I recently planned an event that was held at Robert Restaurant, which is located on the 9th floor of the Museum of Arts and Design. Not much had to be done to decorate the space because it is filled with such modern furniture and vibrant lighting (Oddly, the restaurant reminds me of Saved by the Bell - in a good way!). As fantastic as the dining room is, as soon as you check out the view of Columbus Circle and Central Park you are immediately hypnotized and forget everything else in the room! At the event, we pulled the tables away from the windows to give guests the chance to mingle and appreciate the view during the cocktail hour.
The food and company were great, but the only thing that could pull me away from the spectacular view was The Isabell, a delicious cocktail made with prosecco and elderflower liqueur. It was my first taste of elderflower and it certainly won't be my last. It tasted like summer. Elderflower cocktails are traditionally garnished with a lemon twist, but I prefer how The Isabell was garnished with a small flower.
Elderflower Cocktail Recipe: in a champagne flute add 1/2 oz. of Elderflower Liqueur and 6 oz. of Prosecco or Champagne. Garnish with an edible flower or a lemon spiral.
A non-alcoholic version can be found here.
The food and company were great, but the only thing that could pull me away from the spectacular view was The Isabell, a delicious cocktail made with prosecco and elderflower liqueur. It was my first taste of elderflower and it certainly won't be my last. It tasted like summer. Elderflower cocktails are traditionally garnished with a lemon twist, but I prefer how The Isabell was garnished with a small flower.
Photo by The Ritz Carlton
A non-alcoholic version can be found here.
Upon further research of elderflower, I found several recipes that I can't wait to try!
Elderflower Champagne Cocktail with Mint and Cucumber
Fill a tumbler with ice. Fill three-quarters of the glass with dry champagne or prosecco. Add thinly sliced cucumber and fresh mint. Top off with St-Germain elderflower liqueur.
Elderflower Martini
1 measure of elderflower cordial with 1 measure of gin,1 measure of dry vermouth and a splash of lime juice and shake up in a cocktail shaker half filled with ice until very chilled. Serve in a chilled martini glass immediately.
Sage, Elderflower and Cucumber White Sangria
Ingredients:
- 3 oz Sauvignon Blanc
- 1 oz Vodka
- 1 oz Triple Sec
- Dash of Lime Juice
- Very light dash of Elderflower Cordial
- Dash of White Cranberry Juice
- Sprite (dash on top)
- Sage Leaf
- Cucumber (diced teaspoon)
Mix all the above ingredients in a glass over ice. Add a teaspoon of cucumber and a sage leaf for garnish with a bamboo cocktail stick. (Cocktail created by Brian McGrory, Public, 10 Elizabeth St, New York, 10012)
Photo and Recipe by Liz Vidyarthi.
Elderflower Martini
1 measure of elderflower cordial with 1 measure of gin,1 measure of dry vermouth and a splash of lime juice and shake up in a cocktail shaker half filled with ice until very chilled. Serve in a chilled martini glass immediately.
Photo and Recipe courtesy of The Nest
Sage, Elderflower and Cucumber White Sangria
Ingredients:
- 3 oz Sauvignon Blanc
- 1 oz Vodka
- 1 oz Triple Sec
- Dash of Lime Juice
- Very light dash of Elderflower Cordial
- Dash of White Cranberry Juice
- Sprite (dash on top)
- Sage Leaf
- Cucumber (diced teaspoon)
Mix all the above ingredients in a glass over ice. Add a teaspoon of cucumber and a sage leaf for garnish with a bamboo cocktail stick. (Cocktail created by Brian McGrory, Public, 10 Elizabeth St, New York, 10012)
Additional recipes using elderflower liqueur can be found here.
