Off the coast of the pacific ocean right near Hawaii is the most beautiful tropical island. It's call St. Germain. This island is incredible. It's full of flowers of every shape and size; you can't turn anywhere without seeing blossom after blossom of every color. The most rare of these blossoms is the Elderflower.
Now this island remains uncivilized except for one old man who tends lovingly to the flowers, the Elderflower being his pride and joy. He's most favorite flower although it may not be the most beautiful. This old man is as amazing as his island. He lives off the land. He's built a tiny little cottage in the middle of the island; he eats the tropical citrus of grapefruits, and oranges and delicious pears and peaches.
The little island of St. Germain is a heavenly place, one so stunning words are hard to form and it feels like your visiting the wildest fairytale of your dreams. Surprise! You are, or your at least living mine. The island of St. Germain is but a fairytale of my mind. Let me explain.
This week at work our Sous Chef and one of our bartenders decided we should make a St. Germain ice cream. As I do our desserts I was sent to work on it. I picked up this really cool liqueur bottle and was mesmerized. This bottle was fun and the description of the yellow-green liquid inside captivating. I quickly asked the story of the St. Germain. Was it an island? Did it get it's name from it tropically taste? How and why was it named St. Germain?
No one could answer my question.
I began portioning, rounding and other various things you do with bread that day that takes significant time when I found my mind wandering as it does most days. This day however it was taking me to my own little island of St. Germain. I spent the rest of the day enthralled with my little island.
I got home and googled St. Germain positive I would find my little island in photo. I was wrong. The story of St. Germain however is not one of an island but instead one of its' own beauty.
St. Germain is made from the elderflower. A flower that grows in the french alps and blossoms for but a few weeks a year. During these days men pick the flowers and quickly ride them to town on bicycles to be sold. The elderflowers are then distilled and combined with sugar and orange to give them the simply sweet and delicate flavor of St. Germain.
While this story wasn't as heavenly as my island it was a fairytale of it's own. My thoughts quickly changed from my little island in the pacific to the mountain of the french alps where for but a few weeks a year I pick elderflowers and bike through the country to sell them.
