St. Germain Cocktail

The St. Germain Cocktail is an elegant and incredibly refreshing drink, celebrated for its delicate balance of sweet and floral notes. The star ingredient, St. Germain elderflower liqueur, provides unique flavors of pear, lychee, and grapefruit, which are beautifully lifted by the effervescence of dry sparkling wine. Topped with soda water, it becomes a light, bubbly, and easy-drinking spritz that is perfect for any occasion. Its simplicity and sophisticated flavor profile have made it a favorite worldwide.
St. Germain Cocktail

Preparation

Preparation time: 3 minutes

Preparation time
Difficulty

Drink Classification

The St. Germain Cocktail is classified as a modern cocktail, having gained popularity in the 21st century. It is a quintessential spritz, belonging to the family of wine-based drinks topped with soda water. Due to its light and refreshing nature, it's primarily served as an aperitif to stimulate the appetite before a meal.

Serving

Served cold over ice in a tall Collins or large wine glass, this is a fairly large and low-alcohol drink. The preparation is simple with no special glass treatment required.
Serving size
approx. 240 ml / 8 oz
Alcohol content
10-12% ABV
Alcohol strength
Serving temperature
Cold
Glass type
Collins glass
Glass treatment
None

Backstory

The cocktail was created as the signature serve for St-Germain, an elderflower liqueur launched in 2007 by distiller Rob Cooper. The liqueur, made from fresh, hand-picked elderflower blossoms from the French Alps, quickly became a sensation in the cocktail world. The simple yet elegant recipe of liqueur, sparkling wine, and soda was heavily promoted by the brand to showcase its unique flavor. This marketing success helped propel both the liqueur and the cocktail to international fame, making it a modern classic.
Origin
The cocktail's origin is tied to the launch of its namesake liqueur in France, circa 2007. It was developed as the brand's signature drink to be easily replicable and to highlight the liqueur's distinct floral character. Its rise in popularity mirrored the craft cocktail renaissance of the mid-2000s.

St. Germain Cocktail

This drink is most commonly known as the St. Germain Cocktail, its signature serve name. It is also frequently called a St-Germain Spritz or simply an Elderflower Spritz, highlighting its key ingredient and spritz-style preparation. These names are used interchangeably to refer to the same elegant and refreshing beverage.
Original name
St. Germain Cocktail
Alternative names
  • St-Germain Spritz
  • Elderflower Spritz

Characteristics overview

This cocktail presents a beautifully floral aroma and a refreshingly sweet flavor with notes of pear and citrus. Its light, bubbly texture and clean, crisp finish make it an exceptionally refreshing drink, especially for spring and summer.
Flavor
Floral, sweet, bubbly, refreshing, light, fruity, pear, lychee, citrus
Aroma
Elderflower, citrus, grape, pear, honeysuckle
Taste balance
Sweet, sour
Aftertaste
Clean, crisp, lingering floral notes
Fizziness
Bubbly, effervescent
Color appearance
Pale yellow, clear, translucent, sparkling
Texture
Light, crisp, thin, watery
Seasonality
Refreshing, summery, spring-like

Flavor intensity & Experience

The flavor is defined by moderate sweetness and fruitiness, balanced by a gentle sourness and high carbonation. It is a light-bodied drink with a low alcohol presence, making it very approachable.
Sweetness
Saltiness
Sourness
Bitterness
Spiciness
Fruitiness
Creaminess
Carbonation

Ingredients

This cocktail is made with three simple liquid ingredients: St. Germain elderflower liqueur, a dry sparkling wine like Prosecco, and soda water. The classic recipe follows a simple 3:2:2 ratio part-wise.
  • St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur45 ml / 1.5 oz
    The key component of the drink.
  • Dry Sparkling Wine60 ml / 2 oz
    Prosecco, Champagne, or Cava work well. A dry (Brut) style is recommended to balance the liqueur's sweetness.
  • Soda Water60 ml / 2 oz
    Can be substituted with sparkling water or club soda. Adds length and extra effervescence.

Ice type

  • Cubed

Mixing equipments

No special equipment is needed as this is a built-in-glass cocktail. A bar spoon is useful for a gentle stir to combine the ingredients without losing carbonation.
  • Bar spoon for gentle stirring.

Instructions

This is a simple "build-in-glass" recipe: fill a glass with ice, add the liqueur, then the sparkling wine, and top with soda. A gentle stir and a garnish are all that's needed to finish.
1. Fill a tall Collins glass (or a large wine glass) with ice cubes to chill.
2. Pour the St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur over the ice.
3. Gently pour in the chilled dry sparkling wine.
4. Top the drink with chilled soda water.
5. Give the cocktail a very gentle stir with a bar spoon to combine the ingredients.
6. Express the oils from a lemon twist over the glass and drop it in as a garnish before serving.

Garnishing

A simple lemon twist is the classic garnish, adding a bright citrus aroma that complements the floral notes. A thin lemon wheel can also be used as an alternative.
  • Lemon Twist - Cut a swath of lemon peel, express the oils over the drink's surface, and drop it in.

Dietary Information

This cocktail is naturally free from common allergens like dairy, eggs, soy, and nuts. It is also caffeine-free, gluten-free, and suitable for both vegan and vegetarian diets, provided a vegan-certified sparkling wine is used.
✓ Contains alcohol
✓ Caffeine-free
✓ Dairy-free
✓ Egg-free
✓ Soy-free
✓ Nut-free
✓ Gluten-free
✓ Vegan-friendly
✓ Vegetarian-friendly

Nutrition information

A single serving contains a moderate amount of calories and sugar, primarily from the elderflower liqueur. It is relatively low in comparison to many other sweeter, cream-based cocktails.
Calories
averagely 150 kcal / 628 kJ
Calories level
Carbohydrates
averagely 15 g
Carbohydrate level
Sugar
averagely 15 g
Sugar level

Occasions

This cocktail is perfectly suited for warm-weather gatherings like garden parties and summer afternoons. Its elegance makes it an excellent choice for celebrations such as weddings and anniversaries. It shines brightest when served as a pre-dinner aperitif or as a feature at brunch.
  • Summer party
  • Brunch
  • Aperitif
  • Wedding reception
  • Garden party
  • Celebrations

Pairing suggestions

The cocktail's floral and citrus notes pair wonderfully with light and fresh foods. It is an excellent companion to seafood, salads, and soft cheeses. Its delicate sweetness also allows it to complement fruit-based desserts or stand alongside savory brunch items without overwhelming them.
  • Light appetizers
  • Cheese platters (especially with goat cheese)
  • Seafood (oysters, shrimp cocktail)
  • Salads with vinaigrette dressing
  • Fruit desserts
  • Brunch foods like quiche or crepes

The St. Germain Cocktail: A Toast to Parisian Elegance

The St. Germain Cocktail is the epitome of effortless French chic in a glass. It is a wonderfully simple yet sophisticated spritz that balances the unique floral sweetness of elderflower with the dry crispness of sparkling wine. Its light body, refreshing effervescence, and beautiful aroma make it an incredibly popular choice for an aperitif or a celebratory toast. Easy to make and even easier to drink, it's a modern classic that brings a touch of elegance to any occasion.

Similar cocktails

Hugo Spritz

Uses elderflower syrup instead of liqueur, prosecco, soda, and is garnished with fresh mint leaves and a lime slice.

Elderflower Collins

A variation on the Tom Collins, using gin, lemon juice, St. Germain as the sweetener, and topped with soda water.

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