Floral, refreshing, and lightly-bubbly, the Chopin Spring Equinox is the perfect vodka cocktail for spring and summer entertaining.

This recipe was crafted by mixologists at New York City’s Perrine for a Chopin Vodka tasting event, where I was hosted. As always, all opinions expressed are my own. Please drink responsibly.

Chopin Spring Equinox vodka cocktail
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What a treat I have for you today, friends! Chopin Vodka and Perrine at the landmark Pierre Hotel in New York City have graciously shared the recipe for the Chopin Spring Equinox vodka cocktail with Striped Spatula readers.

This beautiful drink was the signature “welcome cocktail” at a Chopin vodka tasting event I attended this past June. As guests mingled, we enjoyed the floral, pastel-hued sip amidst the grandeur of the reimagined Rotunda room.

The Chopin Spring Equinox is sure to become your new go-to vodka cocktail for warm weather entertaining. It’s become a fast favorite amongst my friends.

chopin potato vodka on a tray with hydrangea

Which Style of Vodka Should I Use for this Vodka Cocktail?

If you haven’t yet read through my tasting notes from Chopin’s event, I encourage you to do so. The world of vodka is considerably more diverse than most consumers realize. Chopin’s ultra-luxury portfolio is home to spirits with character that have elevated my appreciation of the craft.

As I’ve entertained with this vodka cocktail at home, I’ve used Chopin’s Potato Vodka. We’ve found that the flavor stands up well to the cocktail’s other components without being consumed by them for a well-rounded sip.

Chopin’s Rye Vodka would also be beautiful here. The crisp, peppery notes would pair well with the cocktail’s sweet elements.

Personally, I would reserve Chopin’s Wheat Vodka for an even lighter cocktail in order to fully appreciate the vodka’s delicate notes. The other flavors at play would likely be overpowering.

The Other Players: Liqueurs, Apéritifs, and Ginger Beer

bottles of st. germain, salers aperitif, and aperol

Perrine’s mixologists paired Chopin vodka with a luscious blend of liqueurs and apéritifs for a sweet-bitter-herbaceous sip. It really embodies the spirit of warm weather entertaining.

  • St-Germain: This popular French liqueur is made from elderflower blossoms. It’s fragrant, delicate, and has just the right amount of sweetness to complement the floral flavors and aromas without overdoing it.
  • Salers Gentiane Apéritif: Produced in France since 1885, Salers is a French apéritif made from the gentian root, distilled, and aged in French oak. The flavor is bitter and herbal/floral balanced with a bit of sweetness. A few years ago, Serious Eats listed it as one of the 3 cocktail ingredients you need to know.
  • Aperol: This Italian apéritif was created in 1919 in Padua. It’s reminiscent of Campari in its vibrant color, and while both are pleasantly bitter, Aperol is a bit sweeter. Aperol is made with bitter and sweet oranges, gentian root, and rhubarb.
  • Ginger Beer: For a sweet-spicy, bubbly finish, Perrine’s mixologist topped the cocktail with a splash of non-alcoholic ginger beer.

Effortlessly Elegant Entertaining: Flower Ice

To punctuate the cocktail’s spring feel, Perrine’s mixologists dressed the glass with flower ice cubes. These are such a simple way to add flair to any of your spring cocktails.

It’s important to buy organic, pesticide-free edible flowers. You can often find them at farmer’s markets and they can also be ordered in larger quantities from sources online (great if you’re having a party).

Ice for the Chopin Spring Equinox is particularly beautiful with edible pansies and green buttons (crysanthemums).

About Edible Flowers: While pesticide free, organically grown flowers are a beautiful addition to this cocktail, not all varieties are safe to eat. For a comprehensive list, this Edible Flowers Guide from Thompson & Morgan is a great resource. If you or any of your guests have hay fever, asthma, or allergies, be cautious or consider skipping the flowers. Some edible flowers can trigger adverse reactions in sensitive individuals.

flower ice cubes in an a crystal ice bucket

How to Make Flower Ice Cubes

Flower ice cubes are so easy to create and always make an impressive presentation for guests. For the clearest ice, I like to use distilled water that I’ve boiled and cooled back to room temperature.

I place the blossoms into a silicone ice cube tray (Peak Ice Works trays are my favorite) and pour water about a third of the way up in each well. I freeze the trays until the ice is solid, remove from the freezer, and finish adding water to the wells until they’re nearly filled.

Making the in a two-step filling and freezing process this way ensures that the flowers will be suspended in the ice and won’t just float to the top of the wells when the water is added.

pouring vodka cocktail into a glass with flower ice cubes

Serving the Chopin Spring Equinox Cocktail

Shaken, strained, and served over fresh flower ice, the Chopin Spring Equinox is “the” cocktail for spring and summer brunches, bridal showers, and ladies’ luncheons.

What I also love about this drink is that it’s a nice foray into vodka cocktails, if you aren’t someone who’s used to drinking vodka. I served this to a friend who hasn’t traditionally gravitated toward vodka, and she loved it.

Thank you for sharing this beautiful recipe, Chopin and Perrine. Happy Sipping to you and yours!

5 from 10 votes

Vodka Cocktail: Chopin Spring Equinox

This beautiful, refreshing vodka cocktail made with Chopin Vodka and a fragrant mix of liqueurs and aperitifs is perfect for warm weather entertaining.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 1 cocktail

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces Chopin vodka
  • 3/4 ounce Saint Germain
  • 1/4 ounce Salers Aperitif
  • 1/4 ounce Aperol
  • 1/2 ounce lime juice
  • splash ginger beer
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Instructions 

  • Add all ingredients, with plain ice cubes, in a cocktail shaker. Shake and strain over flower ice cubes. Top with a splash of ginger beer.

To make flower ice cubes

  • In an ice mold, lay edible pansies and green buttons (see note). Gently pour water* over the flowers and freeze. Use plastic molds so the ice will be easier to remove.

Notes

Note from Amanda: For the clearest ice cubes, I like to use distilled water that I’ve boiled and cooled to room temperature. I also like to fill the trays incrementally, as described in the blog post above.
Edible Flowers: Be sure any flowers that you’re using are, indeed, edible varieties that are free from pesticides before using them to make ice cubes. People with asthma, allergies, or hay fever can have an adverse reaction to edible flowers–use with caution or omit if you have any concerns or are unsure of your guests’ sensitivities.

Nutrition Estimate

Calories: 264kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin C: 4.3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

About our recipes

Please note that our recipes have been developed using the US Customary measurement system and have not been tested for high altitude/elevation cooking and baking.

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11 Comments

  1. Sean@Diversivore says:

    First things first – that’s a fantastic sounding cocktail, and it’s absolutely gorgeous with the flower ice cubes. The ginger beer and the lovely floral elements bring so much character and depth to the drink! Second, you’ve got me awfully curious about that gentian-based liqueur. I’m going to have to find some of that and start experimenting. Cocktails are dangerous that way – there’s always something new to discover (and pay for…).

  2. Marisa Franca says:

    What a fantastic presentation!! The flowers are gorgeous and I bookmarked the place where I can get them. I’m not much of a vodka drinker but the cocktail with Aperol (we always have that) sounds so good. I love that pink color. Beautiful.

  3. Dana says:

    First of all! Girl. Those ice cubs. SO BOUGIE. This takes floral libations to a whole new level of gorgeous. Add to that the St. Germaine and the zippy ginger beer, and dang. What a fun concoction. I usually keep my mixed drinks pretty simple because I’m an awful bartender/mixologist, but this is so inspiring.

  4. Susie says:

    What a gorgeous cocktail. Your pictures are amazing!!! I haven’t tried Chopin Vodka, I’m definitely checking it out bc vodka is my go-to cocktail liquor. I love the tips on making floral ice. I’ll definitely use those!

  5. Lisa says:

    Amanda, this post is so inspiring to me. I’ve recently been playing around with cocktails making bitters and simple syrups — but this craft cocktail takes it to an entirely new level. I’ve never worked with St. Germain or Salers Aperitif before, but your descriptions make me think I would really enjoy them. I have a feeling I’d have to limit myself to one of these Spring Equinox cocktails — for fear of getting loopy. Cheers!

  6. Carmy says:

    That flower ice is genius! I’m still looking for a place to buy edible flowers from. I love how the flower ice kicks up this drink a notch, it looks gorgeous and makes it look like you spent a lot of effort on the cocktail! I’ll be on the look out for this vodka the next time I’m at the store!

  7. Pam Greer says:

    What an elegant and gorgeous cocktail!! I am going to be on the lookout for that vodka! I love any cocktail with good vodka and elderflower liqueur!

  8. Gloria says:

    OMG those ice cubes are BEAUTIFUL!! They would be so much fun to make, and for sure a conversation piece at the BBQ party. This drink sounds intriguing. Vodka is great in cocktails. I am going to see if I can find this potato vodka and try it out.

  9. Monica | Nourish & Fete says:

    This is just gorgeous, Amanda, especially with those show-stopping flower ice cubes. And I love the idea of upping my game in the vodka buying department, to really start to appreciate the subtle flavor differences between different varieties. Pinning this for the next time I entertain!

  10. Donna says:

    This is perhaps the prettiest cocktail I have come across!! All my favorite flavors in there too, I need to find this vodka and give it a go. I just love those flower ice cubes too – takes everything up a notch!

  11. Christine says:

    Well this looks incredible! I looove the flower ice, such an easy thing to make but such a special touch! As a vodka lover, I am excited to hear about all these different variants of vodka I never knew existed. This cocktail sounds delicious and refreshing, thanks so much for sharing!