Strain the cocktail into a coupe glass (preferably chilled), and garnish with a lemon twist.Fill the shaker about ¾ with ice, and shake until well chilled.Simply gather all of your ingredients and add them to a cocktail shaker.1.5 oz aquavit / akvavit (I used Ahus Akvavit, which is one of my favorites).Elderflower & Grapefruit Aquavit Sour ingredients: Just try it! Aquavit is a wonderful spirit that deserves more widespread popularity, and it fits perfectly into the ongoing craft cocktail trends showcasing fresh and interesting botanical flavor pairings. Try it with ginger beer and a squeeze of lime. Try it in an ice-cold Martini (2oz aquavit, ½ oz dry vermouth, lemon twist for garnish).

If you’ve never had it before, pick up a bottle and try it neat. It’s a bit complex, robust, and savory, and is great in very simple cocktails like an Aquavit & Tonic or in place of vodka in a Moscow Mule.Īquavit is made in Scandavian countries such as Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, where it is commonly served and sipped from small shot-sized glasses, often with food. Caraway lends a peppery, earthy flavor, sometimes also coming through as anise-like. Think of aquavit as kind of like a Nordic gin, but rather than featuring crisp juniper, it draws on the herb-y spice of caraway and/or dill. What is aquavit?Īquavit is a distilled spirit made from either grains or potatoes and flavored with a variety of botanicals, the most prominent of which must be either caraway or dill seed. If you’d like to try another (even easier!) aquavit cocktail, check out my very popular Nordic Summer, featured in my new book, Essential 3-Ingredient Cocktails. However, I find that this Scandanavian spirit is more versatile than it might seem, and it works well in light, even fruity, spring and summer style cocktails too! With its potent herbal flavors, aquavit seems to be most often featured (in the US, that is) in either spirit-forward wintery cocktails or vegetal drinks that draw on the liquor’s prominent caraway and/or dill seed flavor. Try this recipe with Ahus Akvavit for its bright rosemary and orange aromas! A light and floral aquavit cocktail

Aquavit lends this cocktail a slight savory undertone that beautifully balances the intensity of elderflower liqueur. The floral and sweet flavors of the elderflower combine seamlessly with the botanical juniper notes and light bitterness of gin.This citrusy aquavit cocktail features pink grapefruit and elderflower for a spring-inspired sipper that’s light and floral with a subtle herbal complexity. Since it’s well-balanced between sweet, acidic, fruity, and floral, it’s a versatile liqueur that pairs fantastically with sparkling wine, white wine, clear spirits, club soda, and so on.īut we’re here to talk specifically about St-Germain and gin, which is a truly magical combination. On the nose, there are botanical aromas of lilies and jasmine, as well as lychee and grapefruit. You’ll taste a range of fruits, like pear, lychee, peach, passionfruit, grapefruit, and lemon, along with herbal notes and honeysuckle. St-Germain is a light, floral liqueur with complex and well-balanced flavors. It’s perfect for Spring and Summertime cocktails thanks to its floral, fruity qualities, but it’s also great for festive, celebratory cocktails that can be enjoyed all year long. It hit the market that year as the world’s very first elderflower liqueur.Įach year in the Spring, elderflower blossoms are hand-picked at the base of the Alps in France’s Savoie region, and up to 1000 blossoms are in every bottle of this tasty liqueur. St-Germain (pronounced Saint Germaine) is a slightly sweet French liqueur made with elderflower blossoms.Ī man named Rob Cooper, who just happens to be the son of the guy that created Chambord black raspberry liqueur, developed St-Germain in 2007. St-Germain elderflower liqueur and gin are truly a match made in cocktail heaven! From unique riffs on G&Ts to tasty slushies, these St-Germain and gin cocktails are beyond refreshing and always please a crowd.

Gin elderflower grapefruit cocktail