Say cheers to the new year with an Elderflower French 75! It’s a floral take on the classic champagne cocktail with lemon, gin and St. Germain elderflower liqueur. This elderflower cocktail will be your new favorite drink for toasting and celebrating!

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November 2021 Update: I am so pleased that you guys love this recipe all year long, and not just for New Year’s Eve! It’s worthy of love any time of year. I updated this post with new content, including some alternative methods and tips for making this cocktail the absolute best!

New Year’s Eve is coming up! Man oh man. What a year.

I’ll be sharing my yearly recap this weekend, but first I wanted to share one more recipe for you to make before midnight tomorrow.

This Elderflower French 75 is a drink you should most definitely toast your BFFs with.

Speaking of besties, one amazing thing that happened to me this year was discovering my tribe.

My friends and fellow food bloggers Erin, Madison, Meghan and I have known each other for a while, and this year we formed a sort-of accountability group.

They’re my go-to pals for blogging questions, writing help or photography tips. We help each other by giving advice, sharing knowledge, encouraging one another.

Even though we live in four time zones, we sometimes virtually ‘work’ together to keep each other accountable for our ever-growing to-do lists.

These ladies most definitely got me through 2016. I’m so, so grateful for their friendship, and I look forward to another year of late-night group texts.

I’ll definitely be toasting these three gals from afar on New Year’s Eve with an Elderflower French 75.

This cocktail is so floral and fragrant, sparkly and smooth. It would be so good with a slice of Lemon and Elderflower Cake.

table of contents

What is a French 75?

A French 75 is a classic cocktail that’s made a comeback in recent years.

Gin, champagne, lemon juice and sometimes simple syrup come together in a bubbly, fragrant drink.

The French 75 is extremely sippable and a great introduction to gin for anyone who has previously sworn it off.

The Elderflower French 75 takes this classic cocktail to a new level with the addition of St. Germain elderflower liqueur. But it’s just one of many French 75 variations.

What is elderflower liqueur?

For this cocktail, you’ll also need St. Germain which is a liqueur made from elderflowers. It has a delicate floral taste to it.

Elderflowers have a soft sweetness to them, and it really brightens the sometimes sharp flavors of gin and champagne.

If you are new to floral flavors, you should know it tastes like you are smelling flowers. It sounds weird, but it’s actually quite lovely!

If you don’t have elderflower liqueur on hand, you can use 1/2 ounce of elderflower simple syrup (or homemade elderflower syrup works too) instead of St. Germain.

Gin and St. Germain: Which gin to use

If you know anyone who has traditionally shied away from gin (raises hand), this Elderflower French 75 is the perfect cocktail to show them that gin really isn’t scary at all.

As I discussed in my gin guide, gin is flavored with juniper and other botanicals, so it pairs extremely well with other botanical liqueurs.

In this elderflower cocktail, the St. Germain brings out the floral notes of the gin. I recommend using a gin with fewer juniper notes and more floral or herbaceous notes.

I personally reach for Hendrick’s when I’m making a gin-elderflower cocktail, as its flavors of rose and cucumber pair quite well with St. Germain.

And if you still can’t get into gin? Feel free to use vodka instead in this Elderflower French 75.

(If you happen to love the gin and St. Germain combo, check out my Elderflower Rose Gimlet, or my Blackberry Peach Bramble for a more fruity gin cocktail.)

St. Germain and Champagne: Which champagne to use

When I’m combining St. Germain and champagne, I like to reach for a dryer, more brut champagne.

St. Germain is slightly sweet, so the sweetness of the elderflower balances nicely with the dry champagne and also brings out any floral notes in it as well.

If you don’t love champagne (or the price tag it comes with), feel free to substitute your favorite sparkling wine, such as prosecco or cava, instead.

Get more info on each of these options in my champagne 101 guide, which explains how to choose the right bottle. I recommend choosing one in the $10-20 range.

Dry champagne, which will say “brut” on the label, is a good pick to pair with the sweetness of the elderflower.

This NYE cocktail is fantastic and you definitely need to make a round of them for your New Year’s party! (Or at the very least brunch with your girlfriends next month.)

Tips & tricks

Here are my tips for making the best version of this elderflower champagne cocktail:

Choose a floral gin. I like Hendrick’s for its floral and botanical notes. I would stay away from flavors of pine and juniper that might not pair as well with the delicate floral taste of St. Germain.

Choose a bottle of dry champagne. St. Germain is a sweet liqueur, so you don’t want to add more sweetness to this cocktail. Stick with a bottle that says “brut” on the label for the ultimate flavor magic.

Use a pretty garnish. I used a lemon twist, but you can use a cocktail pick or lemon wedge if you like.

New Years Eve cocktails

If this Elderflower French 75 cocktail isn’t for you, I’ve got more ideas! Today my friends and I are all sharing cocktails worth toasting with your besties. Check out their drink recipes below!

Raspberry Mint Sparklers by Cake ‘n Knife
Irish Coffee with Hazelnut Whipped Cream by A Joyfully Mad Kitchen
Skinny Chocolate Covered Strawberry Martinis by The Speckled Palate

You also don’t want to miss these champagne jello shots, which are so fun for New Year’s Eve.

This Seelbach cocktail is made with bourbon and champagne, which is a surprisingly good combination.

Lastly, this Meyer lemon drop champagne punch is so fun for a party!

Check out this list of New Year’s cocktails to try at your EOY gathering!

To you, I say: In the new year, cheers to your good health, wealth, love, luck and happiness. *clink* Happy New Year!

— Did you make this recipe? —

Please leave a ★★★★★ review or comment below.

Elderflower French 75 Cocktail

Yield: 1 cocktail

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 0

Total Time: 5

4.79 from 92 votes

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ingredients

1 ½ ounces gin
½ ounce elderflower liqueur such as St. Germain
½ ounce lemon juice
3-4 ounces prosecco champagne or other sparkling wine, chilled
lemon twist for garnish

instructions

Add gin, elderflower liqueur and lemon juice to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously. Pour into champagne glass. Top with sparkling wine. Garnish with a lemon twist.

recommended products

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amount per serving:

Serving: 6ounces Calories: 197kcal Carbohydrates: 8g Protein: 0.2g Fat: 0.1g Saturated Fat: 0.01g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.01g Sodium: 7mg Potassium: 100mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 7g Vitamin A: 4IU Vitamin C: 13mg Calcium: 17mg Iron: 0.4mg

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