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You are here: Home / Uncategorised / Homemade Elderflower Champagne

Homemade Elderflower Champagne

22nd June 2015 by Claire Armstrong 14 Comments

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Homemade Elderflower Champagne

The Elderflowers are in full bloom, so its time to make some champagne. The tiny flowers of the elder tree are covered in a natural yeast and when combined with sugar and water they will ferment creating a botanically brewed champagne. Elderflower champagne is really easy to make, delicious to drink and makes some fantastic summer cocktails.
 
I get great satisfaction from using wild plants to make things to drink and eat. I don’t know if its because it’s free or if it’s that connecting back with nature thing. Everywhere I look at the moment there are loads of elder trees in bloom, elderflowers are everywhere, down by the park, along the river bank or just growing by the side of the road, so you should have no problems in finding the flowers.
 
elderflower tree2
 

Ingredients

The following ingredients make 6 litres of elderflower champagne
1kg Sugar
4 litres of hot water
2 litres of cold water
20 Elderflower heads (preferably picked on a dry morning to ensure maximum natural yeast coverage)
2 table spoons white wine vinegar
Zest and juice of 4 lemons
 
Elderflowers on wood2
 
You will also need a bucket for fermenting, some muslin cloth and 6 x 1 litre bottles (preferably with a metal flip top like Grolsch bottles )
 
 

How to Make Elderfower champagne

1. Dissolve the sugar in the hot water, then add the remaining cold water.
 
2. Add the vinegar, lemon and elderflowers to the water in the bucket and stir gently before covering with muslin.
 
3. Leave in a cool dry place for a 3 days. On the third day lift the muslin you should see the mixture fermenting with tiny bubbles. If not you can always aid the process by adding some brewing yeast (I have not had to do this yet). Leave for a further 4 days to carry on fermenting.
 
4. So after a week in total your elderflower champagne should be ready for bottling. Make sure your bottles are sterilized beforehand and then using a boiled clean muslin strain the liquid into the bottles.
 
5. Seal the bottles and leave to carry on fermenting in the bottles for at least another week. Even though the flower heads have been removed the mixture will carry on producing carbon dioxide. To avoid potentially exploding bottles I gently ease the top open of the bottles every few days to release the pressure. That is why it’s best to use Grolsch top bottles. Screw bottles will be fine as long as you release the gas every so often.
 
6. After a week the champagne is ready for drinking, you can leave it a few more weeks to carry on fermenting more if you want to. However as soon as you put the bottles in the fridge the cold will kill the yeast and stop the fermenting process.

 
Elderflowers bucket
 
 

Suggestions for Drinking Elderflower Champagne

 
Even though Elderflower champagne is botanically brewed it is not very alcoholic especially compared to normal champagne. Depending on how long you leave the elderflowers fermenting the resulting champagne is about 3% proof. This makes it a great summer drink, as it has a great alcoholic taste without being too intoxicating, so you can safely drink it without getting too drunk.
 
Homemade Elderflower Champagne Pillarboxblue
 
Not only do I like to drink Elderflower champagne on its own it makes a great cocktail ingredient. I like to mix it with rhubarb cordial to make a truly refreshing summer drink.
 
Two of my favourite Elderflower Champagne cocktails are, an Elderflower Champagne mojito and and Elderflower Champagne berry snakebite.
 
For the snakebite I simply mix half and half Elderflower Champagne and fruit cider.
 
For the mojito
1. Cut a lime into quarters
2. Muddle lime with heaped tablespoon of sugar and fresh mint leaves
3. Add a shot of rum
4. Top up with Elderflower Champagne and serve with ice.
 
Muddled Lime and Sugar Mint
 
Elderflower champagne mojito2
 
If you make Elderflower Champagne let me know how you get on and also I’d love to hear any cocktail ideas you have.
 
 

Filed Under: Uncategorised Tagged With: botanically brewed elderflowers, Elderflower, elderflower champagne, elderflower cocktail, elderflower mojito, elderflowers, rhubarb cordial, summer cocktail

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sandra

    19th May 2016 at 9:42 pm

    I don’t know which I’d enjoy more; making or drinking it!

    Reply
    • Claire Armstrong

      20th May 2016 at 6:24 am

      Drinking it ! thank you !

      Reply
  2. Kristen from The Road to Domestication

    30th June 2015 at 1:38 pm

    I had no idea you could make any kind of a drink from a flower, much less champagne! WOW! Thanks so much for taking the time to link up with us at the #HomeMattersParty – we hope to see you again on Friday!

    Reply
    • Claire Armstrong

      30th June 2015 at 1:48 pm

      Thank you

      Reply
  3. Heather @ Viral Upcycle

    24th June 2015 at 6:59 pm

    Wow Claire, that looks very in-depth and refreshing. Wish I had the want to for creating food and beverages the way I enjoy upcycling. Beautifully photographed!

    Reply
  4. Ellen

    22nd June 2015 at 2:43 pm

    This looks interesting, and tempting. However, I don’t know if Elderberries grow here (Alabama). I enjoyed seeing the process, and would be tempted to try it if I could find the elderberries.

    Reply
    • Claire Armstrong

      23rd June 2015 at 7:01 am

      I think you get elder trees in the USA but I dont know about Alabama. They are very abundant here in the UK in fact they are one of our most common trees. I do wonder if you could make champagne with other tree blossoms it’s something I’ll have to investigate.

      Reply

Trackbacks

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