Elderflower Champagne

The Spruce Eats | By Leda Meredith

How about a chilled glass of bubbly elderflower champagne? The flower itself is beautiful on the bush and stays lovely throughout the champagne making process. It's amazing how fizzy the liquid becomes with the help of the flower and sugar. The bubbles had already started when we put the liquid into bottles. The first time we "burped" the champagne, the bubbles poured out of the top of the bottles like lava from a volcano. We'll look forward to drinking this magic in only two weeks!

 

Ingredients

• 7 to 8 large clusters (about 6-inch diameter) elderflowers, or double for smaller elderflower clusters

• 1 pound honey, or 1 1/2 pounds granulated sugar

• 4 cups filtered or unchlorinated boiling water

• 12 cups filtered or unchlorinated cold water

• 1/4 cup cider vinegar, or juice and rind of 2 large lemons plus 2 tablespoons cider vinegar

• 1/4 teaspoon wine yeast, or 1 small pinch baking yeast, optional

 

Directions

• Gather the ingredients.

• Do not wash the elderberry flowers. It is their natural yeasts that will cause fermentation. Just shake off any insects and remove the thick stalks.

• Place the honey or sugar in a very large bowl and pour in the 4 cups of boiling water. Stir until the honey or sugar has completely dissolved.

• Add the 12 cups of cold water. Stir in the vinegar or lemon juice and the elderberry flowers.

• Cover with a clean dishtowel and let the mixture sit at room temperature for 48 hours, stirring at least twice a day.

• By the end of these two days, you should see signs of fermentation: The top of the liquid will look frothy and bubbly, especially when you stir it. If the liquid is still completely still after 48 hours, add 1/4 teaspoon of wine or a very small pinch (just a few grains) of baking yeast and wait another 48 hours, stirring occasionally, before proceeding to the next step.

• Pour the fermenting elderflower champagne through a finely meshed sieve to strain out the flowers (and lemon rind, if using).

• Use a funnel to help transfer the brew into clean plastic soda-type bottles with screw tops or thick ceramic or beer bottles with flip tops. Do not use corked wine bottles because elderflower champagne is quite capable of popping out the corks or worse—exploding the bottles. Leave at least an inch of headspace between the surface of the liquid and the rims of the bottles. Secure the tops.

• Leave at room temperature for a week, “burping” the bottles (opening briefly) at least once a day. After the week at room temperature, move them to the refrigerator, but keep “burping” the bottles occasionally for another week.

• Serve chilled or over ice