Thirsty Thursdays: Elderflower Edition

For weeks now, I've been begging the husband to make me an elderflower inspired drink. It goes a little something like this:

The Diva: I want a drink made with elderflower liqueur.

The Husband: So buy some and I'll make it.

That's the entire exchange, word for word. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. Often. Through the magic of "Marital Hearing" - a condition which develops after, oh, say the better part of 3 decades spent together - that exchange morphs into something like this:

The Diva says: I want a drink made with elderflower liqueur.

The Husband Hears: waah waah waah elderflower waah waah.

Result: while away on business in New Haven, the husband proceeds to order himself a drink made with ... you guessed it ... elderflower liqueur. And the Diva? Well, she gets an email about it on Monday night!

The Gin Blossom - recipe courtesy of Zinc Restaurant:

• 1 1/2 oz. gin
• 1 1/2 oz St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur
• 1 1/2 oz. strawberry puree*
• a bit of soda water for topping up

Pour the gin, St. Germain and strawberry puree into an ice filled shaker. Shake well and strain into an ice filled glass, top up with a bit of soda water (plain seltzer) to taste. Stir, garnish with a sprig of mint, serve and enjoy. Repeat as necessary.

*To make the strawberry puree, I used a 10 oz. bag of organic frozen strawberries. I thawed the berries and pureed them in a blender, with about a tablespoon of water, until smooth and liquefied.

My word for this drink is: enchanting! Normally, I'm not a fan of gin based cocktails, but the subtle yet complex flavor of St. Germain pairs beautifully with both the gin and strawberries. The elderflower liqueur is unique in flavor; a bit sweet but not overly so, laced with notes of pear and soft lemon with a slight floral finish. Its difficult to describe ... almost like a whisper ... there in the background, haunting your palate, just begging for another sip. It is the magical ingredient that turns this drink from the ordinary into something quite extraordinary. The Gin Blossom is light, refreshing and altogether perfect for Spring. I hope you'll try it!

To learn more about this unusual, hand-crafted liqueur, you may visit the St. Germain site. It contains a wealth of information and some delicious looking cocktail recipes.

All kidding aside, I am immensely grateful to the husband for his intrepid investigations on behalf of Thirty Thursdays. He happened to find himself in New Haven earlier this week and popped into Zinc for a meal. Located on Chapel Street, Zinc specializes in "market inspired, globally infused" modern American cuisine. By all accounts, his meal was spectacular and I'm looking forward to trying Zinc on my next trip to CT. He had the Berkshire pork sausage as an entree and began the meal with some really delicious pork and ginger dumplings. ~drool~

They did indeed serve him a Gin Blossom and his waitress, Sara, was kind enough to offer him the recipe when he mentioned my Thirsty Thursdays feature to her. Thank you so much, Sara! Clearly, the husband was impressed with this place and I am delighted to offer them props for our cocktail offering this week. Thanks to Zinc, my wish has finally been fulfilled. Hooray!

So, are you a fan of elderflower liqueur? If so, how do you take yours? Curious Diva wants to know.

Bon appetit!