Elderflower Apéritif

, from Issue #21.
Photography by Vanessa Wu.
Elderflower Apéritif

Enjoy this refreshing drink with friends at cocktail hour as the sun goes down. Serve it on the rocks, chilled on its own, or as a long drink with soda or Champagne and a dash of mint.

INGREDIENTS

400 ml elderflower syrup
100 ml vodka
750 ml white or rosé wine
40 grams sugar (Chardonnay or Pinot Gris)

METHOD

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and stir until the sugar has dissolved.

Decant into 1 large bottle or several smaller bottles. Seal and leave for 2 days, shaking several times a day. Cloudy sediment may gather toward the bottom, this is normal.

Serve chilled on its own with fresh mint, on ice or split 1/3–2/3 with soda or Champagne, mint and a thin slice of lemon.

It will keep for 4 – 6 weeks. Shake the bottle before use, and refrigerate once opened. Makes 1250 ml