Tenth Ward Bottle Club Release: Elderflower Liqueur
Written by Bret Kimbrough, Manager, Distilling and Operations
On the verdant foothills of the French Alps, a small white blossom grows that has been used for ages as a medicinal plant to fight colds, flu, and myriad other maladies that would be treated by countryside medical practitioners. Its sweet smell and taste made the potions fashioned from it easy to take, and its abundant growth on the slopes made it a ready ingredient for ancient doctors.
Nowadays, medical science has outpaced the need for the humble elderflower, but the flower’s lovely flavor, aroma, and broad versatility remain unmatched in their ability to make potions taste delicious. We decided to embrace this tiny bud’s admirable qualities by turning it into a rich, complex, and delicious liqueur for you to perform some of your own cocktail chemistry at home.
The Process
Our rendition of elderflower liqueur uses not only the little white flowers that give the spirit its name, but also lemon peel for brightness and acidity, coriander for warm, citrusy, peppery spice and rose buds for a long, lingering floral nose. The elderflower itself conjures flavors of honeysuckle, pear, and even tropical fruit like lychee while hints of lemongrass and green apple waft through. We macerate these beautiful botanicals in a rum spirit made from sugar cane to extract maximum flavor and aroma, then sweeten with pure cane sugar to heighten the sensory experience even more. These fresh, bold and crisp flavors mean a little kiss of this beautiful concoction can go a long way to livening up a wide range of cocktails.
You can start simply by adding a splash to your seltzer water, tea or a glass of your favorite juice. Or, you can make any of a number of classic cocktails like Maryland’s own Black-Eyed Susan with vodka, elderflower, pineapple and orange juices. Maybe an old school elderflower gimlet is more your speed, with vodka or gin. Really, the only limit is your imagination. A dash of this liqueur would be just as at home in an elegant glass of champagne as it would in a distinctive old fashioned. So, let your creative juices, and the elderflower liqueur, flow freely and discover all that this unique and multifaceted spirit has to offer.
Cheers! -Bret
Description: Rum infused with elderflower, rose hips, lemon peel, orange blossom water, and coriander.
Tasting Notes: Our elderflower liqueur is bursting with fragrances like roses, lemon, and green tea. The flavor is complex and sweet with notes of honeysuckle, green apple, an array of citrus, and exotic hints like jasmine and lemongrass. It at once has the punch of a heavyweight boxer and the lithe elegance of a ballet dancer.
How to Mix It
Citrus Drop
.75 oz Tenth Ward Elderflower Liqueur
1 oz Tenth Ward Genever Gin
0.5 oz lemon juice
.25 oz simple syrup
sugar rim and orange and lemon slice garnish
Rim a chilled glass with sugar, pour all ingredients into a shaker, shake and strain into martini glass, garnish
Elderflower Mule
1 oz Tenth Ward Elderflower Liqueur
.25 oz lemon juice
3 dashes bitters
Ginger beer
Lemon wheel garnish
Pour liqueur and bitters into a highball glass, fill with ice, top with ginger beer, garnish.
Elderflower Royale
.5 oz Elderflower Liqueur
Sparkling wine or Champagne
Lemon spiral garnish
Pour liqueur into a champagne flute, top with chilled champagne, garnish
How do I get my hands on it???
Want some? Of course you do. If you are already in our quarterly bottle club, then well done and congratulations. A bottle shall be yours. If you aren’t a member yet, then head to tenthwarddistilling.com/clubs/ to join or talk to one of our awesome staff members next time you visit. They will be more than happy to assist you. Not only does membership get you access to our special quarterly releases, but also invitations to member only events. And you can give a club membership as a gift! Who wouldn’t want to see that in their birthday card or in their holiday presents? So, come join the club. It’s what all the cool kids are doing!
