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

This Elderflower Gin cocktail is one of those amazing drinks that’s super simple to compile, but tastes gorgeous nonetheless. Add ice cubes to a chilled glass, squeeze over some fresh lemon juice, and pour in 60ml Bulldog Gin, and 30ml elderflower liqueur. Charge with 90ml tonic water and garnish with a few mint or lemon balm leaves. 

More gin vibes: 12 Festive Christmas Gin Cocktails to Deck the Halls  

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, FYI. 

Add a handful of washed, hulled strawberries to a cocktail shaker with 30ml lime juice and the peel of half a lime, muddle together and remove the lime peel. Add 60ml Bulldog Gin, 30ml elderflower liqueur, 15ml sugar syrup, and an egg white to the shaker. Dry shake without ice for 10 seconds, then add ice and wet shake for another 10 seconds. Double strain into a serving glass, garnish with a fresh strawberry and serve. 

All about egg whites: Your Guide to Making Egg White Cocktails the Easy Way 

3. Daisy Cutter Martini cocktail

Of all the types of Martinis out there, the Daisy Cutter is perhaps the most fabulously floral. This elderflower vodka cocktail calls for 45ml SKYY Vodka, 30ml Cinzano Vermouth Bianco, 30ml elderflower liqueur and 10ml Chartreuse liqueur. Shake all the ingredients with ice, fine-strain into a chilled glass, and garnish with mint leaves. 

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. This floral-tinged riff on the classic Gimlet combines 60ml Bulldog Gin, 45ml elderflower liqueur, 45ml fresh lime juice, and 15ml thyme sugar syrup, which is added to a cocktail shaker with ice. This is shaken until well-chilled and then poured into a rocks glass, ice and all.  

TOP TIP: Here’s a guide to making infused simple syrup that will show you how to make DIY thyme syrup.        

5. Elderflower Whiskey Sour cocktail

The iconic Whiskey Sour is one of those ever-popular mixed drinks that always makes a splash, and we love this spin-off that incorporates some floral notes. Add 45ml fresh lemon juice, 45ml Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon, and 45ml elderflower liqueur to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a lemon twist, if preferred. 

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. Start by swirling 30ml of creme de violette liqueur in a chilled glass. Next, muddle a few fresh blueberries in the base of a cocktail shaker, then add 60ml Wray & Nephew Overproof Rum, 15ml lime juice, 15ml lavender simple syrup, and 15ml elderflower liqueur, along with ice. Shake until frosty, and fine-strain into the liqueur-rinsed glass. 

The lavender-infused simple syrup called for in this recipe is made in the same way as the thyme syrup used in the Thyme Elderflower Gimlet. Read more about making DIY syrups here.  

7. Blood Orange Elderflower Gin cocktail

Another fanciful gin and elderflower cocktail that sips oh-so-beautifully, the Blood Orange Elderflower Gin Cocktail combines 30ml Bulldog gin, 20ml elderflower liqueur, 15ml lime juice, 80ml oz ginger ale, and 30ml blood orange juice. Build the gin, liqueur, lime juice and ginger ale in a glass, then top it with ice. Now, slowly pour over the blood orange juice, and garnish it with blood orange slices. 

Try a vodka base: Our Deliciously Crimson Blood Orange Vodka Cocktail

8. Elderflower Champagne cocktail

We love summer Champagne cocktails with a twist, and this compelling composition is truly remarkable. Beautiful for brunch, it calls for 60ml elderflower liqueur, 90ml Champagne, 30ml club soda, and a lemon twist to garnish. Pour the liqueur and Champagne into a glass with ice, top with the club soda, stir gently, garnish with the lemon twist, and 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. To make a St Germain & Cranberry Cocktail, fill a shaker with ice cubes. Add 60ml SKYY Vodka, 30ml elderflower liqueur, 30ml cranberry juice, and 15ml freshly squeezed lime juice. Shake vigorously to combine and strain into a chilled serving glass. Garnish with a lime wedge and frozen cranberries and 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 gives 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.

Feeling all flowery and festive yet? We hope so! If you’d like more inspiration like this delivered to your inbox, it would delight us endlessly if you sign up for our newsletter. We pinky-promise to only ever send you the really good stuff.