This St-Germain Spritz recipe is so easy to prepare but will make you say "oh la la " with the first sip! Light, refreshing and festive, the St Germain Spritz is a great cocktail to serve at a dinner party or for happy hour.
Many know this cocktail as a summer spritzer (it pairs perfectly with those languorous summer days), but the St-Germain Spritz also works beautifully over the holidays where you are looking for something that feels a little fancy and is easy and quick to make.
What to serve with French Cocktails
If you are hosting a French themed cocktail party (Un Apéro as it is called in France) here are some recipes that will compliment the St Germain Spritz.
There are over 150 French inspired recipes and enter on this blog - come check it out!
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What you need:
- St-Germain Elderflower liqueur (available at most liquor stores)
- Sparkling Wine (Champagne, Prosecco or Cava)
- Soda Water
- Lemon zest
- Ice cubes
If you want to feel like you are on the patio of Les Deux Magots in Paris, sipping a celebratory spritz, this is it. I have read that Julia Child was a fan, I wish I could fact check with her.
St. Germain Spritz Recipe
- 1 ½ oz St Germain
- 2 oz sparking wine
- 2 oz sparkling water (I like to use San Pellegrino but you can also use soda water or club soda)
- Lemon zest
Instructions
- Stir the St-Germain, sparkling wine and soda water together with plenty of ice until fully chilled and well blended.
- Pour into a champagne flute or into a large wine glass with ice if you choose.
- Finish with a splash of soda.
- Garnish with a sprig of thyme and the twist of lemon zest
Scroll down to the recipe card for the full drink recipe.
What is St-Germain?
St-Germain is a French elderflower liqueur that has a refreshing floral note to it. Made with Fresh elderflower blossoms from the French alps, St-Germain has soft floral and citrus notes to it that make for a special addition to your cocktail bar.
St-Germain Spritz Cocktail
Because of the delicious floral notes of the St-Germain, I like to garnish with something slightly herbaceous and refreshing such as a sprig of mint or thyme. In warm weather cucumber slices would also be tasty. A few edible flowers would add beautiful presentation (perfect for a baby or bridal shower cocktail!)
French cocktails are made with usually just a few high-quality ingredients. The French have mastered the art of blending 2 or 3 simple ingredients to make a perfectly balanced cocktail that opens up the appetite at the beginning of a meal.
In France, cocktails are usually served as an aperitif, wine is served with dinner.
All sparkling wine is not Champagne. Champagne is made from the Champagne region of France and upholds very strict standards for vinification. Italy and Spain are also very proud of their sparkling wines, Prosecco and Cava. When in doubt - call it bubbly. My favorite champagnes for cocktails are veuve clicquot, Moet Chandon or Laurent Perrier. More recently I have been using Chandon Sparkling wine , which is the Napa version of Moët Chandon that is excellent quality for money. If you have a bottle of Prosecco that is perfect too! Make sure however that you are using a dry (brut) sparkling wine. The cocktail will be too sweet if you use a sweet sparkling.
I don't suggest using your very best champagne for cocktails - you can't appreciate all the flavors once they have a mixer added to them!
Other Spritz Cocktails you will enjoy:
St Germain is also famous for the Hugo cocktail recipe which is very similar to the the St Germain spritz however it is made with a bunch of mint leaves and lime slices so that it has more of a tropical flavor to it. C'est les vacances!
Hugo Spritz as per St-Germain
- 1 ½ OZ ST‑GERMAIN
- 2 OZ DRY PROSECCO
- 2 OZ SODA WATER
- 8-10 MINT LEAVES
- LIME WEDGE FOR GARNISH
- MINT SPRIG FOR GARNISH
Campari Spritz, Aperol Spritz and my favorite, Piscine Peche, below, are all great spritz cocktails to try.
What to serve with French Cocktails
A slightly sweet cocktail beautifully with a slightly salty canapé such as Olive Tapenade or fig & prosciutto tartines.
St-Germain Spritz is the ideal start to a dinner party where I like to serve Lemon Thyme Roast Chicken , Branzino with Vierge Sauce or Le Grand Aïoli.
What is your favorite French cocktail? Let me know if there are any recipes you would like me to share.
Santé!
Le Chef's Wife
ABOUT LE CHEF'S WIFE
Bonjour! I am Anina Belle. I translate the fancy cooking of my Michelin-star trained French Chef Husband, Le Chef, into easy to make dishes that busy people with no culinary training (like me!) can make at home. We have two young kids (5 and 2) and I have a full time job in hospitality in addition to this blog. I strongly believe that even busy people deserve to eat well at home.
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