St-Germain is an

elderflower ''Sambucus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Adoxaceae. The various species are commonly called elder or elderberry. The genus was formerly placed in the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae, but was reclassified as Adoxaceae due to ge ...

liqueur A liqueur (; ; ) is an alcoholic drink composed of spirits (often rectified spirit) and additional flavorings such as sugar, fruits, herbs, and spices. Often served with or after dessert, they are typically heavily sweetened and un-aged beyond ...

. It is made using the petals of ''

Sambucus nigra ''Sambucus nigra'' is a species complex of flowering plants in the family Adoxaceae native to most of Europe. Common names include elder, elderberry, black elder, European elder, European elderberry, European black elderberry and tramman (Isle ...

'' from the

Savoie Savoie (; Arpitan: ''Savouè'' or ''Savouè-d'Avâl''; English: ''Savoy'' ) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Southeastern France. Located in the French Alps, its prefecture is Chambéry. In 2019, Savoie had a population of ...

region in France, and each bottle is numbered with the year the petals were collected. Petals are collected annually in the spring over a period of three to four weeks, and are often transported by bicycle to collection points to avoid damaging the petals and impacting the flavour.

History

St-Germain was created by distiller Robert Cooper, son of Norton Cooper, the owner of

Charles Jacquin et Cie Charles Jacquin et Cie, Inc. (Jacquin's) is a producer, distiller, rectifier, manufacturer, and importer of alcoholic beverages and food products. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chatam International Incorporated, and is based in Philadelphia, ...

, after trying an elderflower-based cocktail at a London bar in 2001. The brand was named after

Saint-Germain-des-Prés Saint-Germain-des-Prés () is one of the four administrative quarters of the 6th arrondissement of Paris, France, located around the church of the former Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Its official borders are the River Seine on the north ...

, and the bottle shape is influenced by

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...

motifs associated with the

Belle Époque The Belle Époque or La Belle Époque (; French for "Beautiful Epoch") is a period of French and European history, usually considered to begin around 1871–1880 and to end with the outbreak of World War I in 1914. Occurring during the era ...

history of this area. St-Germain was launched in 2007 by Cooper Spirits Co, a company founded 2006 and headquartered in New York. In 2013, the company was sold to Bacardi, and Robert Cooper agreed to work with Bacardi as a "brand guardian" and spokesperson. In 2016, Robert Cooper died at the age of 39. St-Germain introduced a pop-up series, 'Salon St-Germain', based on the historic French

salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon (P ...

, in 2020. A second iteration, Fleuriste St-Germain, opened in New York City in August 2021, in collaboration with ballet dancer

James Whiteside James Whiteside (12 August 1804 – 25 November 1876) was an Irish politician and judge. Background and education Whiteside was born at Delgany, County Wicklow, the son of William Whiteside, a clergyman of the Church of Ireland. His father wa ...

and director Laura Kim.

Press and awards

The spirit won a Grand Gold Medal at the

Monde Selection Monde Selection is an annual non-competitive award open to food, drinks, and cosmetics products, created in 1961. It is run by the commercial company, International Institute for Quality Selections, Brussels, Belgium. Consumer products are tasted a ...

in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2012 and the "Chairman's Award" in the Liqueur category at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge 2010.

References

External links

Stgermain.fr
Liqueurs Belle Époque {{distilled-drink-stub