Elderflower Smash (St-Germain Cocktail)

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You’ll love this Elderflower Smash, a St-Germain and gin herbal smash cocktail. Mint is muddled with elderflower liqueur, gin, fresh lemon juice, and bitters for your new favorite fresh and crisp happy hour favorite!

Are you an elderflower fanatic? Join the club! I can’t get enough of fresh elderflower flavor, and my favorite way to enjoy it is in a cocktail.

This Elderflower Smash cocktail marries all of my favorite flavors: the sweet and floral notes of elderflower liqueur, the crisp herbal bite of gin, a bit of smashed mint, and the zing of fresh lemon juice. Simply shake it up and you have my new favorite happy hour libation.

Ready to learn how to make this gin and St-Germain smash cocktail? Cheers!

Ingredients for Elderflower Smash //

• St-Germain liqueur: St-Germain is a liqueur made from elderflowers, with a fruity and herbal flavor that pairs perfectly with gin and vodka in cocktails.
• Gin: Gin gives this cocktail a boozy bite! My favorite gins are Hendricks and Bombay Sapphire, but any standard gin will work well in this cocktail.
• Mint leaves: Mint leaves are muddled (that’s why it’s called a smash!) for a fresh herbal flavor.
• Lemon juice: You can use either fresh squeezed or bottled lemon juice for this recipe, both will add an acidic taste that pairs well with the smooth gin and St-Germain.
• Bitters: Bitters is a high alcohol proof liqueur that is mixed with herbs, barks, roots, or other plant part botanicals and is added in small squirts to cocktails and drinks for a fresh herbal flavor. I like Angostura Bitters in this gin smash.

How to Make // The Steps

1. Muddle the mint: Add mint leaves to a cocktail shaker and muddle, or smash the leaves, to release their aromatic oil.
2. Add the ingredients: Pour 2 ounces of gin, 1-½ ounces of St-Germain, the juice from one half a lemon (about 1-2 tablespoons), and 3 dashes of bitters to the cocktail shaker.
3. Shake and serve: Add ½ cup of ice, cover the cocktail shaker, and shake well. Pour the entire contents of the shaker into a cocktail glass (don’t strain!) and garnish with a few sprigs of fresh mint and a slice of lemon.

Tips & Tricks //

• Don’t have a cocktail shaker or muddler? No problem! Simply build this drink in a large glass and use a wooden spoon or another blunt-ended tool to smash the mint.
• Make this one drink at a time. While I love to make a big batch or pitcher of most cocktails, smashes are best when muddled and shaken individually.
• Best cocktail glasses for a smash. The best glass for a smash cocktail is a rocks glass (sometimes called an old-fashioned glass) or a Delmonico glass. Or, if you want to be fancy, you can pour this smash into a snifter.

Why is Elderflower Smash So Good?

• Elderflower liqueur is floral and sweet and reminds me of our time living in Germany. Elderflower syrup is in everything.
• Mint. I love anything with mint. It adds freshness and brightness to this drink.
• Lemon. I’m a sucker for any and all lemon drinks. Give me all the citrus, especially when it warms up outside.

Variations //

The smash cocktail variations are truly endless! Below are a few fresh flavor ideas to keep your glasses clinking.

• Go for a flavored gin: Flavored gins are having a moment, and a fresh and fruity gin like ginger or rhubarb would pair perfectly with St-Germain.
• Switch up the herbs: Step outside the herb box and try fresh basil or sage in your next smash.
• Make it with vodka: Smash cocktails aren’t only for gin, in fact vodka smashes are just as delicious (and there are so many flavored options to choose from!).
• Add fun garnishes: While mint and lemon are great garnishes, take your toppings up a notch by adding edible flowers, sliced cucumber, charred or dehydrated lemons, or even a salted sugar rim.

How to Store //

Because this cocktail is best when made individually, I don’t recommend preparing and storing before serving. All drink ingredients are fine held at room temperature until you’re ready to mix, though make sure to keep the fresh mint leaves refrigerated until using so they don’t wilt or brown.

FAQ

More Festive Drink Recipes //

• Blood Orange Amaretto Cocktail
• Sparkling Rhubarb Fizz Cocktail
• Bergamot Iced Tea Cocktail