The Bite Magazine - Spring 2016 - Issue 15

T here are many ways in which to enjoy St-Germain, the liqueur created in true French artisan manner from freshly hand-picked elder- flower blossoms. You can either follow the brand’s guide to ‘elegant nuptials’ in which they invite you to consider the Abbey of St-Germain-des-Prés in the sixth district of Paris as a place to exchange your vows, albeit ‘prone to a little dust after 14 centuries’. Or simply follow the ‘French manner of slowing down after the day’s chase and stimulat- ing one’s appetite to ready one’s spirit for the inevitable joys to come’. If you decide to go for the first option, St-Germain suggests that you first make the St-Ger- main Cocktail your own. As it can adapt to any wedding’s colour palette, a twist of yellow lemon, a fresh green mint sprig and any number of worthy pink berries should do wonders. You may also wish to complement the wedding bouquet by choosing floral garnishes with bright orange marigolds, purple pansies, lush peonies and classic roses. This combina- tion would liven up any cocktail with the texture of their petals as well as highlight the transcendent flavour of St-Germain’s precious elderflower blossom with notes of pear, citrus and tropical fruits. When giving a toast at a wedding, St-Ger- main understands that although the task is an honour and a sacred trust, it is also the most traumatic part of the day. With this in mind, they have decided to give potential toastmasters some tips on preparation and coaching. Firstly, you must be prepared. It is advisable to learn all you can about the attendees and their sensibilities. Also, you should practice the toast several times until you only have to glance at your notecard. Secondly, be witty but not vulgar because as they say, ‘vulgarity is the bankruptcy of wit’ and you must keep a straight face through- out, no matter how hard the audience are laughing. Thirdly, recall an enduring story about the bride and groom but do not be overly serious or overly sen- timental. Fourthly, after the dinner or the cutting of the cake, everyone should be served a glass of champagne, ideally as the brand says, with St-Germain because the ‘French way is to truly toast early and often’. Fifthly, do not tap the microphone or ask if it is on – this should be checked much earlier when no one is listening. Lastly, after a touching story or two, get to the formal part of the toast by raising a glass and saluting the couple. St-Germain also has a number of cocktails that would be perfect to serve at a wedding reception.The St-Germain Cocktail consists of two parts Brut Champagne, one and a half parts St-Ger- main and two parts sparkling water. To make this cocktail, fill a tall Collins glass with ice, then add Brut Champagne, fol- lowed by St-Germain and lastly, sparkling water in that order. St-Germain says the order is essential but not arbitraire (arbi- trary). Then stir completely and garnish with a lemon twist.The cocktail can also be made using Prosecco or dry white wine instead of Brut Champagne and club soda instead of sparkling water. Whilst it has been said that there are many tales told of the Gimlet yet its actual origin is somewhat obscured by history, the elegant French Gimlet will be remem- bered as the one enjoyed at a lovely wedding. This cocktail consisting of two parts gin or vodka, one part St-Germain and half a part of freshly squeezed lime juice is created by pouring all the ingre- dients into an ice-filled shaker and shaken well. It is then strained into a coupe or martini cocktail glass and garnished with a lime twist. According to St-Germain, ordinary wed- dings only serve sparkling wine for the toasts, while extraordinary weddings serve champagne but transcendent weddings serve La Rosette .This combi- nation of half a part St-Germain topped up with Rosé Brut is served in a chilled flute glass. The ingredients are poured into the glass, stirred ever so lightly and then floated with half a strawberry and a few raspberries or garnished with a lemon twist. Meanwhile, Left Bank Martini Cocktail is meant to transport the drinker (somehow) to the banks of La Rive Gauche where they can enjoy a liberating concoction of one and a half parts gin, one part St-Germain and one part dry white wine or Sauvignon Blanc. The ingredients are shaken together with ice and fine strained into a chilled martini cocktail and garnished with a lime zest twist. Another fantastic cocktail to have at a wedding is Sangria Flora made up of one bottle of dry white wine or Sauvignon Blanc, two cups of St-Ger- main, two fresh peaches, five to six fresh strawberries, six fresh raspberries and a small bunch of fresh grapes.To make this cocktail, stir the ingredients in a pitcher or carafe, allow the fruits to soak in the mixture for around 15 minutes (or longer if desired) and serve in an ice- filled glass. St-Germain’s emphasis may be on serving cocktails at weddings but they also want people to know that they have perfected the ‘Art of l’Apéritif’.This is the moment, according to the brand, where one can ‘take one’s time, breathe and live deeply and suck all the marrow out of life’.This particular art form starts with the mixing of the perfect apéritif: the St-Germain Cocktail where ‘one can relax, be con- scious of one’s posture, maintain one’s élan and learn this finest of all the fine arts.’ Although the cocktail calls for ingredients of champagne, St-Germain, sparkling water and a twist of lemon, you can experiment with a crisp sauvignon blanc or a rosé, as long as the wine is dry. However, the more classic champagne version will yield a slightly cleaner, more refreshing and effervescent cocktail. For those adventurous souls, adding sake or a clean, dry vermouth can be quite pleas- ing, while playing with bitters will give the cocktail a unique, personalised spin. A dash of grapefruit or bitters can also add another layer of complexity without overpowering the cocktail. For an aperitif that is made from fresh, hand-picked elderflowers using age-old French artisan methods and adds char- acter to many cocktails as well as pairing well with every base spirit, St-Germain appears to be the best guest to have at a wedding or other prestigious occasions. www.stgermain.fr Images courtesy of APR Communications bitedrinks