Cocktail

We recommend using a good-quality California or Spanish sparkling wine for this recipe. Both are widely available and less expensive than champagne.
You may want to garnish these drinks with fresh elderberry flowers; if so, make sure the blossoms you buy are unsprayed (nontoxic).

Omit the alcohol for a kid-friendly drink.

Traditionally, no ice is used in this drink. For those who dislike un-iced drinks, pour the gin and vermouth over 2 or 3 ice cubes in an Old-fashioned glass. The "It" in the name refers to Italian (sweet) vermouth. The drink is sometimes called Gin and Cin (pronounced "sin") after Cinzano, a popular brand of Italian vermouth.