Grapefruit and Elderflower Cocktail Recipe

Name: Grapefruit and Elderflower Cocktail
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1 ½ ounces gin; 1 ounce elderflower liqueur ((such as St-Germain)); 1 ounce grapefruit juice; fresh basil for garnish

Crisp and refreshing, this gin, grapefruit, and elderflower cocktail is an easy one to make and an even easier one to drink!

Recipe Overview

Why you’ll love it: Simple and refreshing, not too sweet.

How long it takes: 5 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: optional cocktail shaker
Servings: 1 (but it’s so easy to make more!)

Image of a pale pink cocktail, garnished with a fresh basil leaf. Hendricks Gin and elderflower liqueur are pictured in the background. A curl of grapefruit rind is in the foreground of the photograph.

Ben and I recently visited New Orleans. It was the first time for both of us, and honestly we didn’t really know what to expect, but we had such a fun time! We were only there for two nights so it was a bit of a whirlwind, and as you can imagine, most of the trip was centered around food.

Obviously.

One of the best meals we had was at Gris-Gris, which was recommended by my friend Jenn. We sat at the chef’s table and had such a blast chatting with Chef Eric Cook, a USMC veteran and an amazing chef. Ben bonded with him over sharing stories of their time in the Marines, and I bonded with him over all the extra bites he was bringing us.

We tend not to repeat restaurants if we travel to the same place more than once (I like to try as many places as possible!), but I think we’d have a really hard time not stopping into Gris-Gris for another meal. Best shrimp and grits ever.

Image of a pale pink grapefruit cocktail with a half of a grapefruit in the background, also basil leaves are pictured.

About This Elderflower Cocktail

Another thing I had at Gris-Gris was a cocktail similar to this one. On Chef Eric’s menu, it was called the Gin Brigitte. I later found out that it’s his wife’s favorite cocktail, and it was mine too.

It’s a relatively simple cocktail consisting of gin, elderflower liqueur (St. Germain), grapefruit juice, and fresh basil.

Refreshing, light, and so flavorful, it may become your favorite, too! And only 151 calories per cocktail!

Is elderflower liqueur new to you? It’s one of my favorites! A very popular brand is St-Germain. It has a lot of natural sweetness so you don’t need to add any extra sweetener to this cocktail. The flavor is a little hard to explain, but it’s slightly floral without being obviously floral. Not overpowering at all, St-Germain just adds that extra little something. Try it and you’ll see!

Image of gin cocktail with grapefruit juice and St. Germaine.

FAQs

What’s in a Paloma cocktail?

You’ll find grapefruit juice or grapefruit soda in a Paloma, along with lime juice and tequila. I prefer fresh grapefruit juice so that’s what you’ll find in my Paloma recipe. Make it with a traditional rim of sugar and/or salt or spice it up with a chipotle chili rim.

Can you drink St-Germain straight?

Yes! Enjoy it straight up, on the rocks, or mix it with champagne, white wine, gin, vodka, or whiskey.
It’s also great as a mixer. Try it in a cherry martini with elderflower and lime or a Stardust Dazzler. A hibiscus mimosa can be made with St-Germain, too.

Image of a gin and elderflower cocktail with grapefruit.

How to make this cocktail your own

Obviously, there are a lot of things you can do with this, but here are some of my favorite ideas:

Make it with vodka. If you’re not a gin fan, this drink is great with vodka as well.
Use a different garnish. If you don’t have basil or don’t like basil, try garnishing the cocktail with a sprig of fresh rosemary or mint.
Add sweeteners. I think the elderflower liqueur adds a lot of sweetness, but if you like it a touch sweeter, try adding honey, agave, or simple syrup.
Add sparkle. Try adding a splash of prosecco, champagne, tonic, or soda water to this drink.
Don’t like grapefruit juice? Well, I’m surprised you’re still reading this, but try a cranberry margarita, sparkling pink lemonade, or watermelon mint lemonade.

Image of a pink grapefruit cocktail made with gin and elderflower liqueur. The drink is garnished with a fresh basil leaf.

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