A bourbon elderflower cocktail is a whiskey sour at heart: bourbon, lemon juice, and a sweetener, shaken over ice. The only real difference is that half the sweetener here is elderflower liqueur instead of syrup, so it carries honeyed pear flavor instead of straight sugar.
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Why This One Works
The bourbon has enough weight to stand up to the elderflower liqueur, so this drink tastes like a well-built whiskey sour, not flavored syrup with a shot of bourbon in it. Two parts bourbon to a half part each of elderflower liqueur and simple syrup, cut with a bit of lemon juice to keep things from tipping sweet.
This is the bourbon drink I reach for no matter the season, and the one I make when I want a signature cocktail without setting up a full bar.
It's a four-ingredient cocktail, ready in about five minutes, and the ratio scales easily for a happy hour crowd.
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★★★★★
"Delicious! Who knew bourbon and St Germaine could partner with a twist? Balanced and refreshing. Could even add sparkling water to make this a cocktail spritz."
Dawn
Ingredients
- Bourbon. This is the backbone of the drink, so reach for something you'd actually sip on its own. You don't need anything special. The other three ingredients are doing enough flavor work that a super expensive bottle won't taste meaningfully different here.
- Elderflower liqueur. St. Germain is the most common bottle you'll find, and it's what gives this cocktail its ripe pear sweetness with a honeyed finish. We also like Drillaud from Total Wine. For more on what elderflower liqueur actually is and how it shines in cocktails, see this guide.
- Fresh lemon juice. This is a must, not a suggestion. Bottled lemon juice has a flatter, more bitter edge from pasteurization, and this cocktail doesn't have much else to hide behind if the citrus tastes off. If you're only making one or two drinks, a handheld citrus juicer gets you fresh juice without pulling out a full press.
- Simple syrup. Rounds out the sweetness without adding its own flavor, so the bourbon and elderflower liqueur stay front and center. You can easily make your own simple syrup at home in five minutes.
How To Make It
Fill a Cocktail Shaker with ice
Add the bourbon, elderflower liqueur, lemon juice and simple syrup.
Shake
At least 20 seconds, or until well chilled.
Strain and garnish
Strain into a lowball glass filled with ice. Garnish with a lemon peel, if you're using one.
Before You Make This
- Use fresh lemon juice, not bottled. Bottled juice reads flatter and more bitter once it's mixed in, and there's nowhere for that to hide in a four-ingredient drink.
- Shake it, don't stir it. This is a sour-style cocktail, and it needs the aeration and dilution that shaking gives it. Stirring won't chill or dilute it enough, so the drink ends up tasting boozier and flatter than it should.
- Don't skip the ice in the glass. Straining over fresh ice (not the ice you shook it with) keeps the drink cold without watering it down before you take the first sip.
Serving Suggestions
I serve these in a lowball glass over fresh ice, with just a strip of lemon peel for garnish. Nothing fussy. If it's cold out and I want something heartier, my favorite Old-Fashioned recipe is the one I reach for instead. This bourbon elderflower cocktail is the one that stays in rotation the rest of the year.
Make Ahead & Batching
You can combine the bourbon, elderflower liqueur, lemon juice, and simple syrup up to 4 hours ahead, multiplied by the number of drinks you need, and keep that base in the fridge. What you shouldn't skip is the shake itself. That's what actually chills and dilutes the drink, and a stirred pitcher poured over ice doesn't get you there. When you're ready to serve, shake individual portions over ice just like you would for one drink. It's a shortcut on the measuring, not the shake.
FAQs
It's made from elderflowers, the small white blossoms of the elderberry bush, which is where the name comes from. The taste itself is closer to ripe pear and honey than anything else, and it adds a soft sweetness to cocktails.
Structurally, yes. Bourbon, lemon juice, and a sweetener, shaken over ice, is the same formula as a classic whiskey sour. This one just swaps part of the sweetener for elderflower liqueur. It also skips the egg white foam some whiskey sours get (that's technically a Boston sour), but plenty of whiskey sours are made without one, and this is one of them.
Recipe
Bourbon Elderflower Cocktails
Ingredients
- 2 ounces bourbon
- ½ ounce elderflower liqueur
- ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice
- ½ ounce simple syrup
- lemon peel, optional garnish
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Instructions
- Place bourbon, elderflower liqueur, lemon juice and simple syrup in an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake for about 20 seconds, until well chilled.2 ounces bourbon, ½ ounce elderflower liqueur, ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice, ½ ounce simple syrup
- Strain into a lowball glass filled with ice. Garnish with a lemon peel, if desired.lemon peel,
Notes
- Fresh lemon juice is essential. Bottled juice throws off the balance of this drink.
- To batch: combine the bourbon, elderflower liqueur, lemon juice, and simple syrup up to 4 hours ahead (multiplied by the number of servings) and refrigerate. Shake individual portions over ice to order; don't pour straight from the pitcher.
Nutrition
Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.
Calie says
2 tsp of agave to replace the simple syrup - delish!
Ann says
The only reason I gave this 4 out of 5 is because I didn't follow the recipe exactly. I went with 1/2 oz instead of 3/4 oz lemon juice & it was great!
Melody says
I’m new to cocktails and just discovered Gin by way of Hendricks Midsummer Solstice. I’ve been loving cocktails using this gin and St Germaine. I would like to branch out now to bourbon cocktails..what brand/style would you recommend for a newbie?
Hi Melody, bourbon is so subjective but we're big fans of Bulleit as it's readily available at any liquor store. Cheers!
Bethy says
Give Four Roses Bourbon a try!
Erich Cervantez says
And don't forget the simple syrup! Otherwise it'll give you pucker face 😉
suede722 says
I tried it with honey simple syrup instead of sugar simple syrup. YUM.
Fun twist, Erich. Love it!
Dwayne says
Its a delicious drink. The reason I did not give it 5 stars is because instead of simple syrup, I use my version of simple syrup, which is equal parts honey and "Domaine De Canton Ginger Liqueur".
I don't use store bought honey, use unpasteurized and unfiltered honey. Yeah it cost more, but its worth it. You can get 5lbs of real unprocessed honey off of Amazon for $35. The "Domaine De Canton Ginger Liqueur is also expensive, but fresh squeeze some lemons and try my recipe, and taste the freshness!
Lynne says
This drink is fantastic! First time trying elderflower. It was amazing- gave the drink a tart and citrusy feel. This will be added to my menu of personal favorites.
So glad you enjoyed it, Lynne! It's definitely one of my go-to cold weather cocktails.