My summer in the United States has officially begun. I will be spending my time between Minnesota and Colorado with a few stops in between. As previously announced in the last Cocktail Friday entry, this summer I will be visiting bars and restaurants with note-worthy cocktails in the St. Paul/Minneapolis area of Minnesota and the Denver area of Colorado. These cocktail finds will be the theme of Cocktail Friday for the coming weeks.
To kick off this project, I tried a perfectly balanced and beautiful cocktail at W.A. Frost in St. Paul called Eau de Vie (French for water of life.) A subtly floral taste from Elderflower liqueur is nicely balanced with a bit of Grappa and a splash of bubbly tonic water. Elderflower liqueur, made from elderflower blossoms in France, tastes like a gentle combination of fruit, flowers, and herbs. Because grappa can be quite overwhelming, I was pleasantly surprised to find this cocktail so clean and well-balanced.
Sipping this cocktail on W.A. Frost’s gorgeous patio, the sun shining brightly and the blue sky spattered with white, fluffy clouds made for a perfect afternoon. We enjoyed a few small plates as well.
Grilled duck confit flatbread:
Marinated olives and focaccia:
The entire experience was perfect. The food, the cocktails, the patio and the company. I am excited to try using Elderflower Liqueur again very soon- I’m totally hooked after the Eau de Vie! Have you tried any fabulous cocktails with Elderflower? I’d love to hear about them in your comments!
W.A. Frost
Historic Cathedral Hill- Dacotah Building
374 Selby Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55102
