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I’ve always been a fan of elderflower.

While its counterpart, elderberry, is incredibly useful as a natural remedy for sore throats and lung ailments, unlike the dark stodgy berry, the flower is deliciously light and refreshing. Upon my recent trip to the UK, I brought back bottles of elderflower cordial to be lovingly poured over ice and topped with club soda all summer. 

The funny thing is, while I was waxing lyrical over elderflower, apparently so were bartenders and foodies everywhere. Suddenly St. Germain, a liquer made from elderflower grown in the Alps, is the new “it” drink.

From the pages of Martha Stewart Living, to the drinks menu at The Plow and Stars, this liquer, which since it’s debut in 2007, usually resides in the dark recesses of liquor stores everywhere, is being discovered by bartenders everywhere.

This is not a cheap tipple as it averages around $38 for a 750ml bottle, but that’s because production is limited  since elderflowers only bloom for a short time each spring. It does however beat paying $9 per cocktail, especially when most recipes use only 1/2 a shot per drink. So in an attempt to keep you all a bit more solvent, I’m giving you the recipe to share with family and friends at your next BBQ or summer affair.

2 Shots		Champagne* or Dry White Wine
1 ½ Shots		St-Germain
2 Shots	Sparkling Water or Club Soda

Method: Stir ingredients in a tall ice-filled Collins glass, mixing completely. Think of Paris circa 1947. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Morning shopping at Whole foodsYields to cleaning homeFreshness rules my world.