St-Germain (liqueur)

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St-Germain Elderflower liqueur Bottle of St. Germain Elderflower liqueur.jpg
St-Germain Elderflower liqueur

St-Germain is an elderflower liqueur. [1] It is made using the petals of Sambucus nigra from the Savoie 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 thus affecting the flavour. [2]

Contents

History

St-Germain was created by distiller Robert Cooper, son of the owner of Charles Jacquin et Cie, Norton Cooper, after trying an elderflower-based cocktail at a London bar in 2001. [3] [4] The brand was named after the Paris neighbourhood, Saint-Germain-des-Prés, and the bottle shape is influenced by Art Deco motifs associated with the early 20th century Belle Époque history of this area. [5] St-Germain was launched in 2007 by Cooper Spirits Co, [6] a company founded in 2006 and headquartered in New York. [7] In 2013, the company was sold to Bacardi, and Robert Cooper agreed to work with Bacardi as a "brand guardian" and spokesperson. [8] In 2016, Robert Cooper died at the age of 39. [4]

St-Germain introduced a two part online video series, 'Salon St-Germain', based on the historic French salon, in 2020. [9] A second iteration, Fleuriste St-Germain, opened in New York City in August 2021, in collaboration with ballet dancer James Whiteside and director Laura Kim. [10]

Press and awards

The spirit won a Grand Gold Medal at the Monde Selection in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2012 and the "Chairman's Award" in the Liqueur category at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge in 2010. [11] [12]

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References

  1. "What Drinks Should You Use St Germain Liqueur In?". Archived from the original on 28 January 2017. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  2. "St. Germain Liqueur: What It Is, And What To Do With It". HuffPost. 13 June 2012. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  3. "The Story Behind St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur". News18. 10 September 2017. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  4. 1 2 Simonson, Robert (27 April 2016). "Robert J. Cooper, 39, Creator of Popular Elderflower Liqueur, Dies". The New York Times . Retrieved 12 December 2021.
  5. "Liqueur Saint-Germain (St-Germain): concept, how to drink, cocktails". Alcohol and Tradition. 26 January 2021. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  6. "The Cooper Spirits Company - Linked In profile" . Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  7. "The Cooper Spirits Co".
  8. "St-Germain Elderflower Liquor Acquired By Bacardi, Plans To Go Global". www.huffingtonpost.com. Huffington Post. 8 January 2013. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  9. spiritedzine (16 December 2020). "St-Germain Launches Holidays Series, Salon St-Germain". SpiritedZine. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  10. "St-Germain Is Ushering in New York City's Creative Renaissance". Worth. 9 August 2021. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  11. 2010 Ultimate Spirits Challenge Results, Retrieved March 11, 2014.
  12. Simonson, Robert (29 December 2009). "A Decade of Invention, and Reinvention". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 March 2014.