rosemary – st. germain slinger

When I visited Copenhagen, Denmark, I fell in love with the flavor of elderflower (my first taste was in Ricola cough drops, and I was hooked). When I realized there was an elderflower liqueur, I knew I had to buy some and start experimenting. I quickly found that it’s great with gin and lemon (together or separately), but I knew it could be even better with a little touch of brightness from a fresh muddled herb.

The savory evergreen aroma of rosemary makes it a great winter cocktail ingredient, and a great companion for the beautifully sweet and floral flavor of St. Germain. Because St. Germain is very sweet, the acidic tartness of the fresh lemon juice, as well as the briskness of the gin, both keep this beverage refreshingly balanced.

two sprigs rosemary
juice from 1/2 a lemon
one shot St. Germain
two shots of gin
one can lemon-lime soda

Since it’s easier to juice a half rather than a quarter of a lemon, you might as well make two cocktails. Muddle the rosemary sprigs in the lemon juice inside a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake briefly. Add St. Germain and gin, and stir. Strain into two glasses with ice and add lemon-lime soda.