Elderflower Vodka Tonic
This Elderflower Vodka Tonic cocktail has crisp citrus and floral notes with subtle sweetness and a characteristic bitter finish from the tonic water. This 4 ingredient cocktail recipe tastes more exotic than a traditional vodka tonic. A refreshingly different on-the-rocks cocktail!
To learn how to make this delicious cocktail recipe, see the printable recipe card below. Take a look at the recipe video, or get Step by Step Instructions for a more detailed explanation of this recipe. For other recipe variations including how to make this keto friendly, visit the Pimp My Recipe section in this recipe’s Blog Comments & Tips.
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RECIPE
(Check out our Step by Step Instructions below the recipe card.)
ELDERFLOWER VODKA TONIC
Ingredients
Instructions
- Fill a cocktail shaker half full with ice cubes. Add ½ ounce fresh lemon juice, ¼ ounce agave nectar (optional - see Notes #1 & #2), and 2 ounces vodka. Cover, and shake vigorously.
- Strain the cocktail into an ice filled highball glass (10 ounce). Then add 3 ounces Fever-Tree elderflower tonic water (or to taste).
- Garnish with a lemon peel, lemon slice, lemon wedge, fancy lemon twist, or rosemary sprig. Serve immediately, and enjoy with or without a reusable straw!
Notes
- My recipe calls for simple syrup (or agave nectar), but it is an optional ingredient. The sweetener in this cocktail isn’t enough to make it sweet. It just balances the bitterness from the fresh lemon juice and the tonic.
- As a substitution, you can use the same amount of agave nectar instead of simple syrup. Simple syrup gives this drink a cleaner, more pure vodka tonic flavor. Agave nectar adds a subtle warmth to the cocktail.
- To learn how to create a fancy lemon peel garnish, visit the Step by Step Instructions section for this recipe on the website.
- Makes one 10 ounce serving (including ice cubes).
Nutrition Facts
Calories
223.67Fat (grams)
0.03Sat. Fat (grams)
0.01Carbs (grams)
23.25Fiber (grams)
0.04Net carbs
23.91Sugar (grams)
5.55Protein (grams)
0.05Sodium (milligrams)
4.82Cholesterol (grams)
0Nutritional information provided is strictly an estimate and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods. Simple syrup is an optional ingredient in this recipe. It is included in these nutritional calculations, and represents approximately 19 calories and 5g carbohydrates per serving.
Step by Step Instructions
PREPARATION
Organize all your tools and ingredients before you begin. Getting all your ingredients in one place at the beginning will shorten your prep time.
Note: My recipe calls for simple syrup (or agave nectar), but it is an optional ingredient. The sweetener in this cocktail isn’t enough to make it sweet. It just balances the bitterness from the fresh lemon juice and the tonic. You can omit the sweetener if you prefer, making this an easy 3 ingredient cocktail recipe!
Optional Garnishes
As a garnish, you can use either a simple lemon peel, a lemon twist, or a slice or wedge lemon wedge. If you want to make your garnish extra special, you can add this fancy feather garnish, and/or a sprig of fresh rosemary.
To learn how to create this fancy feather garnish, visit the Step by Step Instructions section for this recipe on the website. Visit the Tips & Tricks page and watch my video for TIP #27 - How to Make 5 Fancy Cocktail Garnishes.
Cocktail
STEP 1
Fill a cocktail shaker half full with ice cubes. Add ½ ounce fresh lemon juice, ¼ ounce simple syrup (or agave nectar - optional - see Note below), and 2 ounces vodka. Cover, and shake vigorously.
Note: For a more pure vodka tonic flavor, omit the sweetener. If you use a sweetener, simple syrup gives this drink a cleaner, more pure vodka tonic flavor. Agave nectar adds a subtle warmth to the cocktail. As a substitution, you can use the same amount of agave nectar instead of simple syrup.
STEP 2
Strain the cocktail into an ice filled highball glass (10 ounce). Then add 3 ounces Fever-Tree elderflower tonic water (or more to taste), and garnish.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Get creative and finish with your choice of garnish! You can use either a simple lemon peel, lemon twist, lemon wedge, fancy lemon twist, or a sprig of fresh rosemary. Or use a combination of garnishes, as shown below. Serve immediately, and enjoy with or without a reusable straw!
VIDEO
How to Make this Elderflower Vodka Tonic Cocktail!
Blog Comments & Tips
Unique spin on a vodka tonic cocktail!
Served on-the-rocks, this Elderflower Vodka Tonic cocktail has crisp citrus and floral notes with a subtle sweetness and characteristic bitter finish from the tonic water. Using only 4 ingredients, this easy cocktail recipe tastes more exotic than a traditional vodka tonic.
This twist on a vodka tonic was developed this holiday season after receiving a 4-pack of Fever-Tree elderflower tonic water as a hostess gift, along with a few other Fever-Tree goodies. My sister-in-law was kind enough to supply all the non-alcoholic beverages for Thanksgiving this year. After everyone parted that night, I realized that we still had a few Fever-Tree products leftover in the fridge.
Over the next few days, I did some brainstorming about what to make with this unique tonic water. I thought about making a variation of a gin & tonic, which is the quintessential cocktail. However, gin is made with botanicals giving it a strong flavor, which might conflict with the elderflower notes in the tonic water. Instead of gin, I decided to use vodka, which has a cleaner and more neutral flavor. I replaced the lime or lemon wedge which is typically served with a vodka tonic, and spruced up this cocktail with a few additional ingredients, including a touch of fresh lemon juice and some simple syrup (or agave nectar). After a couple of trial runs to balance the ingredients with the spirit and tonic, this final version of my Elderflower Vodka Tonic was born!
Aside from the unique flavor, the great thing about this cocktail is it takes only minutes to make. If you are looking for a make ahead cocktail for entertaining, this is a good one. You can easily make the base recipe ahead in a pitcher (add lemon juice, agave, and vodka), and refrigerate (if you are a purest, no need to add the sweetener). Then as your guests arrive, just stir, pour over ice, and top each drink off with tonic water. Visit the Pimp My Recipe section below for details.
How do you ensure the best results from this recipe?
My 3 tips to making this Elderflower Vodka Tonic:
Use great quality vodka and fresh lemon juice.
I have found Fever-Tree elderflower tonic water to have the strongest and purest flavor.
I prefer to use a cocktail shaker for most of the ingredients (not for the tonic water), but you can certainly stir the ingredients together. Top the drink off with tonic water. Don’t shake it with the other ingredients, or the carbonation will explode when you open the cocktail shaker!
It’s time to customize and Pimp My Recipe.
Pimp My Recipe:
Make it Sugar-Free & Keto: Although there are sugar free tonic waters available, it’s hard to find a good sugar free elderflower tonic water. To make this cocktail sugar free, omit the tonic water and the agave, and replace with the following mixture:
Stir ½ ounce of Top Hat keto sugar-free elderflower tonic syrup with 2.5 ounces of club soda. Top cocktail with tonic mixture, stir, and enjoy! This sugar free version is more tonic forward, making it a lighter cocktail (less alcoholic taste).
Enjoy and let me know what you think by commenting below, rating my recipes, subscribing, following, and liking Pimp My Recipe on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok! Don’t forget to subscribe to get updates on new recipes and tips & tricks.
Santé!
Mich
Footnote: Remember to add the tonic water to your glass (after you shake your cocktail. Top off your drink with tonic, instead of shaking it with the other ingredients.
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