Mint and elderflower
We’ve already shared our simple way of infusing elderflowers into a cordial, but this version takes it up a notch—adding a heap of fresh mint for an extra refreshing twist. The process is much the same, but instead of bottling it right away, we opt for a grand presentation, letting the whole dispenser burst with flowers and greens.
The dispenser just fits into our fridge, where it steeps for a day or so, allowing the elderflowers and mint to fully infuse the water. When it’s ready, we serve it as is, with ice cubes and sparkling water on the side for a bit of fizz. The result is an absolutely gorgeous, wonderfully aromatic summer drink—light, floral, and cooling, perfect for long afternoons in the sun. And let’s be honest, it just looks fantastic!
If you don’t want bits of flower or leaves in your drink, consider adding a small filter either before or after the dispenser tap. The tiny tea ball filters work well for this, and they don’t move much inside the dispenser, so you can place them fairly securely just by aligning them to the spigot. In this case though, we don’t mind a bit of rustic charm, and didn’t opt for filtering.. But then you need to thoroughly rinse your forage!
Since the flowers and mint are part of the presentation, make sure to rinse them well—nobody wants a bug floating in their drink.
The longer it steeps, the stronger the floral and herbal notes become. If you prefer a lighter taste, strain out the forage after a few hours instead of a full day. You can even have early arriving guests help forage a bit- and then let it steep as the day goes on..
Much more on using elder:
