The Butterfly Spritz is the drink that stops conversations. It starts blue — vivid, electric, impossible to ignore — then shifts to purple the moment the lemonade hits. The magic comes from Top Hat Butterfly Truth Serum, a real butterfly pea flower extract that reacts to citrus and changes color before your eyes. Beneath the show, it's a genuinely delicious spritz: elderflower, Top Hat Lemonade Concentrate, sparkling wine, and Top Hat Club Soda or fresh sparkling water from your soda maker. Light, effervescent, and unforgettable — with a zero-proof version that's just as stunning.
This isn't just a pretty drink — it's a genuinely well-built spritz. The elderflower adds floral sweetness, the lemonade concentrate brings bright citrus acidity, the sparkling wine (or zero-proof alternative) provides structure and bubbles, and the club soda lengthens everything into a light, sessionable highball. The Butterfly Truth Serum float is the finale: pour it over the back of a spoon and watch the whole drink shift from golden-clear to vivid blue-purple as the butterfly pea flower reacts to the citrus. It's science, it's beautiful, and it tastes like a garden party.
Method
- Add ½ oz St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur to a large wine glass or highball.
- Add 1 oz Top Hat Lemonade Concentrate.
- Fill the glass completely with ice.
- Pour in 4 oz sparkling wine (Prosecco, Cava, or Crémant) slowly down the side.
- Add 3 oz Top Hat Premium Club Soda or fresh sparkling water from your soda maker.
- Give one gentle stir to integrate.
- Finish with a 1 oz float of Top Hat Butterfly Truth Serum — pour slowly over the back of a bar spoon so it sits on top. Watch the color shift from blue to purple as it meets the lemonade.
- Garnish with edible flowers, a lemon wheel, or fresh herbs. Serve immediately.
Pro move: Float the Butterfly Truth Serum last and let your guest stir it themselves — the color change is the show, and it happens in real time. For maximum effect, serve in clear glassware so you can see the full gradient. If using a soda maker, carbonate the water first and pour it in — never add anything to the soda maker bottle before carbonating.
Swap St-Germain for elderflower syrup and sparkling wine for a zero-proof alternative (Surely, Gruvi, French Bloom, or similar). The lemonade, club soda, and Butterfly Truth Serum stay the same — the color change, the flavor structure, and the visual drama all work identically. This is one of the most impressive non-alcoholic cocktails you can serve.
Top Hat Butterfly Truth Serum is made from butterfly pea flower extract — a natural pigment that's vivid blue at neutral pH. When it comes into contact with citrus acid (like the lemon juice in the Lemonade Concentrate), the pH shifts and the color changes from blue to purple or violet. It's completely flavorless — the Butterfly Truth Serum adds color and drama without changing the taste of your cocktail. The effect works in any drink with citrus: spritzes, lemonades, G&Ts, margaritas, and more.
Own a SodaStream or soda maker? The club soda component works perfectly with fresh sparkling water from your machine. We wrote a full guide with 10 recipes: SodaStream Cocktail Recipes →
More color-changing ideas: Float Butterfly Truth Serum on a G&T, a Paloma, or even a glass of lemonade — any drink with citrus will trigger the color shift. Browse All Cocktail Recipes →
Love a good spritz? Try our Paloma Recipe with Sparkling Grapefruit Soda — another bright, bubbly, citrus-forward build.
Stock up for the home bar: Our Soda Streamer Dream Kit includes Lemonade Concentrate alongside three other craft cocktail bases — four 32oz bottles for your soda maker.