St-Germain is exceedingly special and rare, made in extremely limited quantities. And what of the taste? It has been said that Paris is a
mélange curieux of flavours, styles and influence. So it is with St-Germain. Neither passionfruit nor pear, grapefruit nor lemon, the sublime taste of St-Germain hints at each of these and yet none of them exactly. It is a flavour as subtle and delicate as it is captivating. A little like asking a hummingbird to describe the character of its favourite nectar. Très curieux indeed, n'est-ce pas?.
From the foothills of the Alps, for but a few fleeting spring days, elderflower blossoms are gathered to infuse with a stylish creation made by the Maison St-Germain, the first liqueur in the world distilled in the artisanal French manner with hand picked elderflowers. While by no means rare, these fragile flowers are maddeningly ephemeral. To create St-Germain, it was necessary to invent and perfect an entirely new method of persuading the elderflower to give up its prized essence. The maceration is married to Eau-de-vie, blended with just enough cane sugar to enhance the natural flavour. One will note the wonderfully fresh flavour of the elderflowers, available for the first time in a finely balanced artisanal liqueur
Pale golden color. A clean floral nose with hints of pear, peach and grapefruit zest. Characters of lilac and white floral, lychee and almond essence. A complex elixir exhibiting layers of peach and frangipane, ripe grape flavours and stonefruit without being cloying or overly sweet. Pour St-Germain and chilled white or sparkling into a wine glass and stir lightly. Imbibe in the melodic dance between grapes and flowers. For a Cusco Fizz, muddle grapes in the base of a shaker. Add pisco, lime juice, St-Germain and ice. Shake vigorously, strain into an ice filled Collins glass and top with soda. Then drink a toast to Peruvian Pisco (with a French twist)
