Sparkling Elderflower Cocktail

This is the cocktail I whipped up for my Book Club to sip at our Asian-inspired dinner and meeting. The author- Meghan Y. of Cake n Knife– recommends serving it in the Spring, but honestly, it’s the perfect, light cocktail for any occasion. While there are different grades of Sake, the one she showed on her website, was the one in the green bottle you can find at your local grocery store.

I love this cocktail because it is low in alcohol, bright, light, citrusy and fizzy. Elderflower liqueur is one of the ingredients and, while you may be inclined to skip it, please don’t! There is really no other ingredient you can substitute that will give you the same flavor. I bought a bottle for a cocktail I was going to make, wondering how I would ever go through the whole bottle and now, the large bottle ($22.99 at Total Wine) is empty.

Elderflower liqueur is made by St. Germain and on the website they describe it as “The world’s first Artisianal French liqueur, made with up to 1,000 fresh, wild, handpicked elderflower blossoms in every bottle.” They describe the flavor as having “notes of peach, pear, grapefruit and honeysuckle”, but really, the flavor is one all of its own. And the way they collect them sounds like the stuff of fairy tales; the small, white elderflower blossoms are handpicked once a year in late Spring.

So, I hope I’ve convinced you to invest in some Elderflower Liqueur. Also, please use fresh-squeezed lemon juice. I NEVER use the stuff in the bottle! God only knows how long it’s been around and with what preservatives and, it’s so easy to buy a lemon and squeeze it yourself. Look for lemons that are unblemished and feel heavy when you pick them up. The weight indicates that they are filled with juice The peel, which is used in this drink, has so much fragrance, with the oils erupting when you slice a ribbon of it, makes it the perfect finishing touch. Just make sure you don’t go down to the white pith, as this is bitter.