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St-Germain Cocktail

St-Germain cocktail in highball glass, with St-Germain measuring glass in the background holding extra spritz

Liquor.com / Isabella DiRenzo

Before the Hugo Spritz took over in popular culture as the world's elderflower liqueur-based spritz of choice, the St-Germain Cocktail held that title. Late spirits pioneer Rob Cooper invented St-Germain in 2007 and the French elderflower-based liqueur quickly become a staple in craft cocktail bars around the world. This simple to make spritz helped to get it there.

St-Germain is made with fresh elderflowers that are hand-picked once a year in the late spring, with each bottle containing up to 1,000 of the little blossoms. The St-Germain Cocktail (sometimes called the St-Germain Spritz or Elderflower Spritz) was created by Simon Difford to coincide with the launch of the product. His recipe featured sauvignon blanc, while today it’s more common to use sparkling wine for a double dose of bubbles. Fresh and delicate, St-Germain combines well with both ingredients, and either combination yields the perfect aperitif for a breezy summer evening.

Why the Original St-Germain Cocktail Still Works

The St-Germain Cocktail employs a similar strategy as the Aperol Spritz. Both pair a low-ABV liqueur with sparkling wine and club soda for ultimate refreshment. But the Aperol Spritz chooses Italian-made prosecco, while the St-Germain Cocktail often features Champagne for an extra French flair. The elderflower lends a floral sweetness to the dry, bubbly wine, while the club soda balances that sweetness with a dose of dilution and more effervescence.

Born during the craft cocktail revival, St-Germain’s fast success spawned other elderflower liqueurs, so these days you have options. But while any of these products can make a good drink, you can’t make a true St-Germain Cocktail without St-Germain.

Once you have your ingredients, the drink is very easy to assemble. You simply build it in the glass, no stirring or shaking required. It’s a great option for solo serves, but is easily scalable for a crowd.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 ounces St-Germain elderflower liqueur

  • 2 ounces dry white wine or Champagne

  • 2 ounces club soda

  •  Garnish: lemon twist

Steps

  1. Fill a Collins glass with ice, then add the St-Germain and wine and stir briefly.

  2. Top with club soda.

  3. Garnish with a lemon twist.