Liquor Saint-Germain (St-Germain) is made in France from freshly picked inflorescences of elderberry. The manufacturer claims that this is the world’s first all-natural elderberry alcoholic drink.
Features
In the bouquet of Saint Germain, tones of peach, pear, tropical fruits, grapefruit and honeysuckle are felt. The drink does not contain artificial flavors and dyes. The golden color of the liquor is due to the high content of pollen. Fortress – 20% vol.
Technology
Elderberry blooms once a year, only a few weeks in late spring – early summer, and there are both especially “fragrant” years and “unsuccessful”. Therefore, on each bottle of Saint-Germain liqueur, the year of issue is indicated (these are the last two digits in the serial number), so that connoisseurs can immediately imagine the bouquet.
Elderberry flowers are so fragile that they are only harvested by hand. Damaged inflorescences change the taste of the drink and are not suitable for liquor. One bottle of Saint Germain requires about 1000 elderflowers.
The liqueur is produced according to old French technologies. First, white elderberry brushes are soaked in warm water for several hours, then the fragrant liquid is filtered, removing leaves, stems and inflorescences. To get the perfect taste, the manufacturer blends several tinctures from different vintages. Finally, elderberry water is mixed with grape spirit, sugar is added and diluted with water to the desired strength.
Since the drink is completely natural, it is not intended for long-term storage – an open bottle must be drunk within six months.
History
Saint-Germain liqueur was invented in 2007 by winemaker Robert Cooper, the name of the drink comes from the Parisian quarter of St Germain-Des-Prés – one of the most bohemian and significant places during the Belle Epoque at the turn of the 1920th and XNUMXth centuries. The bottle is made in the Art Deco style and is meant to be reminiscent of Paris in the XNUMXs.
The logo depicts a bicycle, the same symbol often appears in advertising. The fact is that elderberry pickers use a bicycle to deliver clusters to the place of production of the drink as quickly as possible, without damaging the delicate inflorescences, which would certainly happen if transported by car.
Saint-Germain has repeatedly won international competitions, for example, in 2018 he received a double gold medal in San Francisco and became a finalist in the World Spirits Challenge.
For the first five years, the liquor was produced by Cooper Spirits Co, then the brand was sold to the Bacardi concern.
How to drink Saint Germain
Saint-Germain is rarely drunk neat (strongly chilled or with ice), most often the liqueur is used as a cocktail ingredient or mixed in any proportion with soda, sparkling and still white wine.
Cocktails with Saint Germain liqueur
Elderberry goes well with any strong base, from vodka to tequila, and can give a classic cocktail a new twist.
- St Germain Spritz. Pour one and a half parts elderberry liqueur and two parts each of dry white sparkling wine and sparkling water into an ice-filled collins glass. Stir, garnish with lemon zest.
- St Germain Gin & Tonic. Pour one and a half parts of Saint-Germain liqueur and three parts of London Dry gin into an ice-filled highball glass, top up with tonic to taste, garnish with a basil leaf.
- St Germain Royale. In a flute glass, mix ½ oz elderberry liqueur and champagne to taste. Serve with a strawberry.
- Parisian Daiquiri. ¾ parts freshly squeezed lemon juice and Saint-Germain liqueur, XNUMX parts white Bacardi, a teaspoon of sugar mixed in an ice-filled shaker, serve in a saucer glass.
- St. Rita. Dip the rim of an old fashioned glass in salt, pour over ice cubes, mix in a shaker part of the elderberry liqueur, one and a half parts of tequila, ¾ parts of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Pour the mixture into a serving glass.
- Frenchie Negroni. In an old fashioned glass, mix equal parts gin, Saint Germain liqueur, Martini Riserva Speciale Bitter and Martini Riserva Speciale Rubino. Serve with ice.