I’d like to introduce you to my favorite easy cocktail recipe: the St. Germain Cocktail! A blend of St. Germain, gin (or vodka), and lemon that’s topped with a bubbly pour of sparkling wine like prosecco or champagne, it’s effervescent, refreshing, and the sort of beverage I envision myself sipping on at a classy party (or in my pajamas at home).

Champagne St. Germain cocktail served in glasses with lemon

Ever since I impulse bought my first bottle of St. Germain, I have been on a quest for the ultimate collection of St. Germain cocktail recipes.

This sparkling one is my fave!

It’s super easy—we’re talking FOUR ingredients, with nothing you need to prep in advance.
It makes any occasion feel extra special and classy.
Even when I’m at my most disorganized in the kitchen, as long as I’m holding a glass filled with this St. Germain prosecco cocktail, I appear the picture of poise.
With 1.5 ounces of gin or vodka per drink, this St. Germain cocktail tends to make me feel like the picture of poise too.

Sip with caution. This St. Germain cocktail might taste light, but its contents are definitely fit for a celebration!

A bubbly, tasty cocktail served in glasses and made with gin or vodka, St. Germain, and champagne

5 Star Review

I love this cocktail! Especially since no simple syrup is needed! Thank you.
— Anita —

What Kind of Alcohol is St. Germain?

If you’ve never had St. Germain, it’s an elderflower liqueur.

It was originally created in 2007 , and it was named after the St. Germain-Des-Prés area of Paris.
It’s naturally flavored, and each bottle can contain up to 1,000 elderflower blossoms (CRAZY).
St. Germain tastes pleasantly floral, lightly herbal, sweet without being sugary, and is surprisingly versatile. Think of it like an elderflower syrup, but better.

I’m never one to add a big, fancy bottle of alcohol to my home bar that I’ll only use once or twice a year.

I’ve become a St. Germain person, however, and I truly find myself using it often in a variety of cocktail recipes.

Cocktail Recipes with St. Germain

If you’re intrigued and also wondering, “how do you drink St. Germain?”, I have lots of St. Germain liqueur recipes for you!

I use it to mix up this St. Germain Margarita.
At the holidays, this Cranberry St. Germain Cocktail, which uses cranberry juice, is a favorite.
When I’m in a hurry but still want something special for a party, I’ll make a Kir Royale, swapping St. Germain for the cassis.

My favorite, most often made St. Germain cocktail recipe, however, is this one I’m sharing today.

It’s a riff on a French 75, a cocktail that can compete with this Skinny Margarita for the biggest piece of my thirsty heart.

Brut prosecco or champagne, St. Germain, gin, and fresh lemon juice for making St. Germain cocktails

How to Make This St. Germain Cocktail

This cocktail takes less than a minute to stir together.

It’s refreshing, festive, classy, and surprisingly strong.

If you a fan of the gimlet or aperol spritz, I think you’ll love this sparkling St. Germain cocktail too.

The Ingredients

Gin. My favorite way to make this recipe is as a gin St. Germain cocktail. Whether you are new to gin or it’s your go-to, I highly recommend Hendrick’s for this recipe. Hendrick’s is lighter than most gins and has cucumber notes that are a natural, beautiful pairing with St. Germain.

Substitution Tip

For those who are gin-shy or are looking for St. Germain vodka cocktails, you can use vodka in place of the gin in this recipe. For a seasonal twist, try pear vodka.

Elderflower Liqueur. a.k.a. St. Germain. Here, it stands in for simple syrup (Translation: you don’t have to plan ahead and make simple syrup for this recipe. WIN.) Since elderflower liqueur has its own sweetness, additional sugar is unnecessary.
Fresh Lemon Juice. For fresh, citrus flavor and to balance the drink.

Ingredient Note

DO NOT use prebottled lemon juice, especially in cocktail recipes. Fresh squeezed lemon juice is absolutely best and will make a difference you can clearly taste.

Champagne. The bubbles immediately take this cocktail from simple to elegant!

Tip!

You can use Prosecco or another dry sparkling wine in this St. Germain cocktail recipe. Look for a bottle labeled “brut,” which is the driest variety of sparkling wine (think “brutally dry”).

Lemon Peel. A fun way to garnish your glass!

Tip!

Rub the inside of the lemon peel around the inside rim of the glass before pouring the cocktail. It gives the drink an extra burst of citrusy freshness and flavor.

The Directions

Rub your lemon peel around the rim of the glass and drop it into the glass.
Add all of the drink ingredients but the sparkling wine in to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake, pour into your glass.
Top with sparkling wine and SIP!

An easy, bubbly, and refreshing cocktail served in a glass

Other Easy and Delicious Champagne Cocktails

Recommended Tools to Make St. Germains Cocktail

Cocktail Shaker. This one is beautiful!
Jigger. For the most accurate measurements.
Citrus Press. This is a great tool for adding citrus juices to drinks!
Strainer. To keep ice and other unwanted ingredients from falling into your glass.

St. Germain cocktails with gin served in glasses with lemon peels

The bubbles make this St. Germain cocktail one of my favorite drinks to serve girlfriends, especially for brunch.

The fact that it’s so fast to make also makes it one of my go-to choices when I’m hosting happy hour or dinner parties.

If you’re looking for a brunch cocktail, bridal shower cocktail, summer cocktail, or a fun signature drink to make the classic cocktail at your house, this recipe, with its classy good looks and light, appealing flavor profile, is a superb selection!

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