There is nothing that bursts with early summer more than elderflower champagne. Beautifully sweet with a delicate fizz, this drink is among my favourite drinks of the year, and as such provides the perfect beverage to accompany your picnic. But, alas, once it’s finished you’ll have to wait a whole year for your next sip of summery goodness. 

Whilst it’s not alcoholic, occasionally it can become that way if you leave it bottled for a long time. It has been known to happen – in fact, a few of my elderflower bottles have burst. It’s just right however when you drink it two weeks after bottling.

If you want to spruce up your G+T, add this as your mixer instead.

Ingredients

6 litres water
16 elderflower heads
900g granulated sugar
Rind and juice of 2 lemons
3 tbsp cider vinegar

Method

1. Boil the water, stir in the sugar, and turn off the heat once the sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool.
2. Once the water has cooled, add the rind and juice of the lemons, the vinegar, and put your elderflower heads in so that the stalks are facing upwards and the elderflowers are in the water. Leave to steep for 24 hours.
3. Strain the liquid with a fine mesh sieve or muslin into strong glass bottles. After two weeks, the elderflower champagne should be perfectly fizzy and ready to take on your summer picnic.