Gooseberry & Elderflower Fizz
Tart gooseberries and fragrant elderflower make a bright, lightly sweet summer drink. Serve it over plenty of ice with sparkling water for a nonalcoholic fizz that feels special but is easy to make.
- Total time
- 22 min
- Yield
- 6 drinks
- Difficulty
- Easy
Prep 10mCook 12mBritishDrinks
Gooseberries have a sharp, green-fruit flavor that loves a little sugar. When simmered into a quick syrup, they turn into a lively base for a sparkling drink.
Elderflower brings a soft floral note without making the fizz taste perfumey. In this recipe, dried food-grade elderflowers or elderflower tea bags steep right in the warm gooseberry syrup.
Mix the syrup with chilled sparkling water just before serving. That keeps the bubbles lively and the drink fresh.
01What you'll need
Ingredients
8 items · 6 drinks
- 12 ounces fresh gooseberries, topped and tailed, about 340 g
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar, about 100 g
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons dried food-grade elderflowers, tied in cheesecloth or placed in a tea infuser, or 4 elderflower tea bags
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3 cups chilled plain sparkling water, plus more to taste
- Ice, for serving
- Fresh mint sprigs or thin lemon slices, optional garnish
02How to make it
Step-by-step
1. Rinse the gooseberries
Rinse the gooseberries under cool water. Trim off any stems and dried blossom ends with your fingers or a small knife. This is called topping and tailing.
2. Simmer the fruit
Put the gooseberries, sugar, and water in a medium saucepan. Set over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the berries split and soften.
3. Steep the elderflower
Take the pan off the heat. Add the elderflowers in their infuser or the elderflower tea bags. Cover the pan and let the mixture steep for 10 minutes. Steeping means letting the flowers sit in hot liquid so their flavor moves into the syrup.
4. Remove the flowers
Lift out the elderflowers or tea bags and press them gently against the side of the pan with a spoon. Do not squeeze hard, which can bring out bitter flavors.
5. Blend the syrup
Carefully blend the gooseberry mixture until smooth using an immersion blender in the pan, or transfer it to a blender. If using a countertop blender, vent the lid slightly and cover it with a towel so steam can escape.
6. Add lemon and chill
Stir in the lemon juice. Let the syrup cool, then refrigerate it until cold, at least 45 minutes. For a clearer drink, you may strain the syrup through a fine sieve, but the drink will have less body and slightly less fiber.
7. Build the fizz
Just before serving, pour the chilled syrup into a pitcher. Add the chilled sparkling water and stir gently once or twice. Taste and add a splash more sparkling water if you want a lighter drink.
03From our kitchen
Cook's tips
- Make-ahead: The gooseberry-elderflower syrup can be made up to 3 days ahead. Keep it covered in the refrigerator and add sparkling water only when you are ready to serve.
- Storage: Once mixed with sparkling water, the fizz is best the same day. Leftovers are safe to drink for 24 hours in the refrigerator, but they will lose bubbles.
- Gooseberry swap: If fresh gooseberries are hard to find, use frozen gooseberries without thawing first. Simmer them for an extra 2 to 3 minutes.
- Elderflower swap: If you only have elderflower cordial, skip the dried elderflowers and reduce the sugar to 1/4 cup. Stir 1/3 cup cordial into the chilled gooseberry syrup before adding sparkling water.
- Adjust the sweetness: Gooseberries vary a lot. Taste the chilled syrup before mixing. Add a spoonful of sugar if it is too sharp, or more lemon juice if it tastes flat.
- For a smoother drink: Strain after blending if you dislike tiny seeds. Press the pulp with a spoon to keep as much fruit flavor as possible.
Cook's note
Use food-grade elderflowers or elderflower tea, not ornamental flowers from a florist. If foraging elderflowers, be certain of the plant identification and avoid flowers from roadsides or sprayed areas.
04Frequently asked
Questions & answers
Can I make gooseberry and elderflower fizz without a blender?
Yes. After simmering and steeping, mash the gooseberries well with a potato masher, then strain the syrup through a fine sieve. The drink will be clearer and a bit thinner.
Can I use elderflower cordial instead of dried elderflowers?
Yes. Use 1/3 cup elderflower cordial and reduce the sugar in the gooseberry syrup to 1/4 cup. Cordial is already sweet, so using the full amount of sugar may make the drink too sweet.
Can I make this into a cocktail?
Yes. Add 1 ounce gin, vodka, or elderflower liqueur to each glass, then top with the prepared fizz. Stir gently. This will change the nutrition and make the drink alcoholic.
Why is my fizz cloudy?
Cloudiness is normal if you blend the whole gooseberries into the syrup. For a clearer drink, strain the syrup through a fine sieve before chilling.
Can I use still water instead of sparkling water?
You can, but it will be more like a gooseberry-elderflower cooler than a fizz. If using still water, chill it well and add a little extra lemon juice to keep the drink bright.
05Per serving
Nutrition facts
Nutrition Facts
6 drinks
Amount per serving
% Daily Value*
- Total Fat0 g
- 0%
- Saturated Fat0 g
- 0%
- Cholesterol0 mg
- 0%
- Sodium1 mg
- 0%
- Total Carbohydrate23 g
- 8%
- Dietary Fiber2 g
- 7%
- Total Sugars20 g
- Protein1 g
- 2%
- Vitamin D0 mcg
- 0%
- Calcium15 mg
- 1%
- Iron0.2 mg
- 1%
- Potassium117 mg
- 2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
05Keep cooking
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