St-Germain is a popular elderflower liqueur made in France. It has a sweet, floral flavor that makes it a versatile cocktail ingredient. However, with its sweet taste, some people wonder just how much sugar is contained in St-Germain. In this article, we’ll take a look at the sugar content of St-Germain liqueur and how it compares to other liqueurs and ingredients.
About St-Germain Liqueur
St-Germain is an elderflower liqueur produced by the French company Cooper Spirits. It was created in 2007 and is made from handpicked elderflower blossoms that grow wild in Europe. The flavors are extracted through maceration before being blended with grape spirit, sugar, and citrus to create the final liqueur.
St-Germain has a light, sweet taste with floral notes derived from the elderflowers. It has become popular to use in cocktails, often added to champagne or drinks with gin or vodka. The subtle sweetness pairs well with the dry, crisp flavors of champagne. It also balances nicely with spirits like gin and vodka.
Sugar Content of St-Germain
When examining the nutritional information and ingredients list for St-Germain, we can analyze its sugar content.
Nutrition Facts
According to the official nutrition facts for a 1.5 oz (44ml) serving of St-Germain:
| Nutrition Facts | Serving Size 1.5 fl oz (44ml) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 150 |
| Total Fat | 0 g |
| Sodium | 0 mg |
| Total Carbohydrate | 18 g |
| Sugars | 15 g |
As we can see, a 1.5 oz serving of St-Germain contains about 15g of sugar. Given there are about 4g of sugar per teaspoon, this equals around 4 teaspoons of sugar in a typical St-Germain serving.
Ingredients List
The ingredients list for St-Germain also confirms the high sugar content:
– Elderflower extract, grape spirit, sugar, citrus peel.
Sugar is listed as the second ingredient after the elderflower extract. This indicates a high concentration of sugar in the liqueur.
Comparing Sugar Content to Other Liqueurs
How does the 15g of sugar in St-Germain compare to other popular liqueurs? Here is a look at the sugar content per 1.5 oz serving of some other liqueurs:
| Liqueur | Sugar per Serving |
|---|---|
| St-Germain | 15g |
| Cointreau | 15g |
| Bailey’s Irish Cream | 14g |
| Kahlua | 12g |
| Campari | 10g |
| Dry Vermouth | 4g |
This comparison shows that St-Germain contains a similar amount of sugar as popular liqueurs like Cointreau and Bailey’s. It’s on the higher end for sugar content but still less than very sweet options like cream liqueurs. Overall, it’s average in sugariness for a liqueur.
Comparing Sugar to Other Drink Ingredients
To further understand St-Germain’s sugar content, we can look at how it compares per serving to other common drink ingredients:
| Ingredient | Sugar per Serving |
|---|---|
| St-Germain (1.5 oz) | 15g |
| Grenadine (1 oz) | 17g |
| Coca-cola (12 oz can) | 39g |
| Cranberry Juice (8 oz) | 32g |
| Orange Juice (8 oz) | 26g |
| Red Wine (5 oz) | 3-5g |
This makes it clear that while St-Germain is sweet, it contains less sugar that many common cocktail mixers and juices. The sugar content is quite low compared to soda or juice. So while St-Germain does have some sweetness from sugar, it’s not an extremely high amount compared to other ingredients.
Sugar Content in Cocktails
Looking at cocktails containing St-Germain also gives us an idea of how much sugar it contributes:
Hugo Cocktail
– 2 oz St-Germain (30g sugar)
– 5 oz Sparkling Wine (0g sugar)
– 1 oz Soda Water (0g sugar)
– Mint, Lime
Total: 30g sugar
St-Germain Spritz
– 2 oz St-Germain (30g sugar)
– 3 oz Sparkling Wine (0g sugar)
– 2 oz Soda Water (0g sugar)
– 1 oz Lemon Juice (2g sugar)
– Lemon Twist
Total: 32g sugar
Elderflower Gin Fizz
– 1.5 oz Gin (0g sugar)
– 1 oz St-Germain (15g sugar)
– 1 oz Lemon Juice (2g sugar)
– 3 oz Soda Water (0g sugar)
Total: 17g sugar
In these typical cocktails containing St-Germain, the liqueur contributes 15-30g of sugar per drink. That’s a moderate amount compared to many other cocktail ingredients. The sparkling wine and soda help balance out the sweetness.
Tips for Reducing Sugar
If limiting sugar intake, there are some ways to reduce the amount of sugar when using St-Germain:
– Use less St-Germain – Start with 1 oz instead of 1.5-2 oz per drink.
– Dilute with club soda or sparkling water.
– Use a sugar-free lemon-lime soda instead of regular soda.
– Replace some of the St-Germain with elderflower syrup, which has about half the sugar.
– Balance with more tart citrus juices like lemon, lime, or grapefruit.
– Shake with muddled fruit like berries, grapefruit, or cucumber to add natural sweetness.
– Use a natural zero-calorie sweetener like stevia or monk fruit.
Conclusion
St-Germain does contain a moderate amount of sugar, with about 15g per typical 1.5oz serving. This gives it a noticeable sweetness. However, it has a similar or lower amount of sugar compared to many other liqueurs and common cocktail ingredients. There are also ways to reduce the sugar content when making cocktails with St-Germain, such as adding more sparkling wine or soda water. Overall, its sugar content is reasonable for a sweet liqueur, and St-Germain can be used to add floral flavor even in cocktails made with low-calorie mixers.