5 Easy Elderflower Syrup Drinks to Make at Home

Long before elderflower found its way onto cocktail menus, Hans Christian Andersen put it in a teapot and let an entire world grow out of it.

In The Elder-Tree Mother, a boy with a cold is tucked into bed while his mother makes elderflower tea. The old man beside him insists that the best stories cannot simply be manufactured; they have to arrive of their own accord. Then the lid of the teapot begins to rise. Fresh white blossoms push out of it, branches fill the room, and an elder tree becomes a story about childhood, love, home, and the strange way a scent or flavor can carry us back through time.

These five drinks begin in the same modest place: elderflower, water, and a glass. Some are cold and sparkling, one may be dressed for company, and the last returns to the warm tea in Andersen's story. None requires a fairy tale to make it work. But a good elderflower drink has always carried a little more than sweetness. It carries a garden, a season, and—if we are lucky—a memory.

Already have a bottle? Start with the spritzer to get to know its flavor. If you are still choosing one, our guide to buying elderflower syrup in the USA explains the ingredients and dilution details to look for.

How Much Elderflower Syrup Should You Use?

For a simple diluted drink, MAYER recommends one part elderflower syrup to six parts water or mixer. That means 1 fl oz of syrup with 6 fl oz of still or sparkling water.

Cocktails and tea use different amounts because other ingredients contribute sweetness, acidity or flavor. The recipes below give you a starting point: taste the finished drink and adjust the syrup or citrus to suit you.

Measurement note: All liquid ounces below are US fluid ounces. If you do not have a cocktail measure, 1 fl oz equals 2 tablespoons, and 1 US cup equals 8 fl oz. Each recipe makes one serving unless otherwise noted.

1. Elderflower Spritzer

A spritzer is the simplest way to try elderflower syrup. Sparkling water lets its floral character come through, while a squeeze of citrus adds a fresh finish.

Ingredients

• 1 fl oz elderflower syrup

• 6 fl oz chilled sparkling water

• Ice

• A squeeze of fresh lime, or a lemon wheel

How to Make It

1. Fill a tall glass with ice.

2. Add the elderflower syrup and sparkling water.

3. Stir gently and finish with the lime juice or lemon wheel.

For a lighter drink, add more sparkling water. Try it with a mint sprig or a thin cucumber slice when you want a different garnish.

2. Elderflower Lemonade

Fresh lemon juice brings tartness; elderflower syrup adds sweetness and a floral note. This recipe works with still water or sparkling water.

Ingredients

• 1 fl oz elderflower syrup

• 1½ fl oz fresh lemon juice

• 5 fl oz cold still or sparkling water

• Ice

• A few mint leaves, optional

How to Make It

1. Fill a glass with ice.

2. Add the syrup, lemon juice and water.

3. Stir gently, taste and adjust. Add a little more water if you want it less intense, or extra syrup if you prefer a sweeter lemonade.

4. Add the mint leaves if using.

For about eight servings: combine 1 cup elderflower syrup, 1½ cups fresh lemon juice and 5 cups cold water. These are the same proportions as the single serving. Taste before serving and adjust for the tartness of your lemons.

You can mix the syrup and lemon juice ahead and refrigerate them. If using sparkling water, add it just before serving to keep the bubbles.

3. Elderflower Gin Fizz

Gin, lemon and elderflower make a fresh, floral combination. Shaking chills the base before the soda adds its fizz.

Ingredients

• 2 fl oz gin

• ¾ fl oz elderflower syrup

• ¾ fl oz fresh lemon juice

• 2 fl oz chilled soda water

• Ice, for shaking

• A lemon twist or slice, optional

How to Make It

1. Add the gin, syrup and lemon juice to a cocktail shaker filled with ice.

2. Shake for about 15 seconds.

3. Strain into a chilled tall glass, leaving the ice in the shaker.

4. Top with the soda water, stir gently and garnish with lemon.

Prefer a simpler variation? Add ½ fl oz elderflower syrup to your usual gin and tonic, stir and taste before adding more. Tonic water already contributes sweetness, so a smaller amount is a useful starting point.

4. Elderflower Prosecco Spritz

Chilled prosecco, sparkling water, mint and elderflower syrup make an easy sparkling cocktail. This syrup-based variation is inspired by the Hugo-style combination of elderflower, mint and sparkling wine.

Ingredients

• ½ fl oz elderflower syrup

• 3 fl oz chilled prosecco

• 2 fl oz chilled sparkling water

• Ice

• A fresh mint sprig

• A lime slice

How to Make It

1. Fill a wine glass with ice.

2. Add the syrup, prosecco and sparkling water.

3. Give the drink one gentle stir.

4. Lightly clap the mint sprig between your palms and add it with the lime slice.

Taste before adding more syrup. If you prefer a sweeter spritz, increase the syrup by a teaspoon at a time.

For a non-alcoholic version: replace the prosecco with 3 fl oz of a dry alcohol-free sparkling wine or more sparkling water. Check the sparkling wine label if you need a 0.0% option.

For another sparkling elderflower idea, try our Elderflower Pear Bellini, which combines elderflower syrup, pear nectar and prosecco.

5. Hot Elderflower Tea

After the ice, bubbles, citrus, and celebration glasses, the simplest drink brings us back to where Andersen began: elderflower and hot water. It is not the showiest recipe in the collection. That is precisely why it belongs at the end.

Ingredients

• 1 cup freshly brewed chamomile, green or mild black tea

• 1–2 teaspoons elderflower syrup

• A lemon slice, optional

How to Make It

1. Brew your tea as usual.

2. Stir in 1 teaspoon elderflower syrup.

3. Taste, then add another teaspoon if you want more sweetness.

4. Add the lemon slice if using.

You can also try a teaspoon of elderflower syrup in white hot chocolate for a floral variation. Start with a small amount, as the chocolate already supplies sweetness.

Beyond Drinks: Other Ways to Use Elderflower Syrup

A little elderflower syrup can also finish a simple dessert. Try it drizzled over vanilla ice cream, panna cotta or plain Greek yogurt, or use a small amount on pancakes and crepes.

For a cake, brush a little diluted syrup over a plain sponge. It can also sweeten whipped cream or mascarpone; add it gradually so the filling keeps the texture you want.

Quick Answers About Elderflower Syrup Drinks

Is Elderflower Syrup Alcoholic?

Elderflower syrup is a non-alcoholic drink ingredient. Elderflower liqueur is a different product and contains alcohol. Use syrup for the alcohol-free spritzer, lemonade and tea recipes above.

Can You Use Elderflower Syrup Instead of Elderflower Liqueur?

Sometimes, but it is not a direct one-for-one swap. Syrup adds sweetness without the alcohol, and concentration varies between products. Start with a smaller amount and adjust the other ingredients for balance.

What Goes Well with Elderflower Syrup?

Lemon, lime, mint, cucumber, ginger and berries are useful partners. For cocktails, try gin or prosecco. Our recipe collection also includes an alcohol-free Elderflower Ginger Fizz.

How Should You Store an Opened Bottle?

MAYER Elderflower Syrup contains no preservatives. Refrigerate after opening and use within four weeks. Keep the cap and bottle opening clean between uses.

The Story Returns to the Teapot

Andersen ends with the boy awake in bed, unsure whether he dreamed the Elder-Tree Mother or heard a real story. When he asks where she is, his mother says she is still in the teapot.

That is not a bad place to leave her. The best use for elderflower is not necessarily the most elaborate one. Sometimes it is a spritz cold enough to fog the glass; sometimes it is a drink poured for friends; and sometimes it is simply tea, warmth, and the possibility that an ordinary flavor might open a door into memory.

MAYER Premium Elderflower Syrup is handcrafted in Hungary with real elderflowers, sugar, purified water and lemon juice from concentrate, with no added flavors or colors and no preservatives.

Start with the simple spritzer, then follow the bottle all the way back to tea. You can also explore the MAYER collection of syrups and jams.

Still comparing bottles? Our elderflower syrup buying guide explains how to read the ingredient list and choose a syrup for drinks and desserts.