Soirees With St. Germain

It's called St. Germain.

No, I’m not talking about the electronica and nu jazz musician who became popular for his lounge beats.

I'm talking about the liqueur created by my friend-in-law Spirit. This is, after all, a food blog, with a side of cocktails and wine from time to time.

I was riding in the back seat of a cab about a year ago with CalGal and her husband, Spirit, when Spirit first mentioned he was working on creating a new brand of liqueur. I thought to myself, he must be nuts. How does one go about doing this?

Apparently he was much further along in the process than I expected because out came a sample for me and the rest of my cabmates to share. Despite my initial shock and awe, the idea wasn't entirely far-fetched for Spirit. Spirit is a third generation distiller and part owner of Chambord liqueur, but this doesn't lessen the fact that it was pretty darn cool to taste test something a friend invented.

It came in a small glass jar with some lab notes on it, like it was part of a science experiment. It reminded me of what I imagine a bottle would look like at an old apothecary.

The liquid was sweet. If you squeezed flowers to get juice, this is what it would taste like. They had to wrench it out of my grip, like they were taking a milk bottle from a hungry baby, in order to save some for the others. I kept waiting for the teeth-grinding, esophagus-twisting bite, but there was none. This was the smoothest liquid I'd ever tasted.

St. Germain is the first liqueur in the world created from freshly handpicked elderflower blossoms. There are non-alcoholic elderflower cordials, but like Chad Solomon of the Pegu Club said, "It's like amateur night compared to St. Germain."

Besides its honey-sweet taste, my second favorite element of the liqueur is its bottle. The tall, lean bottle has a sort of art deco feel to it, almost like a bottled skyscraper. Every time I share it with friends, I take it out of my travel bag to "Oohs" and "Aahs" and "What is thaaat?" Just holding it makes me feel important. Each bottle of St. Germain is numbered and marked with the vintage year which reflects the year in which the flowers were picked.

CalGal and I met as first year’s on the swim team at Virginia. We lived in dorms a stone’s throw away from each other. Carebear and I spent many a night partying in her dorm room with her and her roommate Malibu. We would end up living together for two years at school, and for a year in Aspen. She was a true California girl with a magnetic personality and I was immediately drawn to her smile and spunk.

CalGal met Spirit when we were in Aspen. Their story is one for the record books. I won't get into the details here but all you need to know is it involves the famous Aspen Popcorn Wagon and Bentley's. You'll have to ask them the rest. The two girls I moved to Aspen with met their husbands there -- what happened to me?

Nearly a year after my first taste of St. Germain, the elderflower liqueur has snuck its way into my life permanently. This summer it's become both the cause and means for multiple nights of celebration.

I went to my first "First Fridays" at the Guggenheim -- St. Germain was a sponsor. If you haven't been to one before, I recommend doing it. Arrive there early so you can actually get inside. Doors open at 9 o'clock and if you show up fashionably late, the chances are you won't get in.

If you're thinking you can just parade around the museum drinking, you're wrong. The bottom is certainly a parade, or a civilized mosh pit, and there's drinking, but if you want to walk on the upper levels and see some art you'll have to leave your roadie behind. That night reminded me how lucky I am to be living in the city. No city blends culture, a good party and exciting people better than New York.

I attended a Chefs Gone Wild event at Rockefeller Center -- St. Germain was a sponsor. CalGal invited me at the last minute and I was honored to go.

The event raised money for Citymeals-on-Wheels, a charity founded by Gael Greene and James Beard in 1981. Citymeals funds agencies that bring meals to homebound elderly New Yorkers who can no longer shop or cook for themselves. The event at Rockefeller celebrated sustainable cuisine and the "bounty of the American farmer."


Unfortunately, CalGal worked as a bartender most of the night, but I explored the many different chef stations on the upper level and rink level. There was a little bit of everything for everyone-from oysters and risotto to chocolate and sorbet. There were lots of beautiful people zipping from stand to stand, struggling to balance their plates, utensils and alcohol. It was a bit toasty that night -- I avoided any hot dishes so I wouldn't have to keep spotting the sweat off my face with a napkin. I noticed Bill Telepan with a little harem of "chef-aids" and I'll admit I was a little starstruck.


I celebrated a friend's bachelorette in Montauk -- St. Germain was an unofficial sponsor.

I went to a benefit for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund at the Tennis Club and a bartender looked at me aghast when I asked him to pour some St. Germain into my wine glass. I don't even think he realized his bar served it. Then when I told him I knew the guy that created it I'm sure he was one step away from calling security.

My friend BeanieBaby had a going away party last Thursday and I introduced a new group of friends to St. Germain. I think they'll be inviting him into their parties from now on.

St. Germain has already been written up in the New York Times and the Web site Daily Candy featured a post with a summer cocktail recipe and St. Germain was in it. I wanted to "break" the St. Germain story but I was scooped.

I'm off to Martha's Vineyard to spend the fourth of July weekend with BeanieBaby and her family. I look forward to a long, relaxing five days on the beach with lots of good seafood. I was thinking about what to buy BeanieBaby's family for welcoming me into their home. I thought maybe a cake from Magnolia, a pie from Kitchenette, or a bottle of wine. Then I thought how silly I hadn't thought of it sooner.

St. Germain will be coming along with me and another weekend will be spent introducing it to new friends, thanks to a man and his velo, working hard in the Alps, gathering the blossoms before he rides to market with the starry white flowers.

*The St. Germain Cocktail*
2 shots dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc, Sancerre) or Champagne
1 1/2 shots St. Germain
2 shots of soda water