Around Valentine’s Day, I found myself browsing for a gift idea post. I was on the search for plants and always on the look out for a dazzling flower for photographs. As I stepped inside a local flower/gift shop, decked out for the upcoming “love” holiday, I noticed exquisitely packaged, dainty bottles on the checkout counter. Two interesting syrup flavors in violet and jasmine caught my eye. The label on the bottle advertised that the flower syrups, handmade by the Floral Elixir Co. could be added to create both non and alcoholic drinks. Confident that they must be tasty after reading the simple ingredients and admiring the packaging, I purchased one of each.
Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with Founder of the Floral Elixir Co., Nora Egger who has been bottling the very essence of flowers since 2009, inspired by flavors from her adventures all over the world beginning with the rose. One of the main differentiators of Floral Elixir is the process. Small batch production in 5-10 gallons allows the team the quality control necessary to ensure each bottle is perfect in appearance, flavor, and design. I was so impressed with the product that I needed to learn more about her brand and what made each flavor so unlike any other flower inspired food I had consumed in the past.
The syrups range from rose, lavender, hibiscus and many more, each blossom delicately coaxed to deepen the unique and natural essence of each flower. In my conversation with Nora, she makes an excellent point stating that most “perfume” tastes that people may associate with florals are actually derived from artificial ingredients, of which there are none in her bottles! These delicious syrups are handmade and distilled for a more intense flavor extract. Any enhancement in color is achieved using plant, vegetable or fruit dye.
Exciting opportunities are on the horizon for Nora and her team at Floral Elixir, which is a testament to her research, craft and dedication to creating a truly special product.
I selected the rose, inspired by Valentine’s Day, from the “classics” Flower Cocktail Kit to create a sweet mocktail. I paired this refreshing rose with a tangy ingredient of tart cherry, which complements the citrus notes inherently rose, perfect to serve on any occasion.
How to create the Tart Cherry Rose Mocktail. Recipe: 1 tablespoon of rose elixir, 1/4 cup of organic tart cherry, 1/2 cup of sparkling water. Add ice, mix, enjoy!
Stay tuned, more to follow! Be sure to subscribe to the Sugarpeel newsletter if you have not already.