This St. Germain Elderflower cocktail has a sweet, delicate elderflower flavor mixed with fresh lemons, limes, and Hendrix gin.

How I found the St. Germain Elderflower Cocktail

I discovered St. Germain liqueur when I was dining in one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago called Shaw’s Crab House. The waitress suggested the drink, but I was hesitant because the thought of drinking elderflower just made me think of…well…drinking flowers. It did not sound very appealing to me, but the waitress assured me the flavor was not overpowering and said she would get me a sample of St. Germain.

One sip of the deliciousness and I was all in!!! She brought me the cocktail and it was ahhhhmazing. It has a light floral taste mixed with fresh lemons, limes, and gin. I have always been a fan of gin, but mixing it with St. Germain takes it to a whole new level. In fact, I now order it every time we eat at Shaw’s Crab House.

What is St. Germain

In case you haven’t heard of St. Germain, it is made from a small, white starry flower called Elderflower. It only blooms in the spring and summer and the liqueur is made out of flowers gathered from hillsides in the French Alps. According to the company’s website, after the flowers are gathered, they are transported by bicycle to immediately begin the process of creating the liqueur.

Once the flowers are processed into the liqueur, each bottle is numbered according to the year in which the flowers were picked. The liqueur is fantastic and tastes amazing with its sweet flavor of warm floral notes.

How I finally got the recipe

Recently, we were at Shaw’s Crab House and I found out they no longer have the St. Germain Elderflower and Hendrix Gin Cocktail on the menu. What!!!??? However, they can still make it. Whew! After chatting with my waiter, I asked if the bartender would be willing to share the recipe. Guess what…they shared it! If you read my Torched Cherry Cocktail recipe, you know I have a habit of asking for drink recipes at restaurants.

How to Make the St. Germain Elderflower Cocktail

To be honest, I have tried for the past year to recreate the St. Germain Elderflower recipe. My version never tasted quite as good as the one at the restaurant, so I was super excited when I found out the actual ingredient list.

The St. Germain Elderflower cocktail is sooooo simple and contains only four ingredients: St. Germain, Hendrick’s Gin, lemon juice, and lime juice. You shake it all up and voilà — you have deliciousness in a glass! If you really want to go crazy, you can add in an egg white before shaking the drink for a frothy top.

When you make this cocktail, be sure to use Hendrick’s Gin. I tried other brands, but they did not do this drink justice. Hendrick’s Gin is made with rose petals and cucumber which creates a fresh taste that pairs well with the St. Germain. I promise this drink does not taste like flowers, and the lemon and lime cut the sweetness just enough for the perfect balance.

If you have not had the opportunity to enjoy a cocktail made with St. Germain liqueur, you should definitely put it on your list to try.

xoxo,
Molly