Lightly sparkling, naturally fermented and bursting with the flavours of the coast and hedgerow, Bex’s Elderflower & Sea Buckthorn Champagne is a beautiful way to capture the abundance of early summer.

Fragrant elderflowers lend their delicate floral sweetness, while vibrant sea buckthorn brings a bright citrus tang and its striking golden colour. Raw honey fuels the natural fermentation, creating gentle bubbles and a complex flavour that develops over time. A splash of raw apple cider vinegar helps kick-start the fermentation, producing a refreshing drink that’s alive with beneficial microbes.

Served during Bex’s coastal foraging day in Cumbria, this wild champagne perfectly complemented the flavours of the shoreline, celebrating seasonal ingredients and the ancient art of fermentation. Every batch is unique, changing as the wild yeasts work their magic, making each bottle a little different from the last.

Enjoy chilled as a refreshing summer drink, raise a glass at seasonal gatherings, or pair it with wild food feasts to celebrate the incredible flavours nature has to offer.

Makes: Approximately 2.5 litres

A note on fermentation: This is a naturally fermented drink, so bubbles and pressure will continue to build while active fermentation is taking place. Always leave headspace in your bottles, “burp” them regularly if they don’t have an airlock, and refrigerate once you’ve reached your preferred balance of sweetness and fizz. Fermentation times will vary depending on temperature and the activity of the wild yeasts present.

Ingredients:

10x heads of elderflower, main stems cut off

1/2 cup sea buckthorn juice or 1 cup of berries (frozen is fine)

1 cup raw organic honey

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar 

2.5ltr filtered or spring water

Method: 

1. Clean / sterilise a 3ltr jar (I use kilner as the you can get an air-lock for fermenting, but any jar can be used)
2. Add elderflowers, sea buckthorn, honey, apple cider vinegar and water to the jar and mix until well combined.
3. Cover jar with muslin or clean tea towel, do not put on lid
4. Stir contents daily (or more if warm) until bubbles start to form and to stop mould forming
5. Once you are getting a good covering of bubbles strain mix through a muslin or sieve into a clean bottle and put on lid
6. If you have an airlock just let the magic happen, if not burp slightly each day
7. After 1 week taste for sweetness, my “champagne” is normally best after 2-3 weeks. But each brew is different
8. Once the brew is as you like it, pour from large jar into smaller bottles with flip lids. Always leave space at the top to stop accidents with bottles
9. refrigerate and enjoy

Note – if your brew is too sweet just leave for longer

If your brew is not sweet enough simply add a little more honey

Remember more honey will mean more alcohol as it continues to ferment

To slow fermentation put in fridge, if it’s not seeming fizzy enough when you want to drink, bring out of fridge and allow to warm, just don’t leave out for too long as pressure can build and cause bottle explosions 😬