Mixers

Elderflower Cordial

Elderflower cordial is an alcohol-free syrup of elderflowers steeped in sugar, water, lemon and citric acid, sold to be diluted with water or soda. A home batch is made in the few weeks the elder flowers, from late May to mid-July in Britain, and keeps up to four weeks in the fridge. In cocktails it goes in undiluted, as sweetener and flavour together, at 15 to 25ml.

Quick Facts

ABV0% ABV

Legal categoryNon-alcoholic

OriginA northern European household cordial, made in Britain while the elder flowers, from late May to mid-July.

Flavour Strengthlight medium

SeasonFresh elderflowers: late May to mid-July in the UK.

Our keeping timeHome-made: up to four weeks refrigerated. Bought: to the date sealed; once opened, refrigerated and as the label says (three weeks for Belvoir's organic).

Storage

Home-made: in sterilised bottles in the fridge. Bought: cool and dark until opened, then refrigerated.

Allergens

None of the 14 listed allergens. Recipes change: check the bottle.

The ingredient

About Elderflower Cordial

Flavour Profile

Primary Flavours

elderflowerfloralhoneyedmuscat

Tasting Notes

Soft floral sweetness with a honeyed, faintly grape-like lift and a citrus edge: summery and delicate, never sharp.

Elderflower cordial is the flower steeped in syrup

Elderflower cordial is made by steeping fresh elderflower heads in a concentrated sugar solution with lemon and citric acid, then straining it. The acid sharpens the taste and helps the cordial keep. Sold as a concentrated squash, it is usually diluted about one part to ten with water, and household versions across northern Europe go back a long way, some to Roman recipes.

The season is short and the flowers fade fast

The elder flowers from late May to mid-July in Britain, depending on where you live. Pick heads whose tiny buds have just opened, on a dry day after the dew has lifted, and use them within hours: once picked they lose their scent quickly. Avoid elders beside busy roads, take flowers from higher up the bush, and ask the landowner first.

A home batch, in sourced quantities

Nadine Brown's recipe for olive magazine pours 750ml of boiling water over 375g of granulated sugar, then adds 80g of elderflowers, four strips of lemon peel, 25ml of lemon juice and 4g of citric acid once the syrup has cooled a little. It infuses, covered, for 12 to 24 hours before straining through muslin, makes about 1.2 litres and keeps up to four weeks chilled. Shake the heads rather than washing them, and cut away the thick green stalks: every green part of the elder carries cyanogenic glycosides.

Home-made cordial, bought cordial and the liqueur

Home-made cordial (olive magazine)

Sugar: 375g in 750ml of water
Alcohol: None
Keeps once open: Up to four weeks, refrigerated
In our drinks: Spicy Fifty, Sparkling Elderflower Lemonade

Bought cordial

Sugar: Varies; see the label
Alcohol: None
Keeps once open: As the label says; three weeks for Belvoir's organic
In our drinks: The same, after tasting

Elderflower liqueur (St-Germain)

Sugar: 180g per litre
Alcohol: 20%
Keeps once open: A year or more, unrefrigerated
In our drinks: Hugo Spritz, Left Bank Martini

Bottle	Sugar	Alcohol	Keeps once open	In our drinks
Home-made cordial (olive magazine)	375g in 750ml of water	None	Up to four weeks, refrigerated	Spicy Fifty, Sparkling Elderflower Lemonade
Bought cordial	Varies; see the label	None	As the label says; three weeks for Belvoir's organic	The same, after tasting
Elderflower liqueur (St-Germain)	180g per litre	20%	A year or more, unrefrigerated	Hugo Spritz, Left Bank Martini

Undiluted, it is a cocktail sweetener

Cocktails pour it straight. The Spicy Fifty takes 15ml undiluted, as the IBA specifies, with vanilla vodka, lime, honey syrup and chilli; the Sparkling Elderflower Lemonade sets 25ml against the same of lemon juice, lengthened with sparkling water. Swap in elderflower liqueur and the drink gains alcohol and changes in sweetness, so it needs rebalancing rather than a straight swap.

Using it

Using Elderflower Cordial

Usage

Undiluted, it sweetens cocktails at 15 to 25ml: the Spicy Fifty takes 15ml, as the IBA specifies, and the Sparkling Elderflower Lemonade 25ml against the same of lemon. As a soft drink it is diluted, about one part to ten of water.

House Recipe

Ratio375g sugar to 750ml water (500g per litre), with 80g elderflowers and 4g citric acid

MakesAbout 1.2 litres

Our keeping timeUp to four weeks refrigerated

Ingredients

80g fresh elderflowers, shaken free of insects, not washed, thick green stalks cut away
375g granulated sugar
750ml boiling water
4 strips of lemon peel and 25ml lemon juice
4g citric acid

Method

Pour the boiling water over the sugar in a large pan and stir until it dissolves; let it cool slightly.
Add the elderflowers, lemon peel, lemon juice and citric acid, stir gently and cover.
Leave to infuse for at least 12 hours and up to 24.
Strain through a muslin-lined sieve into a sterilised bottle, date it and refrigerate.

Food safety

Pick in open green spaces, away from busy roads and higher up the bush, with the landowner's permission. Use the flowers only: leaves, stalks and unripe berries carry cyanogenic glycosides. Discard the cordial if it fizzes, clouds or grows mould. Quantities from Nadine Brown's recipe in olive magazine.

Pro Tip

A cordial drink that tastes of sugar more than flower usually wants more acid, not less cordial. Lemon lifts the elderflower, which is why the Sparkling Elderflower Lemonade matches its 25ml of cordial with an equal measure of lemon before the sparkling water goes in.

Top Tips

Pick heads whose flowers have just opened, on a dry day, and make the cordial the same day: the scent fades within hours.
Shake the heads rather than washing them. Rinsing strips the pollen, which carries much of the flavour.
Snip the flowers away from the thick green stalks; every green part of the elder contains cyanogenic glycosides.
Taste a bought cordial before pouring a full measure into a cocktail. Sugar levels differ by brand.

Possible Substitutions

Elderflower Liqueur: Brings 20% alcohol and less sugar per measure: expect a stronger, drier drink and adjust

Production Method

Fresh elderflower heads steeped for 12 to 24 hours in a sugar syrup with lemon and citric acid, then strained through muslin. No fermentation and no alcohol.

History & Context

Elderflower cordial is a household tradition across northern Europe, with a Victorian heritage in Britain and versions traced back to Roman times. Households still make it each summer, and it is sold commercially as a concentrated squash.

Go further

More to explore

Common Questions

What is elderflower cordial?

A concentrated, non-alcoholic syrup made by steeping fresh elderflower heads in sugar and water with lemon and citric acid, then straining it. Shop bottles and home batches alike are diluted with still or sparkling water for a soft drink, and go into cocktails undiluted as a sweetener.

Is elderflower syrup the same as elderflower cordial?

In practice, yes. Both are elderflower steeped in a concentrated sugar solution; a cordial usually also carries lemon and citric acid, which brighten it and help it keep, while a syrup may be sugar and flower alone. Either works in our recipes at the same measure, but taste first, since sweetness varies.

How do you make elderflower cordial?

Pour 750ml of boiling water over 375g of sugar and stir until it dissolves. When it has cooled slightly, add 80g of elderflowers, four strips of lemon peel, 25ml of lemon juice and 4g of citric acid. Cover, leave 12 to 24 hours, strain through muslin and bottle. These are Nadine Brown's quantities for olive magazine.

When and where should I pick elderflowers?

From late May to mid-July in Britain, on a dry day once the dew has gone, choosing heads whose flowers have just opened. The Woodland Trust advises against roadside elders, whose flowers can carry exhaust fumes, and asks foragers to get the landowner's permission. Make the cordial within hours of picking.

Should I wash elderflowers before making cordial?

No. Washing strips the pollen, which carries much of the flavour, so both the Woodland Trust and olive magazine say not to. Shake each head instead, or pick insects out by hand, and carry the flowers home upright so the pollen stays on them.

Why do the elderflower stalks have to come off?

Because every green part of the elder, stalks and leaves included, contains cyanogenic glycosides, and the stalks taste bitter as well. Only the flowers, and the berries once ripe and cooked, are used for food. Snip the florets from the thick stalk; the fine stems that hold the flowers together can stay.

How long does homemade elderflower cordial last?

Up to four weeks in the fridge in a sterilised bottle, per the recipe our quantities come from. A bought cordial lasts to its printed date unopened; once opened, follow the label, which for Belvoir's organic cordial is three weeks refrigerated. Throw out any cordial that fizzes or grows mould.

Is elderflower cordial alcoholic?

No. It is never fermented, so it contains no alcohol and suits alcohol-free drinks such as our Sparkling Elderflower Lemonade. Elderflower liqueur is the alcoholic relative, 20% ABV in St-Germain's case, and the two cannot be exchanged measure for measure without changing the drink.

Make something

Made with Elderflower Cordial

Featured In These Cocktails

Spicy Fifty Sparkling Elderflower Lemonade

Often Used With

Guide by Jerry Can Spirits · Updated 11 October 2026

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