St. Germain Champagne Cocktail Recipe

By
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
A recipe developer and food photographer, Leah Maroney is an ardent home cook and food blogger who has written over 300 recipes for The Spruce Eats.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 12/15/22
Tested by
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Tested by Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
St. Germain Champagne Cocktail

The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Yield: 4 cocktails

Although mimosas and Bloody Marys get top billing when it comes to a brunch beverage, the St. Germain Champagne cocktail is also a wonderful choice. The sweet, floral, and very unique taste of the elderflower liqueur, St. Germain, pairs beautifully with a dry sparkling wine, making for a less fruity mimosa that is a nice change of pace. This drink also tastes great with both sweet and savory foods, so it's a wonderful cocktail to serve at brunch.

The traditional elderflower cocktail recipe pairs the liqueur with soda water and Champagne and serves the drink over ice. However, this variation of nothing more than Champagne and St. Germain is also extremely delicious and refreshing. It's a simple and elegant two-ingredient drink that is a breeze to make for yourself or any number of guests.

You can transform this recipe into a nonalcoholic drink or add a variety of fruit juices to give it more of a mimosa-like twist. For a fresh and colorful finishing touch, be sure to garnish your cocktails with lemon peel, peach slices, or strawberries.

"It’s a nice drink with a refreshing, floral sweetness. I do recommend adjusting the two ingredients to taste—a little more wine is good if you want a drier drink. Also, go all out and dress up this cocktail will all of the garnishes! Each fruit adds a bit more spectacle to an otherwise simple drink." -Colleen Graham

St. Germain Cocktail Recipe - Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces St. Germain liqueur

  • 14 ounces dry Champagne, or sparkling wine, or to taste

  • Lemon peels, for optional garnish

  • Strawberries, for optional garnish

  • Peach slices, for optional garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    St. Germain Champagne Cocktail ingredients

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Fill each Champagne flute with 1/2 ounce St. Germain liqueur.

    St. Germain liqueur in a champagne flute

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Top the glasses with dry Champagne or sparkling wine, using about 3 1/2 ounces per glass, or to taste. 

    St. Germain liqueur and champagne in a champagne flute

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Garnish each glass with a lemon twist, fresh strawberries, and/or peach slices, as desired.

    St. Germain Champagne Cocktail

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Tips

  • Since elderflower liqueur is sweet, it's vital to select a dry sparkling wine to create a balanced cocktail. Look for "brut" or "dry" on the label, and avoid those that say "sec."
  • For a colder and more refreshing cocktail, chill the bottle of sparkling wine prior to serving or add an ice cube to each glass.
  • Cut a small slit in whole or sliced strawberries and peach slices so you slip the fruit onto the glass rim.
  • Peaches tend to turn brown once cut and exposed to oxygen. Squeezing a bit of lemon juice over the flesh slows down the reaction and will keep your garnish beautiful.


What is St. Germain?

St. Germain is a sweet liqueur that's flavored with elderflower, a flower that is used to make cordials, wine, and nonalcoholic drinks. Elderflowers primarily grow in the United Kingdom, and it is a tradition to use them to make homemade elderflower cordials in the summertime. In 2007, the St. Germain brand of elderflower liqueur was released. Marketed as a premium spirit, its soaring popularity gave this versatile liqueur a more prominent place on liquor store shelves, though there are a few other brands that produce this liqueur flavor as well. St. Germain also pairs nicely with gin, vodka, and whiskey, and you can even enjoy it over ice on its own.

Recipe Variations

  • If you prefer a nonalcoholic variation of this cocktail, use an elderflower drink concentrate or syrup.  Simply mix 2 ounces of the elderflower ingredient with 3 1/2 ounces of seltzer for a refreshing non-alcoholic beverage that makes it feel like summer no matter the time of year.
  • Create a grapefruit-elderflower mimosa by adding 2 to 3 tablespoons (1 to 1 1/2 ounces) of grapefruit juice to this recipe. Garnish it with fruit or fresh herbs such as thyme.
  • Add about 1 ounce of freshly squeezed blood orange juice to the St. Germain cocktail for a tartly sweet twist on the mimosa.
  • For a tropical flair, include an ounce or so of guava nectar along with the elderflower liqueur.

Best Champagne for This Cocktail

When mixing the bubbly stuff with other ingredients to make a cocktail, you don't want to use that very expensive bottle you've been saving for a special occasion. This drink calls for a tasty but affordable Champagne. Other types of sparkling wine, such as cava or prosecco, tend to be less expensive but equally satisfying for cocktails.

How strong is the St. Germain cocktail?

The St. Germain cocktail may include liqueur, but it remains a relatively mild drink. It is just a little stronger than the average glass of wine. When using St. Germain, which is 40-proof, the drink weighs in around 13 percent alcohol by volume (ABV).

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
143 Calories
0g Fat
11g Carbs
0g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 143
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 7mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 11g 4%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 9mg 1%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 78mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)