Are you ready to elevate your cocktail game and impress your guests? Look no further than the French. Embark on a journey of sophistication as we delve into the realm of elegant French cocktails for your Francophile life.

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Elegant French Cocktails

French Martini

The French Martini is a sweet, vodka-based cocktail with Chambord and pineapple juice. Chambord is a black raspberry liqueur which has been produced in France since the 17th century. It looks very pretty in a martini glass garnished with a lemon twist.

How to Make a Phenomenal French Martini

French 75

Simple, yet elegant, the French 75 contains gin (Hendrick’s is my favorite), lemon juice, simple syrup and champagne. Add a long, spiral lemon twist for garnish.

French 75 Recipe ~ Bon Appétit

Kir Royale

Crème de cassis (a sweet blackcurrant liqueur) topped with champagne…it doesn’t get any simpler than that!

Kir Royale

Death in the Afternoon

Hemingway shared this recipe in a 1935 cocktail book:

“Pour one jigger absinthe into a Champagne glass. Add iced Champagne until it attains the proper opalescent milkiness. Drink three to five of these slowly.”

I’m not a fan of absinthe (or anything with a licorice flavor) but it has a certain romance about it.

Death in the Afternoon Cocktail Recipe

If, like me, you were intrigued by the mention of the 1935 cocktail book, the title is “So Red the Nose, or Breath in the Afternoon”. I looked for a copy to share here but since they run about $3-400 I figure you are no more likely to purchase a copy than I am. But if you ever run across a copy in a used book store…

Boulevardier

Whiskey, sweet vermouth and Campari combine to create this cocktail. It is essentially a Manhattan plus Campari, a bright-red Italian bitter.

Boulevardier Cocktail recipe

Sidecar

And finally, my husband’s favorite. This cocktail combines brandy, lemon juice and Cointreau which is served in a sugar-rimmed cocktail glass. It may be garnished with a bit of lemon peel or, if you like it the way my husband does, with a cherry or two.

Sidecar Cocktail Recipe

Who Invented the Sidecar Cocktail?

Don’t wait for a special occasion to enjoy one of these elegant French cocktails. Learn to make your favorite at home and then you can celebrate any day of the week. Santé!