Elderflower Gin Recipe

elderflower gin recipe

Our recommended gin: Alfred the Great Premium Gin

Prep time: 10 minutes (one week for leaving it to sit)

Serving size: 70cl bottle of elderflower gin to enjoy

Dietary: Gluten-free and Vegan


Elderflower can be found growing in abundance across the UK during the warmer seasons, so is the perfect ingredient for spring and summer beverages. The flavour is delicate, fragrant and refreshing, while also being easy to identify and forage, so you can keep an endless supply of elderflower gin to hand practically all year round. 

Wessex Distillery advise how to create your own elderflower gin at home in as little as ten minutes and with minimal ingredients. You could even make it for a friend or family member as a thoughtful and homemade gift.

Ingredients

  • 1 bottle of gin. Ideally a premium or high-quality gin to get the most out of this recipe. Our 70cl bottles of Alfred the Great Premium gin or Wyvern’s Classic gin would work perfectly. 
  • Lemon peel strips (a couple of strips)
  • 2 tbsp golden caster sugar
  • Elderflower heads (around eight sprigs per bottle of gin)

Method

Step 1

Decant your gin into another bottle or bowl for now.

Step 2

Make sure your elderflower sprigs are clean and free of any bugs or dirt from outside before adding them to your empty gin bottle. To do so, give your sprigs a shake as opposed to washing them with water as this can remove some of the flower’s flavour in the process. You will also need to remove any thicker green stems and only keep the thinner head of stems which the flowers are attached to. 

Step 3

Add one or two tablespoons of golden caster sugar into your gin bottle too along with your strips of lemon peel, with the amount depending on how strong you’d like the flavour to be. 

Step 4

Pour your gin carefully back into the bottle and give it a shake to mix everything together. 

Step 5

Now, it’s just a waiting game. You will need to leave your gin concoction to sit for a week or so at room temperature until the colour has changed to a slightly pale yellow. You can taste your gin until it tastes how you like it, then use a strainer or fine sieve to remove the elderflower heads and lemon peel so your gin is ready to drink as normal. 

Recipe Tips

How to drink your elderflower gin
  • Make an elderflower gin cocktail using tonic water, lemon juice, lemon wedges, cucumber slices or mint and crushed ice.
  • Have a classic gin and tonic with an elderflower twist.
  • Drink your elderflower gin on the rocks with ice. 
  • Make an elderflower gin spritz with prosecco and lemon slices for garnish.

We recommend our Alfred the Great Premium gin.

Gin Recipes