13 Elderflower Cocktails that Are as Pretty as a Picture

If you love a drink that is fresh, fruity, and soft, with lingering notes of pear, lychee, and tropical flavors, you’ll adore elderflower cocktails. Elderflower liqueur is a wonderful cocktail ingredient to have around the house, and can be used to make all sorts of captivating mixed drinks.  

Elderflowers also symbolise new beginnings, so if you’ve been looking for a new cocktail avenue to explore at home, step right up to discover our picture-perfect elderflower liqueur cocktails. 

1. Elderflower Gin cocktail

Simple yet stunning, this floral gin drink balances crisp Bulldog Gin with elderflower liqueur, lemon, and tonic for an elegant sip.

Ingredients

• 60 ml Bulldog Gin (opens in new window)

• 30 ml Elderflower liqueur

• Squeeze Fresh lemon juice

• 90 ml Tonic water

• Ice

• Garnish: Mint or lemon balm leaves

Method

1. Fill a chilled glass with ice cubes

2. Squeeze in fresh lemon juice

3. Add gin and elderflower liqueur

4. Top with tonic water

5. Stir gently to combine

6. Garnish with mint or lemon balm leaves

7. Serve

More gin vibes: 12 Festive Christmas Gin Cocktails to Deck the Halls (opens in new window)

2. Elderflower & Strawberry cocktail

Arguably one of the most delightfully summery cocktails with elderflower liqueur in the mix, the Elderflower & Strawberry cocktail is a crowd-pleaser of note. We love making strawberry cocktails like these at the height of summer when berries are in season. It’s also a great time to make strawberry syrup (opens in new window), FYI. 

Ingredients

• Handful of fresh strawberries, washed and hulled

• 30 ml Fresh lime juice

• Peel of half a lime

• 60 ml Bulldog Gin

• 30 ml Elderflower liqueur

• 15 ml Sugar syrup

• 1 Egg white

• Ice

• Garnish: Fresh strawberry

Method

1. Add strawberries, lime juice, and lime peel to a shaker

2. Muddle together, then remove lime peel

3. Add gin, elderflower liqueur, sugar syrup, and egg white

4. Dry shake (without ice) for 10 seconds

5. Add ice and shake again for 10 seconds

6. Double strain into a serving glass

7. Garnish with a fresh strawberry

8. Serve

All about egg whites: Your Guide to Making Egg White Cocktails the Easy Way  (opens in new window)

3. Daisy Cutter Martini cocktail

Of all the types of Martinis (opens in new window) out there, the Daisy Cutter is perhaps the most fabulously floral. Elegant and herbaceous, this vodka cocktail layers elderflower, vermouth, and Chartreuse for a fresh, aromatic sip.

Ingredients

• 45 ml SKYY Vodka (opens in new window)

• 30 ml Cinzano Vermouth Bianco (opens in new window)

• 30 ml Elderflower liqueur

• 10 ml Chartreuse liqueur

• Ice

• Garnish: Mint leaves

Method

1. Add vodka, vermouth, elderflower liqueur, Chartreuse, and ice to a shaker

2. Shake until well chilled

3. Fine strain into a chilled glass

4. Garnish with mint leaves

5. Serve

4. Thyme Elderflower Gimlet cocktail

Keen to try cocktails with elderflower liqueur that venture into a more herbaceous space? Then you’ve got to shake up the Thyme Elderflower Gimlet.

Ingredients

• 60 ml Bulldog Gin

• 45 ml Elderflower liqueur

• 45 ml Fresh lime juice

• 15 ml Thyme sugar syrup

• Ice

Method

1. Add gin, elderflower liqueur, lime juice, thyme sugar syrup, and ice to a shaker

2. Shake until well chilled

3. Pour into a rocks glass, ice and all

4. Serve

5. Elderflower Whiskey Sour cocktail

The iconic Whiskey Sour (opens in new window) is one of those ever-popular mixed drinks that always makes a splash, and we love this spin-off that incorporates some floral notes. 

Ingredients

• 45 ml Fresh lemon juice

• 45 ml Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon (opens in new window)

• 45 ml Elderflower liqueur

• Ice

• Garnish: Lemon twist (optional)

Method

1. Add lemon juice, bourbon, elderflower liqueur, and ice to a cocktail shaker

2. Shake vigorously until well chilled

3. Strain into a cocktail glass

4. Garnish with a lemon twist, if preferred

5. Serve

6. Floral Daiquiri cocktail

Every now and again, it’s nice to whip up a showstopper of a drink. This is when we like to pour a Floral Daiquiri.

Ingredients

• 30 ml Crème de Violette liqueur (for glass rinse)

• A few fresh blueberries

• 60 ml Wray & Nephew Overproof Rum (opens in new window)

• 15 ml Lime juice

• 15 ml Lavender sugar syrup

• 15 ml Elderflower liqueur

• Ice

Method

1. Swirl crème de violette in a chilled glass to rinse, then discard excess

2. Muddle blueberries in the base of a cocktail shaker

3. Add rum, lime juice, lavender syrup, elderflower liqueur, and ice

4. Shake until frosty

5. Fine-strain into the prepared glass

6. Serve

7. Blood Orange Elderflower Gin cocktail

A vibrant gin and elderflower serve with a citrusy kick of blood orange and a sparkling ginger ale lift.

Ingredients

• 30 ml Bulldog Gin

• 20 ml Elderflower liqueur

• 15 ml Lime juice

• 75 ml Ginger ale

• 1 oz Blood orange juice

• Ice

• Garnish: Blood orange slices

Method

1. Add gin, elderflower liqueur, lime juice, and ginger ale to a glass

2. Top with ice

3. Slowly pour over blood orange juice to create a layered effect

4. Garnish with blood orange slices

5. Serve

Try a vodka base: Our Deliciously Crimson Blood Orange Vodka Cocktail (opens in new window)

8. Elderflower Champagne cocktail

We love summer Champagne cocktails (opens in new window) with a twist, and this compelling composition is truly remarkable. Beautifully light and floral, this elegant brunch cocktail pairs bubbly Champagne with delicate elderflower for a classy daytime sip.

Ingredients

• 60 ml Elderflower liqueur

• 90 ml Lallier Champagne (opens in new window)

• 30 ml Soda water

• Ice

• Garnish: Lemon twist

Method

1. Add elderflower liqueur and Champagne to a glass with ice

2. Top with soda water

3. Stir gently

4. Garnish with a lemon twist

5. Serve

9. Pear Martini

Looking for a sweet, crisp cocktail? The Pear Martini is an irresistible sipper that only requires four ingredients and comes together in five minutes – the best combination when you’ve got your hands full hosting, but also want to serve up something impressive.

More fruity vibes: 22 of the Freshest Strawberry Cocktails to Make All Year Round

10. St Germain & Cranberry Cocktail

The delicate flavor of elderflower liqueur pairs exceptionally well with the tartness of cranberry juice. This is a crisp and floral cocktail that blends vodka, elderflower, and cranberry for a vibrant yet elegant sip.

Ingredients

• 60 ml SKYY Vodka

• 30 ml Elderflower liqueur

• 30 ml Cranberry juice

• 15 ml Fresh lime juice

• Ice

• Garnish: Lime wedge and frozen cranberries

Method

1. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice

2. Add vodka, elderflower liqueur, cranberry juice, and lime juice

3. Shake vigorously to combine

4. Strain into a chilled serving glass

5. Garnish with a lime wedge and frozen cranberries

6. Serve

Love cranberry cocktails? 13 Cranberry Cocktails for Christmas

11. French Blonde

The French Blonde walks a delicious line between sweet and tart that runs like a golden ribbon through the vodka and elderflower liqueur, tied into a pretty little bow by the grapefruit juice and bitters that give it some nice depth of flavour. We love serving this as a brunch cocktail.

Learn more: Why Bitters for Cocktails Are on Everyone’s Lips

12. Mistletoe Martini

If you’re looking for a drink that just looks like Christmas, then you will love the Mistletoe Martini. The festive drink is an indulgent fruity Martini with a vodka base and delicious notes of cranberry and elderflower added to the mix. Serve it with your best holiday dishes and watch the magic happen.

13. Apple Dream

The Apple Dream cocktail is a delightful concoction of gin with notes of sweet apple, delicate elderflower, and tart lemon juice, mixed with bubbly soda water and a splash of sweet blackberry liqueur.

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