Roadside Cocktail

I call this cocktail the Roadside , in homage to michi no eki , Japanese roadside stops that line the highways, providing refreshment to weary travelers. Roadside Cocktail St-Germain is an artisanal French liqueur produced with wild elderflower blossoms

I call this cocktail the Roadside, in homage to michi no eki, Japanese roadside stops that line the highways, providing refreshment to weary travelers.

Roadside Cocktail

St-Germain is an artisanal French liqueur produced with wild elderflower blossoms. The elderflowers are handpicked in the foothills of the Alps, whereupon they are transported by bicycle down the mountain. The flowers, still fresh and fragrant, are macerated via a “secret” process that involves no pressing and thus minimal bitterness. The maceration is then mixed with eau de vie, citrus, and just a drop of cane sugar.

The result could be similar to myriad other liqueurs. I could write that the product is fun yet, not surprisingly, uncomplicated. But it isn’t. The result is unlike any other liqueur. A subtle yet captivating flavor, with notes of pear, peach, lychee, and flower blossom. The mouthfeel is what I imagine the nectar of a hundred flowers, concentrated into one cup, might taste. And St-Germain is sweet, but only slightly, not at all cloying. You can drink it unadorned and on the rocks, although I prefer it mixed with a bit of tequila or rum. The mouthfeel is soft, flowery, and not oily. In all seriousness, St-Germain is the perfect liqueur.

Makes 1 drink.

Ingredients:

1.5 ounces (1 jigger shot) white or light rum, such as 10 Cane
1.5 ounces (1 jigger shot) St-Germain elderflower liqueur
1 ounce (1 pony shot) guava juice
1 lemon wedge, to line the glass

Fill a cocktail glass with ice and set aside to chill.

Fill a cocktail shaker with large ice. Combine the rum, St-Germain, and guava juice. Shake vigorously for 15 seconds. Let rest until the outside of the shaker begins to sweat.

Discard the ice from the cocktail glass. Lightly rub both sides of the rim of the glass with the lemon wedge. Strain the contents of the cocktail shaker into the cocktail glass. Serve ungarnished.