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Cocktail History
The Parasol is a modern cocktail that was created by Paul McGee at RPM Italian in Chicago, Illinois. It’s considered a spring-inspired brunch recipe that’s made with a refreshing combination of sparkling wine, Lillet Blanc, elderflower, lemon, and honey.
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 La Marca Prosecco because it has a crisp and refreshing taste with floral notes. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Gruvi Non-Alcoholic Prosecco in place of the sparkling wine.
Lemon Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lemon. We used freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Lillet Blanc: This is an aromatized wine liqueur made in France with Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon grapes, citrus, florals, honey, baking spices, and water. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Apéritif Dry in place of the wine liqueur.
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.
Honey Syrup: This is a sweetener made with honey and water. We made ours at home using Alex’s simple recipe.
Lemon Twist: This is the peel of a lemon that has been twisted into a corkscrew shape.
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 ingredients. 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.
Peeler: This is used to remove the garnish peel from the citrus. We used the OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Peeler Set.
Tasting Notes
The Parasol features aromas of lemon, honey, and wine with a taste that marries tart lemon with slightly herbaceous Lillet and floral elderflower, and it’s all backed with thick honey sweetness and the effervescent notes of a semi-dry wine.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: We found the delicious combination of Lillet, honey, and elderflower a welcome alternative to the typical sparkling cocktail formula and look forward to mixing more of The Parasol as we watch the herb gardens and flower fields grow once again over the next few weeks.
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: ⭐⭐⭐
“As with the classic French 75, I found The Parasol to be alright. I’ve generally found few sparkling wine cocktails that I really love as I find the bubbly flavor tends to overpower the other flavors in most cases, and this was no exception. The honey does come through a bit and the Lillet is present if you know it’s there, but I mostly get the semi-dry flavors of the sparkling wine only lightly accented by the rest.”—
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I’m a fan of just about any sparkling wine cocktail, and The Parasol is pretty high on the list of ones I’ve enjoyed because it’s unique. Like Alex pointed out, most bubbly cocktails really just taste like whichever brand of wine you’re using, but this cocktail had a sweet-tartness that I haven’t had in a sparkling drink before. The honey is absolutely delectable, the taste is rich, and the sparkling wine isn’t overpowering, in my opinion, especially if you choose to use an extra dry like we did. Overall, this is great drink for spring, and I’d make it again!”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from the December 2013 issue of Saveur magazine.
Add lemon juice, Lillet Blanc, elderflower liqueur, honey syrup, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a champagne coupe or flute.
Top with sparkling wine.
Garnish with lemon twist.
Ingredients
Directions
Add lemon juice, Lillet Blanc, elderflower liqueur, honey syrup, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a champagne coupe or flute.
Top with sparkling wine.
Garnish with lemon twist.
Make It a Mocktail: Use Gruvi Non-Alcoholic Prosecco in place of the sparkling wine, Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Apéritif Dry in place of the wine liqueur, and Monin Premium Elderflower Syrup in place of the elderflower liqueur to try a booze-free version of this drink.
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More Brunch Cocktails
If you like this brunch cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Garibaldi: A low-proof cocktail made with orange juice, Campari, and an orange slice
French Toast Flip: A sherry, Scotch, and apple brandy cocktail made with maple syrup, allspice syrup, egg white and yolk, orange and fig bitters, and ground cinnamon
Nucleus Mimosa: A sparkling wine cocktail made with orange juice, cranberry juice, and a lime slice
Mocha Rum Toddy: A rum cocktail made with coffee, dark crème de cacao, simple syrup, whipped cream, and cocoa powder
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