The history of cocktails cannot be told without Fizzes. Basically, they are nothing else than soda infused Sours usually served – unlike the closely related Collins – without ice. In some cases a Fizz is also a little closer to the classic short drink than a Collins. But a real set definition can hardly be found due to the many exceptions. Today’s drink is yet another example.
Although we are dealing with a Fizz, today’s Elderflower Fizz is served as a long drink in a highball glass with ice. Strictly speaking, it would therefore rather be an Elderflower Collins, but on the other hand a Collins is again actually built inside the glass, which then again is not the case here. So you might start to realize: dividing the Fizz from the Collins is a definitional challenge that I don’t want to take up today.
I found today’s recipe on the German website cocktailsworld.net where it is described as a variant of the Gin Fizz. Since the final result was a little too sweet for my taste, I have slightly altered the recipe in terms of quantities. At this point I should note that this recipe – god knows – isn’t the only one out there under the name “Elderflower Fizz” but I think it is a very interesting one with a certain sophistication; that’s why I opted for it. It has everything I would expect from a good Elderflower Fizz: Sweet, typical elderflower flavors in the form of a refreshing Fizz with nice citrus notes. But the proverbial icing on the cake is the Thomas Henry Elderflower Tonic Espuma. Espumas are a very beautiful feature on top of a Fizz, even if they mean some additional effort, of course. For home use this may also turn out a little difficult if you’re lacking the necessary instruments (a cream siphon for example). But the presented recipe also works great without the Thomas Henry Elderflower Tonic Espuma. You could, for example, half the amount of sugar syrup in the recipe and instead of soda fill up the drink with Elderflower Tonic.
Recipe:
5 cl London Dry Gin
2 cl sugar syrup
3 cl lemon juice
2 cl St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur
soda water
Thomas Henry Elderflower Tonic Espuma (see below)
Thomas Henry Elderflower Tonic Espuma:
Fill a small bottle of Thomas Henry Elderflower Tonic in a cream siphon and add 2-3 bar spoons of agar-agar (Alternatively you can use gelatin that you have dissolved with little water in a pan over medium heat). Add one ice cube, close the siphon and shake vigorously until the ice cube has melted. Finally put the siphon under pressure with one or two nitrous oxide (N2O) cartridges (the number of required cartridges depends on the result, so check the consistency of you espuma before using!).
Preparation: Mix all ingredients except soda water and espuma and shake vigorously on ice, then strain into an ice-filled glass. Fill up the drink with soda water and gently apply the Espuma on top of the drink. Serve with a straw.
Glass: Highball (I opted for the Perfect Longdrink Glass from the Spiegelau Perfect Serve Collection by Stephan Hinz)
Garnish: fine lemon zests
Buying sources: In well-stocked supermarkets or liqueur stores you should be able to find all the ingredients. If in doubt, simply order everything online.