St. Germain

[Nathan]

The advent of this liqueur has been discussed lately in the cocktail world...but not much has been done with it of yet. It can certainly be subbed (with alterations) into drinks calling for elderflower syrup or cordial, but drinks featuring it are still thin on the ground.

Last night I had an elderflower sidecar at Little Branch that was a revelation. I think it'll sub for curacao or cointreau in many drinks...but its properties are unique enough that it should be the basis for quite a few more.

[jmfangio]

There are a few recipes in the latest Difford's Guide. Last month Slashfood did a review, and write up of the recipes here. I can't wait to try it.

Edited April 27, 2007 by jmfangio (log)

[KatieLoeb]

What's irking me is that the importer/distributor is based in Philadelphia and I can't buy it yet in PA.

I sent them an e-mail and they responded promptly, but there's no telling how long it will be before I can get my hands on my own bottle.

Elderflower makes for a quite tasty Vesper. Equal parts your fave gin and vodka, one fourth as much Lilllet, Elderflower and a fat orange twist. Mightily refreshing.

[phlip]

There are two on the new Menu at Death and Co. in Nyc. Thats two from amongst a plethera the bartenders have been working on. It truly is one of the finest liquiors to come on the market since I've started tending bar. I've tried it with every spirit with the exception of vodka ( why waste a good thing ) and it works with even peated scotch and aquavit. Well done Robert.

[eje]

There are two on the new Menu at Death and Co. in Nyc. Thats two from amongst a plethera the bartenders have been working on. It truly is one of the finest liquiors to come on the market since I've started tending bar. I've tried it with every spirit with the exception of vodka ( why waste a good thing ) and it works with even peated scotch and aquavit. Well done Robert.

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Boy, I agree with this.

It is so refreshing to see new products from companies which are taking the quality and craftsmanship of their products seriously.

I wish them the best of luck (not that they seem to need it).

They have a few drinks on their website (which for some reason doesn't come up easily in Google):

St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur

[slkinsey]

I've been experimenting a bit with St. Germain to see if I could come up with something. I've also been on a bit of a julep kick lately, so...

Elderflower Gin Julep

3 oz : Tanqueray

1/2 oz : St. Germain

8-10 fresh mint leaves

Lightly muddle the mint leaves with the St. Germain in the bottom of a pre-chilled julep cup or similarly-sized glass. Add crushed ice and Tanqueray and prepare using your favorite Julep method. Decorate with plenty of fresh mint on top. I've been wondering about an aromatic garnish. Have dashed on some absinthe, but maybe something else will come to mind.

[Nathan]

I've been experimenting a bit with St. Germain to see if I could come up with something.  I've also been on a bit of a julep kick lately, so...

Elderflower Gin Julep

3 oz : Tanqueray

1/2 oz : St. Germain

8-10 fresh mint leaves

Lightly muddle the mint leaves with the St. Germain in the bottom of a pre-chilled julep cup or similarly-sized glass.  Add crushed ice and Tanqueray and prepare using your favorite Julep method.  Decorate with plenty of fresh mint on top.  I've been wondering about an aromatic garnish.  Have dashed on some absinthe, but maybe something else will come to mind.

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think a dash of peach bitters would conflict? it tends to work well with mint in my experience, but I'm not sure what it would do with the elderflower on top of that....might be time for an experiment...

[alacarte]

This is how it's being used at Aquavit (NY) - I have not yet tried it:

Elderwhite cocktail: White cranberry-flavored aquavit, white cranberry juice, St. Germaine liquer and a splash of Chambord

(edited to add aquavit!)

Edited June 21, 2007 by alacarte (log)

[slkinsey]

That's got to be one heck of a sweet cocktail! For example, 1/2 ounce of St. Germain and 2 ounces of gin is too sweet for my taste. Also, is there no strong spirit in that cocktail? It sounds like "sweet-sour fruit juice, sweet liqueur, splash of a different sweet liqueur."

[Nathan]

that sounds awful

although 2 gin, .5 germain and .25-.5 of lemon juice sounds pretty good. then maybe top with champagne? or soda on the rocks for a summer quaffer....

Edited June 21, 2007 by Nathan (log)

[eje]

Looking at Aquavit's online drink menu the Elderwhite cocktail looks like a cross between their White Cosmo and Elderflower Martini. Both drinks involve their house Aquavit, so maybe you missed that ingredient?

[bostonapothecary]

This is how it's being used at Aquavit (NY) - I have not yet tried it:

Elderwhite cocktail: White cranberry juice, St. Germaine liquer and a splash of Chambord

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that sounds too sweet for my taste. i never really like a sweet drink that went beyond the sweetness of a manhatten. sweet vermouth is like 25brix i think??

beyond that with no acid you hit cloying....

i talked to a guy last night that distributes compass box single malts.... he told me that at death & co. (maybe or some NYC place...) they make a cocktail of compass box "peatmonster" and st. germain. 2 to 1/2 or 3/4 maybe?? and the contrast of dirth and earth and smoke against that tropical esque funk of the germain is supposedly pretty cool.... laphroaig might work as well.

someone surprised me recently with laphroaig diluted with vodka then just enough honey syrup to make it about as sweet as a manhatten plus burnt orange oil. she was still toying with it but is right on track.... =)

[alacarte]

I went back and looked at the drink again, It does indeed include white cranberry-flavored aquavit. Much better.

Edited June 21, 2007 by alacarte (log)

[Nathan]

i talked to a guy last night that distributes compass box single malts.... he told me that at death & co. (maybe or some NYC place...) they make a cocktail of compass box "peatmonster" and st. germain.  2 to 1/2 or 3/4 maybe??  and the contrast of dirth and earth and smoke against that tropical esque funk of the germain is supposedly pretty cool.... laphroaig might work as well.

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any other ingredients? I have both the peatmonster and germain...

[phlip]

That would be what I call the Peach Monster

Its 2 peat monster

.50 St. G

1 or 2 dash angustora

The St G. and Peat Monster really complement one another and create a subtle wiff of Peach.

And I saw that you think half an ounce of St G. is too much for a drink Sam, Ie Makes it too sweet. I disagree. I find that like the above recipe 2 oz of good booze really blends well with half an ounce of St G and some bitters. I've done it with cognac, rye, scotch, tequila, Mezcal, and gin(add a grapefruit twist) all to satisfaction. Of course yours is a dry sophisticated pallet.

[slkinsey]

Heh! I'd say I like a half-ounce of St. Germain with around 3 ounces of gin (see my Elderflower Julep above), but I've found that a half-ounce of St. Germain does work well with only two ounces of other spirits (rye in particular). Don't know why it seems too sweet to me at 4:1 with dry white spirits.

Sticking with my recent Julep kick, I recently did one with 2 Rittenhouse, 1/2 St. Germain and a float of Lagavullin. Was pretty good.

Edited June 23, 2007 by slkinsey (log)

[Nathan]

I "experimented" this weekend with Peat Monster and Germain.

my preferred final result: 2 PM, .75 Germain, orange bitters.

2:1 is great on the front...but too sweet on the finish...but 2:1 and .25 lemon might work?

[Kent Wang]

I just tried a scotch and St. Germain, with Bowmore Legend (cheap Islay, no age statement, my daily drinker). At 4:1 the scotch really overpowers the elderflower, 2:1 seems just right and doesn't really feel too sweet. I've never had the Peatmonster but I imagine it is at least as peaty as the Bowmore.

There are two on the new Menu at Death and Co. in Nyc. Thats two from amongst a plethera the bartenders have been working on. It truly is one of the finest liquiors to come on the market since I've started tending bar. I've tried it with every spirit with the exception of vodka ( why waste a good thing ) and it works with even peated scotch and aquavit. Well done Robert.

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I had one a few weeks ago there that was pretty simple. I think St. Germain, gin and lemon? Can anyone help with this?

[philadining]

Katie Loeb hooked me on this stuff in simple wine spritzers, and just as I was dreading the annoyance of trying to find it, I discovered that the Pennsylvania State Liquor stores have it on-sale for $25. Every once in a while you gotta love those monopolies...

Experimentation shall commence, thanks for the ideas!

Edited October 18, 2007 by philadining (log)

[Mayur]

I had one a few weeks ago there that was pretty simple. I think St. Germain, gin and lemon? Can anyone help with this?

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That'd be the Elder Fashion, which is an old-fashioned with gin, St. Germain for the sugar, orange bitters (?) and a grapefruit (IIRC, not lemon) peel.

[EDIT: That's it; I spend too much time at that bar if I'm getting back to you before the actual person who might have made your drink did. ]

Edited October 18, 2007 by Mayur (log)

[Kent Wang]

I had one a few weeks ago there that was pretty simple. I think St. Germain, gin and lemon? Can anyone help with this?

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That'd be the Elder Fashion, which is an old-fashioned with gin, St. Germain for the sugar, orange bitters (?) and a grapefruit (IIRC, not lemon) peel.

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I'm pretty sure you nailed it. I think it's 4:1 gin:St. Germain, which is on the sweet side.

[Nishla]

Just picked up a bottle last week and have been experimenting.

I'm not sure the whisky combo does anything for me...I tried it both with peat monster and with rye, but I think I prefer the St. Germain with lighter spirits.

One promising attempt was equal parts gin (Plymouth), St. Germain, lime and Brizard Poire William. Probably need to cut back on the citrus a bit, but very drinkable.

Another decent combo was a take on the last word, with gin, St. Germain, lime, maraschino and chartreuse (preferably green). Still working out the proportions on this one too.

In any case, I love this stuff...every time I taste it new flavors pop out.

[KatieLoeb]

At my buddy Nick's insistence, I tried an interesting variant on an Aviation with:

2.5 oz. Plymouth gin

1.25 oz. fresh lemon juice

.5 oz. Maraschino

.5 oz. St. Germain

Shaken and strained over a maraschino cherry in a cocktail glass. Very tasty!

[lancastermike]

At my buddy Nick's insistence, I tried an interesting variant on an Aviation with:

2.5 oz. Plymouth gin

1.25 oz. fresh lemon juice

.5 oz. Maraschino

.5 oz. St. Germain

Shaken and strained over a maraschino cherry in a cocktail glass.  Very tasty!

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I picked up a bottle on Saturday and I will try this one, Katie

My wife also picked up a bottle of plum flavored vodka.

I made this experiment:

1 and 1/2 oz of the plum vodka

3/4 oz of the St. Germain

1/2 oz fresh lime juice.

It was tasty for sure but too sweet for me.

This stuff has such an interesting taste. I do want to try it in a Manhattan, I thik it will play nicer with rye than borboun. Going to try it with the Wild Turkey rye

[KatieLoeb]

Mike:

Report back on your rye experiments with the St. Germain. Definitely want to hear about it. That's one combo I haven't messed with yet and I'll wager it'll be delicious.

I'll bet that plum vodka is the Pearl, isn't it? I saw that was becoming an available product at specialty stores and was curious about it. I go through about two bottles a week of the Pearl Persephone Pomegranate vodka in my Salty Pomeranians, which are selling well at Chick's.