Elderflower liqueur

Elderflower liqueur captures a brief blooming season

Sasse's elderflower liqueur is an organic natural liqueur with 20% ABV made from hand-picked elderflowers. The Sasse team harvests them personally and steeps them in alcohol immediately. Floral, fresh, light golden – spring in a bottle.

Elderflower liqueur is the spring liqueur from the Sasse craft distillery in Schöppingen: The blossoms are hand-picked by the Sasse team, immediately macerated in alcohol, filtered, and mildly sweetened – bottled at 20% ABV in a 700-milliliter bottle. All ingredients come from certified organic farming.

It sits light golden in the glass, and the scent is unmistakable: elderflower, that slightly muscat-like, honey-sweet spring fragrance that you don't find in any other plant. Anyone who has ever walked past a blooming bush in June will recognize it instantly.

Floral, fresh, and slightly muscat-like

On the palate, the elderflower liqueur displays a gently floral aroma with a light freshness, carried by a mild sweetness – this is what the first warm days taste like.

It goes down in a floral, fresh, and light way. The 20% ABV is just right here: enough to carry the essential oils of the blossom, low enough not to get in the way. Elderflower is a delicate aroma – too much alcohol would overpower it, too much sugar would mask it. Neither happens here.

With sparkling wine, with soda, over strawberries

The elderflower liqueur is best enjoyed well-chilled – a splash in a glass of sparkling wine, and the aperitif is ready.

That is the most obvious and best use: elderflower and bubbles are an old pairing. With still water or soda, it becomes a light summer drink, and poured over fresh strawberries, the dessert needs nothing else. In a glass with mint and plenty of ice, it makes September still taste like June.

It is a safe bet for Mother's Day, as it appeals to almost every taste. Those who prefer it fruitier will find the berry version in the Amérie Münsterländer Aperitif, and those looking for lemon will find it in the Limoncello Artigiano. Further varieties can be found under Sasse Liqueurs.

The Sasse team harvests by hand

The elderflowers are not bought from suppliers: the team from the craft distillery goes out and collects them by hand.

There is a simple reason for this – the elderberry only blooms for a few weeks a year, and everything must happen during this time. The blossoms quickly lose their aroma if left sitting; those who send them through standard logistics end up with hay instead of blossom. That is why they are freshly picked and processed immediately.

After that, it is time to wait: during the maceration process, the essential oils slowly dissolve into the alcohol; it is then filtered and mildly rounded off. The fact that a house that has been distilling Korn in Schöppingen since 1707, and is now run by Rüdiger Sasse in the 15th generation, sends its team out to pick flowers in the spring says a lot about how they work.

A splash in dry sparkling wine, and the aperitif is ready

Serve well-chilled so the blossom remains clear – if the liqueur gets warm, it quickly becomes sweet. A splash in dry sparkling wine is the fastest good aperitif we know; with soda and mint, it becomes a long summer drink. Over strawberries, over vanilla ice cream, or in a fruit salad: elderflower goes with everything that tastes like summer. Once opened and stored in a cool place, it lasts for many months.

Organic inspection body number: DE-ÖKO-006 - EU Agriculture