If you are lucky enough to have elderflowers in your garden and want to try making something a bit different from elderflower cordial and elderflower syrup, it is very easy to make delicious elderflower-infused gins or liqueurs. Below I share some of the different variations I’ve tried.
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- Elderflowers
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- Elderflower Gin
Elderflower-infused Gin
1L your gin of choice
1/3 cup dried elderflowers
Leave to steep for 2-3 weeks, then strain out the flowers.
Elderflower & Lemon Gin
1L your gin of choice
5g dried elderflowers
Zest of 2 lemons
Leave to macerate for 4 weeks, then strain.
Elderflower Liqueur
7g dried elderflowers (10-20 large heads)
Zest of 1 lemon
1L high proof neutral spirit 85-90% (higher proof gives a cleaner, purer elderflower flavour)
*you could of course just use vodka and omit the dilution step at the end, you would still get some elderflower flavour
Cover flowers with neutral spirit and leave to steep for 2-4 weeks.
Strain through a fine mesh sieve. Strain again through a coffee filter to remove any fine particulates e.g. pollen to give a clearer result.
Then add 1/4 – 1/2 cup sugar and shake well to combine. Add water to dilute the liqueur down to your desired alcohol level e.g. 40% ABV or less. You may prefer to add the sugar to the water that you use to dilute the liqueur.
Dilution example:
470ml @85% ABV + 530ml water gives 1L @40% ABV
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