Elderflower Vodka Soda, with Hot Honey Brie Bite

Elderflower elevates this vodka soda from a classic cocktail to a classy cocktail. Serve with the Pear-fect Hot Honey Brie Cheese Bites for an exquisite treat for at party.

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Ok truthfully this is not a difficult drinks. This is not a groundbreaking cocktail. This is an Elderflower Vodka Soda. Is it good? Absolutely. Is it incredibly unique? No. But the point of this cocktail was an easy and insanely good pairing for the Pear-fect Hot Honey Brie Cheese Bites. And on THAT, this cocktail resoundingly delivers. Elderflower and brie are a perfect match. This combination is a delight and in my mind highlights how a food and drink can complement each other and making each better together. I also wanted this to be an easy cocktail to go with the food bite theme of last minute appetizer. For simple, you can’t beat a shaken or stirred 4 ingredient cocktail. Except maybe opening a bottle of wine.

What is elderflower liqueur?

Elderflower liqueur is a sweet and floral liqueur made with elderflower.¹ Elderflower are the flowers of the elder tree.² They are small white flowers and lend an incredible but delicate floral note. The flavor is both intense but light, so a little can go a long way. To make the liqueur, the makers steep elderflowers in a base alcohol.³ The base alcohol is typically vodka or even everclear. The higher alcohol helps pull out flavors more. Then the maker dilutes the liqueur with water and sweetens it with sugar.

Recipes for elderflower liqueur sometimes include lemon juice and/or zest to add acidity, balance the sweet and bring an additional perfume-like citrus note. Elderflower liqueur is sweet, so I recommend starting small and then adding more as needed. If you add too much it will be too sweet. The amount in the recipe works perfectly with the food pairing. However, if I was making it to drink on its own I’d reduce the elderflower liqueur just a bit. If you like a less sweet cocktail reduce the elderflower liqueur in the drink.

Recipe Notes and Substitutions

Elderflower Liqueur– The most popular one is St. Germain. But get whatever you like, I love finding a small batch one because sometimes they can have really distinct and unique notes that add to the cocktail’s depth. If you can’t find it, elderflower syrup or elderflower juice will also work.

Vodka– Use whatever vodka you like and have on hand. This would also be incredible with gin. Honestly it would work extremely well with the food pairing used with gin too, so if you prefer gin, go gin for the cocktail. I went vodka because I often find I like gin with tonic better than soda water. However, I thought tonic would be too sweet with elderflower liqueur, so I chose vodka.

Lemon– Use lemon, lime would be ok but would not work quite as well as lemon. I find lime is less tart/acidic than lemon and tends to flavor a little more powerfully than lemon because you use less to get the same acidity.

Soda Water- Soda water is water with added carbon dioxide to create the carbonation. Carbonation adds to the mouthfeel of the cocktail. Besides the scrubbing bubbles effect, carbonation adds acidity when carbonic acid forms in solution from the carbon dioxide. I use plain for this cocktail. I honestly always buy plain and when I want a flavor I add citrus and/or bitters. You could add a flavored seltzer if you want the additional flavor but I would stick to citrus if I did that. I prefer plain soda water so I chose that. Use whatever one you like, have or that was on sale. If you do have a preference stick with that brand, but they will all work fine. I definitely have my preference though.

Why this Elderflower Vodka Soda pairing works… In my mind. 

Ok, so cheese and drinks are a perfect match. Think beer and cheddar, cheese and wine, even Bailey’s and cheesecake. You just have to find the right combo and it is INCREDIBLE. There are a couple aspects of the ingredients themselves and then aspects of the entire bite and drink complement each other.

First the elderflower liqueur and brie. Floral aspects of elderflower complement the buttery and nutty flavors of brie. The sweetness of the elderflower liqueur counterbalances any sourness and tang the brie has. Elderflower liqueur’s sweetness also marries perfectly with the sweetness and slight earthiness of the bosc pear (leave the skin on, it is far easier to prepare and adds to the slight bitter/earthiness). Also, honey and elderflower liqueur enhance each other. The elderflower brightens the honey and adds an additional delicate complexity.

The chili spice cuts in next to tame the sweetness of the honey and elderflower. Finally, the lemon and refreshing quality of the drink comes through to cut through the fat and sweetness and cleanse the palate, so you’re ready for another bite! Honestly this pairing is SOOO GOOD! Make it, the Elderflower Vodka Soda and Hot Honey Brie Cheese Bites do not disappoint.

References:

• Karp, Liz Susman. “Elderflower Liqueur: So Good It’s the Bartender’s Ketchup.” Alcohol Professor, Alcohol Professor, 26 July 2022, https://www.alcoholprofessor.com/blog-posts/elderflower-liqueur.
• “Elderflower: Overview, Uses, Side Effects, Precautions, Interactions, Dosing and Reviews.” WebMD, WebMD, https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-708/elderflower.
• Shaw, Hank. “Elderflower Liqueur.” Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, 27 May 2022, https://honest-food.net/elderflower-liqueur-recipe/.