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Cocktail History
The Fleur De Paradis is a spring cocktail that was created by Kenta Goto at Bar Goto in New York City, New York. Inspired by and named for the South African flower, the recipe starts with the French 75 template made with sparkling wine, gin, simple syrup, and lemon, and it adds in elderflower, grapefruit, and citrus bitters for more complexity.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Sparkling Wine: This is a carbonated wine made with white or red grapes. We used Schramsberg Mirabelle Brut because it’s smooth and flavorful. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Gruvi Non-Alcoholic Prosecco in place of the sparkling wine.
Gin: This is a spirit made with juniper berries, botanicals, and alcohol. We used Bombay Sapphire Gin because it has a crisp and clean botanical flavor. For a mocktail version of this drink, try MONDAY Zero Alcohol Gin in place of the gin.
Elderflower Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with elderflowers, citrus, herbs, sugar, and alcohol. We used Edinburgh Gin Distillery Elderflower Gin Liqueur because it’s high quality and has a fresh, floral aroma and flavor. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Monin Premium Elderflower Syrup in place of the elderflower liqueur.
Grapefruit Juice: This is the liquid juice of a grapefruit. We used freshly squeezed grapefruit juice.
Lemon Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lemon. We used freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Simple Syrup: This is a sweetener made with white sugar and water. We made ours at home using Alex’s stovetop recipe.
Orange Bitters: This is a food product made with oranges, botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. We used Angostura Orange Bitters. For a mocktail version of this drink, try All The Bitter Non-Alcoholic Orange Bitters in place of the orange bitters.
Flower: This is an edible flower that can be used as a garnish.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. We used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. We used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut citrus into slices or wheels. We used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. We used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.
Tasting Notes
The Fleur De Paradis teases with scents of sparkling wine and subtle florals followed by the surprisingly dry taste of gin botanicals, effervescent wine, hints of orange and other citrus, and plenty of elderflower before finishing in lingering notes of orange and dry wine.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: While certainly a busy cocktail, each ingredient plays an important role in the overall flavor combination. Funnily enough this is one sparkling wine drink that didn’t quite work for Kendall; she thought the grapefruit and elderflower clashed too much. But Alex enjoyed the Fleur De Paradis far more than most other drinks from the same family.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I found this drink to be surprisingly dry despite its fair amount of sweet ingredients, especially with its inclusion of the sometimes cloying elderflower liqueur. For that reason I enjoyed it much more than I expected to; its mixture of flavors is a bit on the busy side (as is its intensity of labor with 7 ingredients) but the combinations struck true for me. For a drink reminiscent of spring with plenty of fruit and florals, I liked it more than many others of its kind, and while I may not drink it again I will certainly be making it for guests in the future.”—
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐
“I rarely meet a sparkling wine cocktail with which I don’t immediately fall in love, but this one just didn’t do it for me. I enjoyed its complexity compared to other French 75 variations; however, there wasn’t something about the grapefruit and elderflower that clashed with the other ingredients and made it a pretty dry drink overall. The recipe has its merits and is worth a try. I would return to others before I’d make this one again though.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from Liquor.com, an online beverage publication.
Add gin, elderflower liqueur, grapefruit juice, lemon juice, simple syrup, bitters, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Top with sparkling wine.
Garnish with flower.
Ingredients
Directions
Add gin, elderflower liqueur, grapefruit juice, lemon juice, simple syrup, bitters, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Top with sparkling wine.
Garnish with flower.
Make It a Mocktail: Use Gruvi Non-Alcoholic Prosecco in place of the sparkling wine, MONDAY Zero Alcohol Gin in place of the gin, Monin Premium Elderflower Syrup in place of the elderflower liqueur, and All The Bitter Non-Alcoholic Orange Bitters in place of the orange bitters to try a booze-free version of this drink.
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More Spring Cocktails
If you like this spring-inspired cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Bellini: A sparkling wine cocktail made with peach nectar and a peach slice
The Cherry Blossom: A sake and gin cocktail made with maraschino liqueur, grenadine, triple sec, lemon juice, and a cherry
The Garden Rose (Variation): A tequila and sparkling wine cocktail made with elderflower liqueur, strawberry syrup, lemon juice, rose water, and a strawberry rose
Mountaintop Meadow: A vodka cocktail made with elderflower liqueur, simple syrup, lavender bitters, dry sparkling wine, a pineapple wedge, and mint
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