drink French Fluently

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Nutrition

Serving: 1 drinkCalories: 131 kcalCarbohydrates: 12 gProtein: 1 gSodium: 16 mgPotassium: 51 mgSugar: 12 gCalcium: 8 mgIron: 1 mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe?Mention @leitesculinaria or tag #leitesculinaria!
Recipe © 2017 Drew Lazor | Camille Ralph Vidal. Photo © 2017 PUNCH Creative. All rights reserved.

Recipe Testers’ Reviews

This St. Germain cocktail was totally easy peasy—easy to make and easy to drink. This is a wonderful cocktail! Cool and refreshing. Perfect for an afternoon in a hammock.

This St. Germain cocktail is a perfect summer cocktail with lovely floral notes from the St. Germain. It takes only a few minutes to assemble. I used a vegetable peeler to get that nice, wide slice of lemon zest.

This St. Germain cocktail is a super straightforward and refreshing drink that got a thumbs-up from both of us. I hadn’t used St. Germain before but suspected the elderflower liqueur would work as I have used other elderflower cordials and syrups to flavor sparkling water.

The combination of the dry sparkling wine and the St. Germain was lovely with the soda and lemon as a long sipping drink over ice. The perfume of the elderflower really is very nice. This is a superb drink to share with friends.




About David Leite

David Leite has received three James Beard Awards for his writing as well as for Leite’s Culinaria. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, Saveur, Bon Appétit, Gourmet, Food & Wine, Yankee, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, and more.


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