Liqueurs

Elderflower Liqueur

Elderflower liqueur is fresh elderflowers macerated in spirit and sweetened; St-Germain, the bottle most of our recipes name, is 20% ABV with 180g of sugar per litre by Difford’s Guide’s account. That sugar clears the 100g a litre Regulation (EC) No 110/2008 asks of a liqueur and lets it stand in for syrup, which is why our drinks pour it at 7.5 to 25ml as a floral sweetener rather than as a base spirit.

Quick Facts

ABV20% ABVSt-Germain is 20% on LWC’s UK listing; our recipes calculate with 20%.

Legal categoryLiqueurSt-Germain carries 180g of sugar per litre by Difford’s Guide’s account, more than the 100g Regulation (EC) No 110/2008 asks of a liqueur

OriginFrance

Flavour Strengthlight medium

Our keeping timeYears unopened. Once opened, a year or more kept sealed and out of the light; the fruit and aromatics fade first.

Storage

Store upright in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight. Reseal tightly after use to preserve delicate aromatics.

Allergens

None of the 14 listed allergens. Recipes vary by brand: check the bottle.

The ingredient

About Elderflower Liqueur

Flavour Profile

Primary Flavours

FloralElderflowerLight sweetnessFresh citrus (subtle)

Tasting Notes

Delicate floral aroma with soft sweetness and a clean, fresh finish. Light-bodied with gentle citrus undertones and minimal bitterness.

Elderflower liqueur is the flower held in sweetened spirit

Elderflower liqueur steeps fresh elderflowers in spirit and sweetens the result. St-Germain, the bottle most recipes name, macerates flowers picked by hand in Haute Savoie in a grape eau-de-vie within 48 hours of picking, then adds 180g of sugar per litre, by Difford’s Guide’s account, and bottles at 20%. Elder blooms for only a few weeks in late spring and the cut flowers lose their scent quickly, so the year's liqueur is made in that window.

At 180g of sugar per litre it does a syrup's work

A liqueur in GB needs at least 15% alcohol and 100g of sugar per litre, and St-Germain clears both comfortably. In a drink the sugar matters more than the strength: the liqueur supplies all the sweetness in the Irish Maid and the Comte de Sureau, and the English Garden drops its 10ml of syrup when the bottle is a sweet one. Its cousin, elderflower cordial, has no alcohol and even more sugar.

Elderflower liqueur against the cordial it is confused with (St-Germain from LWC’s UK listing and Difford’s Guide, a secondary source; Belvoir’s keeping time from its own product page; the home-made cordial is our recipe, and the other keeping times are ours)

St-Germain elderflower liqueur

Alcohol: 20%
Sugar: 180g per litre
How it is poured: By the measure, 7.5 to 25ml
Keeps once open: A year or more, sealed and dark

Home-made elderflower cordial

Alcohol: None
Sugar: 375g in 750ml of water
How it is poured: Diluted, or 15 to 25ml in a cocktail
Keeps once open: Up to four weeks, refrigerated

Bought elderflower cordial

Alcohol: None
Sugar: See the label
How it is poured: Diluted, about one part to ten
Keeps once open: As the label says; three weeks for Belvoir's organic

Bottle	Alcohol	Sugar	How it is poured	Keeps once open
St-Germain elderflower liqueur	20%	180g per litre	By the measure, 7.5 to 25ml	A year or more, sealed and dark
Home-made elderflower cordial	None	375g in 750ml of water	Diluted, or 15 to 25ml in a cocktail	Up to four weeks, refrigerated
Bought elderflower cordial	None	See the label	Diluted, about one part to ten	As the label says; three weeks for Belvoir's organic

Gin is its usual partner in our recipes

The Left Bank Martini scents 60ml of London Dry with 15ml, the Elderflower Collins lengthens 20ml with lemon and soda, and the Cucumber & Elderflower G&T sets 15ml against quinine. With wine it leads: the Hugo Spritz takes 25ml under prosecco and soda, the Mead Royale 15ml between mead and sparkling wine. Beside Campari it varies, from 7.5ml in the Old Friend to 25ml in the Comte de Sureau, where Campari dries the finish.

A bottle keeps for a year once opened

Any elderflower liqueur near 20% works in these recipes; read the label for the strength, since bottlings differ. In our experience it keeps for years unopened. Opened, it holds up for a year or more, sealed and kept from the light, with no fridge needed. The flower fades before anything spoils, so a bottle opened for one summer's spritzes is better finished within the year.

Using it

Using Elderflower Liqueur

Usage

Poured at 7.5 to 25ml, where it does the work of a syrup and a perfume at once. The Left Bank Martini and the Cucumber & Elderflower G&T take 15ml; the Hugo Spritz, Irish Maid and Comte de Sureau take 25ml, and there the flower leads.

Pro Tip

When an elderflower drink tastes flat and sweet, add a little lemon before cutting the liqueur. The Witch's Brew sets 15ml of it against 20ml of lemon, and the Elderflower Collins 20ml against 25ml; the acid is what keeps the flower reading as fresh rather than cloying.

Top Tips

Taste before adding syrup. St-Germain carries 180g of sugar per litre by Difford’s Guide’s account, and the English Garden's own line says to leave its syrup out with a sweeter bottle.
Measure it with a jigger: in a short drink, five millilitres either way moves it from scented to perfumed.
We keep an opened bottle sealed and out of the light. In our experience it lasts a year or more, but the flower fades first.
Do not swap cordial in at the same measure. Cordial has no alcohol and is meant for diluting, so a stirred drink loses strength and gains sugar.

Possible Substitutions

Elderflower Cordial: A diluting syrup with no alcohol: fine in a long drink topped with soda or wine, not in a stirred one
Gin: A floral gin gives the perfume without the sugar; add 5 to 10ml of simple syrup

Production Method

By Difford’s Guide’s account, St-Germain macerates hand-picked fresh elderflowers in a grape eau-de-vie made from Chardonnay and Gamay, then sweetens it with 180g of sugar per litre and bottles it at 20%. Other elderflower liqueurs vary; check the label.

History & Context

St-Germain’s own site says Robert Cooper launched it in 2007; Bacardi Limited’s press release of 8 January 2013 says Bacardi had acquired the brand. Difford’s Guide says its elderflowers are harvested by hand in the foothills of the French Alps, in Haute Savoie, and St-Germain’s own site says they are handpicked each spring.

Go further

More to explore

Common Questions

What is elderflower liqueur?

A liqueur made by steeping fresh elderflowers in spirit and sweetening the result. Difford’s Guide, a secondary source, says St-Germain, the bottle our recipes name, macerates hand-picked flowers in an eau-de-vie of Chardonnay and Gamay grapes, then adds 180g of sugar per litre. St-Germain’s own site gives notes of pear and honeysuckle alongside the flower.

How strong is St-Germain?

St-Germain is 20% ABV on LWC’s UK listing, half the strength of a 40% gin. A 25ml pour holds half a UK unit, so in a Hugo Spritz most of the alcohol comes from the prosecco rather than the liqueur. For any other brand the label gives the figure; our recipes calculate with 20%.

Is elderflower liqueur the same as elderflower cordial?

No. The liqueur is 20% alcohol and poured by the measure; cordial carries no alcohol and is diluted about tenfold for a soft drink. Cordial is also sweeter by volume: a home-made batch carries around 300g of sugar per litre against the 180g Difford’s Guide gives for St-Germain.

Why is elderflower liqueur called bartender's ketchup?

Because it goes with almost everything. Difford's Guide records the nickname for St-Germain, whose floral sweetness and citrus edge suit gin, vodka, wine and sparkling drinks alike. The joke carries a warning too: a bottle that improves every drink can leave a whole menu tasting of one flower.

How much elderflower liqueur should I put in a drink?

Between 7.5 and 25ml in our recipes. The Old Friend uses 7.5ml to keep the flower behind Campari and grapefruit; the Left Bank Martini 15ml to scent 60ml of gin; the Comte de Sureau 25ml, where it replaces the vermouth and becomes the subject of the drink.

Does elderflower liqueur need to go in the fridge?

No. In our experience, at 20% with 180g of sugar per litre it is stable at room temperature. We keep it sealed, upright and out of the light, and once opened it holds well for a year or more. The perfume fades long before anything spoils, and a bottle kept for years simply smells of less.

What can I use instead of elderflower liqueur?

Nothing gives the same flower and sugar together. A floral gin plus 5 to 10ml of simple syrup covers the sweetness in a stirred drink; elderflower cordial works in a long drink topped with soda or wine. Either way, taste and adjust, because the liqueur was doing two jobs.

When was St-Germain launched?

In 2007, when Robert Cooper launched it, by St-Germain’s own site. Bacardi Limited’s press release of 8 January 2013 says Bacardi had acquired the brand. Difford’s Guide says the flowers are harvested by hand in the foothills of the French Alps, in Haute Savoie.

Sources.

Checked between 16 October and 19 October 2026.

Difford’s Guide, “St Germain Elderflower Liqueur” (secondary source (20%; 180g sugar per litre; Chardonnay and Gamay eau-de-vie; macerated within 48 hours)).
LWC, “St-Germain 70cl” (UK wholesaler listing (20% ABV)).
St-Germain, “About St-Germain” (producer’s page).
St-Germain, “Springtime in a bottle” (producer’s page).
Bacardi Limited, “Bacardi Acquires St-Germain Liqueur” (press release, 8 January 2013: Bacardi Limited has acquired St-Germain; Cooper continues as brand guardian and spokesperson; launched six years earlier).
Belvoir Farm, “Organic Elderflower Cordial” (producer’s page (once opened, keep in the fridge and use within 3 weeks)).
legislation.gov.uk, “Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, Annex II (retained)”.

Make something

Made with Elderflower Liqueur

Featured In These Cocktails

Left Bank Martini Hugo Spritz Comte de Sureau English Garden Elderflower Collins Cucumber & Elderflower G&T

Show all 11 cocktails

Irish Maid Mead Royale Old Friend Snowdonia Sour Witch’s Brew

Often Used With

Updated 19 October 2026

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