It’s Spring! You know, spring- daffodils in bloom, skies getting lighter, leaves, birds, all that stuff. Oh, so you want to go all intellectual? Have you got a first class honours degree Jack,or what? Alright…the return of new life and hope in Spring has been deeply embedded in the human psyche, at least since the Neolithic, blah blah blah. Yes,we too ploughed through The Golden Bough in a long-ago youth. Its eclectic synthesis of religion, magic, anthropology and history still make it landmark of profound erudition. So what better way to be true to its spirit than our offer of sixteen fresh fruity spring cocktails! Count ’em,sixteen,cocktail pickers!
Let’s start with the Elderflower, and its derivative liquer, St Germain. We owe our first fifteen to a delightful website called The Spruce Eats. If you click below you will find a) and explanation of St Germain b) the promised fifteen c) that the website is a lot shorter and easier to read than The Golden Bough d) there’s more pictures. Here’s their take on No.1, the basic elderflower cocktail
The iconic elderflower cocktail is a brilliant way to start your elderflower journey. It’s delicate, sparkling, and elegant. Plus, the recipe requires just three ingredients: St. Germain, Champagne or white wine, and club soda. Incredibly simple, it’s a signature cocktail of the liqueur and one you’ll want to share with everyone you know
15 Delightful St. Germain Elderflower Cocktail Recipes (thespruceeats.com)
For those who arre allergic to elderflower (what?- you must be joking!-ed) we offer another springlike special, the Daedalus
Put five seedless white grapes in a shaker with a good supply of ice, and add a few basil leaves.Next add one measure of London Dry Gin, 1/2 measure of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of sugar syrup. Now shake violently-this should open up the grapes. Pour through a strainer into a big wine glass and add more ice cubes. Now top up with a fine white burgundy or one of the better products of the Bordeaux region. Et Robert c’est son oncle as they say in France.
JG Frazer The Golden Bough Macmillan 1950
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