Today I’m highlighting a liqueur that has intrigued me for quite some time. St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur. I first learned about St. Germain at a brunch, when I ordered an elderflower mimosa. It was delicious, so I had to have two. Obviously. When the bill came, and I saw that each clocked in at $15, I thought, what the hell is so special about St. Germain that this place can swindle me out of thirty bucks? (It was good, but it didn’t taste like thirty bucks. A pair of Hendrick’s Gin Martinis? Yeah, they taste like thirty bucks.)

Anyhow…desperate to recreate the elderflower mimosas on my own at a fraction of the price, the hubster and I pilgrimaged to our local Bevmo. Alas, the bottle cost well over $30. The hubster and I were rebuffed! Aghast! What the hell kind of liqueur was this stuff??? Pretty proud of itself, wasn’t it?

Well, now I just had to have it. Honestly. It became my Moby Dick. I ordered St. Germain drinks whenever I saw them on a drink menu, and passed by it in Bevmo during every trip. Mr. Cutler flatly refused to pay that much money for what he saw as a glorified mixer.

So I waited for him to go on vacation. And I bought myself a bottle. (Shhh! Please don’t tell Mr. Cutler.) The first drink I mixed up for myself was a French Gimlet.

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French Gimlet
In a mixing glass, add 2 parts high quality vodka, 1 part St. Germain, and a ½ part fresh lime juice. Shake with ice, and strain into a chilled martini glass.
Um, yeah. I pounded that gimlet like it was the nectar of heaven. (maybe it is. Maybe that’s why it costs so damn much. What do I know about heaven and its nectar?)

The next recipe I’m going to try is a Hummingbird. But the drink I’m most intrigued by is the Sangria Flora. It makes a whole pitcher, so I’ll have to invite some friends over to sample it with me. Anyone up for a party?

Here’s the link to St. Germain’s official website and cocktail recipes: http://www.stgermain.fr/index2.php

Here’s the link to St. Germain’s listing on Bevmo:
http://www.bevmo.com/Shop/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=23841 Cool bottle, eh?

Cheers!
Melissa