Fleur De Paradis

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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 type of wine made with white grapes and yeast, which are fermented with the skins to produce alcohol and then infused with carbon dioxide gas to develop a pale yellow-green color and crisp, fruity flavor.

Gin: This is a spirit made by redistilling a neutral spirit with juniper berries and other botanicals to develop a distinctive, aromatic flavor.

Elderflower Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with elderflower blossoms, distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are blended and infused to develop a light, floral flavor.

Grapefruit Juice: This is the liquid extracted from the flesh of ripe grapefruits that has a sweet-tart citrus flavor and light pink color.

Lemon Juice: This is the liquid extracted from the flesh of ripe lemons that has a sweet, tangy flavor and light yellow color.

Simple Syrup: This is a sweetener made with white sugar and water, which are heated into a syrup with a sweet flavor.

Orange Bitters: This is a concentrated flavoring made with orange peels, herbs, spices, botanicals, and distilled alcohol, which are macerated or steeped to develop a slightly bitter citrus flavor.

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. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I 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. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.

Paring Knife: This is used to cut citrus into slices or wheels. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.

Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Effervescent pale yellow color

• Aroma: Sparkling wine and subtle florals

• Taste: Surprisingly dry taste of gin botanicals, bubbly wine, and hints of citrus

• Finish: Elderflower and more dry wine

Kendall’s Take: “I rarely meet a sparkling wine cocktail I don’t immediately love, but this one just didn’t do it for me. I enjoyed its complexity compared to other French 75 variations; however, there was 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 personally would return to others before I’d make the Fleur De Paradis again though.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was found in the publication Liquor.com.