If you love margaritas but want to change things up, try this St. Germain Elderflower Margarita! It uses Elderflower liqueur instead of the classic Cointreau which makes it very light and floral. Perfect for spring and summer!
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What's Great About This Cocktail
Light and floral - This cocktail is made with elderflower liqueur instead of classic orange liqueur which makes it really light and floral and it's perfect for spring or summer.
Fun and easy to make - This margarita is just as easy to make as the classic everyone knows but if you're like me and you enjoy making new fun cocktails, this one is a great one to try!
It's a liqueur made from fresh flowers of the elderberry plant. I like using St. Germain but any brand you like works. It can get pricey but you can use it for lots of different cocktails and it will last you a while.
Ingredients
- Silver Tequila - This margarita is great with either silver or reposado tequila. I don't recommend using gold tequila because it has too much of a woody, earthy taste that doesn't go very much with the flowery taste of elderflower liqueur.
- Elderflower liqueur - This liqueur is made with the daily little white flowers of the elderberry plant before they change into dark purple elderberries.
- Lime - I always recommend using freshly squeezed lime juice whenever possible. It makes a huge difference!
- Simple syrup - You can easily make simple syrup yourself by mixing cane sugar and water. The sugar will dissolve in both hot and cold water but cold water will take slightly longer. If you don't want to use cane sugar. You can do the same thing with any other sweetener. Mix water with maple syrup, honey, agave, coconut nectar, or any other sweetener. I recommend using hot water with syrups.
Step-by-Step Instructions
The process of making this drink is super simple and the same as any other margarita. I recommend prepping your glass first to avoid the ice in the shaker melting and diluting your drink if it sits for too long.
To prep the glass, run a lime wedge around the rim of the glass and dip it in salt. I like using Himalayan pink salt or sea salt. You can use both coarse or fine sea salt. You can add the salt around the whole rim or just one side so that you can drink the cocktail with or without salt.
To make the cocktail, simply add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker along with a handful of ice, close, and vigorously shake for 5-10 seconds until the shaker is very cold. Pour your drink into the prepared glass over ice and serve garnished with a lime slice.
What to Serve the Cocktail With
This cocktail is perfect on its own but it's always fun to serve cocktails with finger food or light meals. The floral elderflower liqueur goes really well with bright spring and summer flavors like fresh vegetables, fruits, or fish. Try it with roasted salmon or other fish! If you're looking only for appetizers and finger food, give some of these a try:
FAQs
Yes! Try finding elderflower syrup and/or soda to give it that flavor without any alcohol. There are definitely lots on the market (Monin is the first that comes to mind) but if you can't find elderflower syrup you can also make your own at home!
This cocktail isn't very sweet but if you want it to be even lower in sugar, simply skip the simple syrup. Elderflower liqueur also has some sugar in so that is something to keep in mind.
Similar Recipes
Tequila is definitely my favorite liquor and margarita is my favorite cocktail so I have lots of different variations on the blog. Below are six of my favorites but if you want to see even more cocktails, head over to the Cocktails category page! It always gets updated and you can find the latest cocktails all right there.
📖 Recipe
St. Germain Elderflower Margarita
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: Cocktail
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This St. Germain Elderflower margarita is a floral take on the classic margarita and it's the perfect spring and summer cocktail!
Ingredients
Salt rim: 1 tablespoon Himalayan pink salt or sea salt
- 1 ½ oz Silver Tequila
- 1 oz Elderflower liqueur (I used St. Germain)
- ½ oz freshly squeezed lime juice
- ½ oz simple syrup (see notes)
- Ice
- Lime slices for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- To garnish the glass rim, run a lime wedge along the rim. Dip in Himalayan pink salt or sea salt to coat. Fill up the glass with ice and set it aside.
- Add silver tequila, elderflower liqueur, lime juice, and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker or a mason jar with a handful of ice. Close and shake for 10-15 seconds until very cool.
- Strain into the prepared glass and garnish with a lime slice if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
I recommend always prepping the glass first so that you can serve the cocktail right away after shaking it. Try not to let it sit in the cocktail shaker for too long before serving to avoid it getting watered down by the ice.
Non-alcoholic version: Use elderflower syrup instead of the liqueur and tequila. Top up the drink with soda - elderflower or lemon/lime sodas work the best in this drink.
Enri Lemoine
What an elegant concoction. I love Saint Germain but I never thought about using it in a Margarita. This cocktail I so floral and perfect for the Spring season, Mother's Day and so on... Thanks for sharing.
Colleen
This margarita looks so refreshing and delicious. I am going to get some elderflower liqueur so we can make these on the weekend!
Freya
I had some homemade elderflower syrup that a foraging friend gave me and I had no idea what to do with it. With tequila, in this drink, it is absolutely stunning! Summer in a glass!
Sharon
If your looking for a new cocktail to try this spring, you've found it in this elderflower margarita.
Amanda
I loved this margarita for spring! The elderflower added the perfect floral notes, and it was lovely with the fresh lime.
Heather
Love a good margarita! And never thought to add elderflower liqueur… sounds refreshing!
veenaazmanov
Refreshing and perfect for the weather.
Annie
I loooove St. Germain but it mostly sits in my liquor cabinet except for when I break it out for the occasional cocktail. This margarita is the perfect mix of all my favorite flavors! I'll be making this one on repeat all summer. 🍸
Lisa
This is a terrific margarita. And I always need my glass rimmed with salt!
Heidy
This recipe was so fabulous! I sincerely am glad I found it on Pinterest. We made it for our friends on Friday, and they even said it was awesome. I love when guests are happy! Have a great day.