St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur Creator Dies

Robert J. Cooper, the creator of St-Germain elderflower liqueur, passed away yesterday, the New York Times reports. He was 39 years old, and the cause of death is as of yet unknown.

Growing up, Cooper's family owned Charles Jacquin et Cie, a liqueurs and cordials producer and distributor. When Cooper told his father he wanted to work on an elderflower liqueur, he was met with skepticism.

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Cooper's father told him, "I'll hire you back in a year when you fail," he once told the Times.

After launching the company in 2007, however, Cooper never needed to look back. The floral liqueur quickly took off and became a favorite among mixologists. It's fondly known as "the bartender's ketchup," Jim Meehan says. In 2009, the Times declared that St-Germain "single-handedly invigorated the moribund liqueur category."

Bacardi purchased the company in 2013, which Cooper saw as an opportunity to take the brand to international markets, and today, it is a recognizable fixture behind the bar. Make a cocktail and raise a glass in Cooper's honor today.