Name: St Germain Spritz
Prep time: 3 min
Total time: 3 min
Cuisine: Cocktails
Ingredients: 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) St Germain; 3 ounces (6 tablespoons) sparkling wine, such as Prosecco or champagne, chilled; 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) soda water; Ice (try clear ice!); For the garnish: lemon wedge, fresh thyme, lavender or rosemary, and a straw if you’d like

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Bubbly and floral, this St Germain Spritz is the ideal refreshing cocktail! An easy way to use this elderflower liqueur, it takes only 3 minutes to make.

Here’s a light and refreshing cocktail that’s vying for summer’s best drink: the St Germain Spritz! It’s floral and bubbly, full of lightly sweet flavor and effervescence. There are lots of classic spritz cocktails, from the renowned Aperol Spritz to the bitter Campari Spritz. This one is a fun spin on the classic, and I must say it’s my new favorite (I do have a soft spot for this elderflower liqueur!). It’s easy to drink, perfect for poolside sipping, brunch, or with an afternoon book. Oh: and it takes 3 minutes.

What’s in a St. Germain spritz?

The St Germain spritz is cousin of the popular Aperol spritz, an Italian aperitif (that is, drink for before a meal). The spritz was invented back in the 1800’s in Italy as a way to water down sparkling wine by mixing in…well, water! It wasn’t until the 1950’s that the Aperol spritz took the form it has today. It’s a cocktail on the list of International Bartender Association’s IBA official cocktails, meaning that there’s an “official” definition. The St Germain spritz just substitutes in this elderflower liqueur. Here’s what’s in a St Germain spritz:

St Germain
Sparkling wine, like Prosecco or champagne
Soda water (not tonic water)

How to make a St Germain spritz

The St Germain spritz is so easy to make: there’s no real technique involved at all! Just stir ingredients and top with bubbles. Here are the basic steps (or skip to the recipe):

Stir: Stir the St Germain in a glass with ice to make it cold.
Top with bubbles: Add the Prosecco and soda water.
Garnish: Squeeze in juice from a lemon wedge and serve.

More about St Germain!

Perhaps you already love it…but just what is St Germain? St Germain is a liqueur that’s made with elderflowers, the small white flowers of an elderberry plant. The flavor is light, sweetly floral, and fragrant. It’s hard to describe until you taste it! It adds a unique smooth finish to the flavor of cocktails. How do you say St Germain? The name is French, so say “Sahn-jer-MAHN” with your best French accent.

But it doesn’t have hundreds of years of French history. No, St Germain was invented in 2007! The vintage-looking bottle makes it seem like it has hundreds of years of history. Yep, a guy named Rob invented it in the 2007. (Here’s the story behind it.)

What’s the spritz ratio?

The classic spritz ratio is present in all spritzes, from Aperol to this amaro spritz. The basic idea is 3 parts sparkling wine, 2 parts liqueur, 1 part soda water. Once you’ve memorized this ratio, you can use it to make endless variations of spritzes. Use any type of liqueur, from Italian bitters to…of course, St Germain! Here are a few more spritz recipes to try:

Aperol Spritz aka Spritz Veneziano The original, with Aperol! It’s totally worth the hype.
Campari Spritz Bitter and bubbly, it’s a common spin on the Aperol spritz.
Amaro Spritz It works with any Italian bitter: try dark, sweet Meletti for its caramel notes.
Lillet Spritz Light and breezy, it features Lillet Blanc and bubbles. (Or try this tasty Lillet G&T.)

Step it up: try clear ice!

To take your St Germain Spritz to the next level…try it with clear ice! What’s clear ice? It’s homemade artisan ice that’s crystal clear, with none of the cloudiness of normal ice. You can cut large chunks and they look just like a fancy bar! They take this drink to superstar level. All you need is 24 hours and a small cooler. Go to How to Make Clear Ice.

When to serve a St Germain spritz

The St Germain spritz cocktail is bubbly and refreshing, which makes it perfect for summer occasions. It’s perfect for sipping as a:

Summer drink
Brunch drink
Before dinner drink (aperitif)
Cocktail hour drink

More with St Germain

Love this elderflower liqueur? We do too. Here are some more St Germain cocktails to use up a bottle:

French Gimlet A French gimlet is a sophisticated take on the classic! Three ingredients combine make a refreshing and chic cocktail.
St Germain Cranberry Cocktail Here’s your go-to St Germain cocktail! Tart and perfectly balanced, it pairs this elderflower liqueur with vodka, cranberry and lemon.
Elderflower Cocktail with Lemon Perfectly balanced with vodka, St Germain, and lemon.
St Germain Champagne Cocktail Elderflower liqueur plus champagne, lemon, and gin: a sophisticated bubbly drink perfect for any occasion. A spin on a French 75!
Skeleton Key Cocktail This fun drink pairs the liqueur with bourbon and lemon for a tasty highball.