Enjoy these good French cocktail recipes for a little bit of festive aptitude – a mixture of tall and brief cocktails made with the best French liqueurs, really useful by the knowledgeable crew at Calais Vins, the most effective wine, beer and spirit shops in France.
Somewhat little bit of French cocktail historical past
France’s love affair with liqueurs dates again to the Middle Ages when monks and apothecaries distilled natural elixirs for medicinal functions. But it was the nineteenth century that marked the golden age of liqueur making. Railways related areas, superior glassmaking, and several other iconic French liqueurs emerged, born in abbeys or small distilleries, and created by a various vary of individuals from chemists to confectioners. These concoctions have been so good that many are common at this time, with bartenders world wide shaking up classic recipes, and mixes which can be straightforward to recreate at dwelling to carry a bit of je ne sais quoi to your glass.
Jérôme Pont, supervisor at Calais Vins shares his 10 favourite cocktails:
Lillet Blanc Spritz
“Refreshing, vibrant and barely bitter – it is excellent for aperitifs. Lillet Blanc is created from a mix of white Bordeaux wines and citrus liqueurs. It was invented in by brothers Paul and Raymond Lillet, and is delicately floral with a honeyed end. It’s finest served chilled with a twist of orange, or combined right into a crisp Vesper, James Bond’s favourite! Or do that cocktail that is a French basic:
6cl Lillet White
6cl glowing water or tonic
Slice of orange or cucumber
Ice
Mix: Pour all substances over ice in a big wine glass. Stir gently and garnish. For additional sparkle, use Crémant as a substitute of tonic!
The Royal French Dubonnet
“This is a modernized version of the Queen Mother’s favorite — with French flair!” Commissioned by the French authorities to make quinine palatable for troopers in malaria-prone areas, Joseph Dubonnet crafted this fortified wine laced with herbs and spices in 1846.
4cl Dubonnet Red
3cl Generous Gin (or different French craft gin)
Orange peel or lemon slice
Ice
Mix: Stir with ice, pressure right into a coupe or serve over a big dice. Garnished with zest.
Clacquesin Collins
“Clacquesin is one of France’s most unique liqueurs – pine-based, with spices and a hint of mystery” says Jerome, “and this twist on the Classic Collins, with its French pine flavor, is excellent. One of our loyal customers, Eric – a self-described ‘old-school bistro regular’ swears by a nip of this unusual liqueur with hot water on cold evenings!”
4cl Clacquesin
2cl Generous Gin
1cl lemon juice
glowing water
Ice & lemon slice
Mix: Shake Clacquesin, gin and lemon with ice. Strain right into a tall glass, high with glowing water, garnish.
Verbena Green Martini
“A botanical, fresh and alpine flavor – perfect for cocktail lovers seeking something different. Invented in 1859, this vivid green liqueur is made with lemon verbena, and a secret blend of spices, and 32 botanicals. Herbal and slightly sweet, it’s still produced by the Pagès distillery in the heart of Auvergne, and often sipped as a digestive.”
5cl Green Velay Verbena
2cl vodka or gin (attempt Generous Gin!)
Dash of orange bitters
Lemon twist
Mix: Shake all substances with ice, pressure into a calming martini glass, garnish with lemon.
The Belle Époque Cocktail
“A rich and nostalgic, smooth and velvety aperitif for cold evenings which also features Vervaine du Velay.”
3cl Dubonnet
3cl Verbena from Velay
1cl lemon juice
1cl honey syrup
Orange peel
Mix: Shake all with ice and pressure into a brief tumbler over a big dice. Garnished with orange peel.
French White Negroni
“I like to make this with Suze instead of Campari. Generous Gin, made in Cognac, is bitter, citrusy, clean — it works perfectly in this modern Negroni mix.”
3cl French gin (attempt Generous Gin)
3cl Suze
3cl Lillet White
Grapefruit twist
Mix: Shake all with ice and garnish with grapefruit.
Herbal Old Fashioned with Bénédictine
“A slow-sipper for cozy evenings.”
5cl French whiskey (from Alsace or Brittany)
1cl Benedictine
Dash of Angostura bitters
Orange peel
Mix: Shake all with ice and garnish with orange peel.
The Riviera Margarita (French fashion)
“You can’t beat a classic – and Cointreau is the original triple sec.”
5cl Tequila
2cl Cointreau
2cl lime juice
Salt rim
Mix: Dip the rim of the glass in salt, pour within the liquids over ice, and blend.
Chartreuse Espresso Martini (sure!)
“A bold twist on a modern classic this one, and an ideal after dinner drink. Chartreuse Verte is one of France’s most iconic liqueurs, crafted since 1737 by the Carthusian monks of the Grande Chartreuse monastery. It’s made from a secret blend of over 130 plants and herbs, macerated in grape alcohol and aged in oak casks.”
3cl Green Chartreuse
3cl espresso liqueur
3cl espresso
Mix: Shake with ice. Enjoy.
The Imperial Mandarin Spritz
“Ok, this is a liqueur from our neighbor, Belgium – but this cocktail is really too good not to include. The original recipe was attributed to the Emperor Napoleon himself, Mandarine Napoléon, also known as Grande Imperial Liqueuris a rich citrus liqueur crafted from aged cognac, mandarin peel, and a secret blend of 27 spices.”
5cl Imperial Mandarin
5cl tonic water
1 slice of orange
Ice
Mix: Shake over ice.
You’ll discover all these substances — and over 100 gins together with French craft ones — at Calais Vins, only a fast hop throughout the Channel. British vacationers may even declare VAT refunds and journey without spending a dime with a pre-order.
Visit Calais Wines
Calais Vins are open 7 days every week from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. besides Sundays and financial institution holidays: 10 a.m. to six p.m. Free parking is on the market at every retailer, each of that are a couple of minutes from the port of Calais and the Eurotunnel terminal.
Brilliant French cocktail recipes for a bit of festive flair