The ten Finest St-Germain Cocktails

Though it has turn into virtually synonymous with elderflower liqueur, St-Germain has a comparatively quick historical past when thought-about within the pantheon of French liqueurs like Chartreuse and Benedictine.

Within the early 2000s, Robert J. Cooper, an inheritor of Charles Jacquin et Cie, Inc., a spirits and cordial producer in Philadelphia, approached his father with the thought of launching an elderflower liqueur like those he had tried at cocktail bars in London. By Cooper’s personal account, his father advised him, “I’ll rent you again in a 12 months once you fail.” The younger entrepreneur struck out on his personal in 2007 and launched St-Germain, its identify and Artwork Deco bottle impressed by the Paris neighborhood of St-Germain-des-Prés, which was well-liked amongst writers and artists in the course of the Belle Époque period.

A savvy businessman, Cooper labored with bartenders to develop a liqueur that would simply be combined into cocktails, and St-Germain’s launch fortuitously coincided with the craft cocktail revival, when many bartenders sought to experiment with new substances. By 2008, the product was ubiquitous in bars across the nation. Cooper bought St-Germain to Bacardi Ltd. for an undisclosed sum in 2012, although he handed away in 2016 on the age of 39. Though many imitators have entered the market since St-Germain’s splashy debut, the model stays arguably the most well-liked instance of elderflower liqueur. 

What’s In St-Germain?

A candy floral liqueur, St-Germain is alleged to be made with elderflower petals which are harvested within the Savoie area of France and hand-picked throughout a three- to four-week interval within the springtime after they’re at their peak aroma and taste. Its light-golden hue comes from elderflower pollen, and though the liqueur is sweetened, it eschews synthetic flavoring or coloring. Every bottle is labeled with the variety of petals that had been used to make the liqueur. 

Learn how to Use St-Germain

At 20% ABV, St-Germain could be sipped by itself, ideally chilled, as an aperitif. It can be loved within the St-Germain Cocktail, typically known as the St-Germain Spritz, which merely tops the liqueur with dry white wine or Champagne, membership soda, and a lemon twist. 

As a result of it’s comparatively candy, St-Germain typically pulls double responsibility in cocktails, imparting each sweetness and a definite floral and honeysuckle taste profile. Bartenders could swap out easy syrup for St-Germain, or break up the sweetener between the 2. Whereas St-Germain’s floral taste makes it a pure match for gin’s botanicals, it’s versatile sufficient to work with a spread of spirits and serves.

Listed here are 10 of the very best cocktails to make with a bottle of St-Germain.