Bloody Mary, kir, mimosa, blue lagoon… for most people, cocktails are synonymous with festivities. Did you know some of the most famous cocktails were created in France? Here is a list of the most famous French cocktails.
Bloody Mary
With its distinctive red color, the Bloody Mary is one of the most famous cocktails. It is made of vodka, tomato juice, lemon and seasoning (Worcestershire sauce, tabasco, celery salt, pepper, celery).
It is said to have been created by Fernand Petiot, bartender at Harry’s New York Bar, in Paris. There are many stories behind its name. According to some people, it is a reference to Mary Tudor, also called Bloody Mary because of her violent policy.
According to others, the name came from Ernest Hemingway. He wanted a cocktail that would not smell like alcohol to avoid making his wife, Mary, angry when he would come home.
Ti-Punch
Created on Marie-Galante island to celebrate the abolition of slavery, the ti-punch is a traditional cocktail from the West Indies.
It is made of agricultural rum, lime and cane sugar. It is served in a shot glass with no ice and with a slice of lime.
Kir
The kir is a typical French aperitif, created in Burgundy, in Dijon. Originally, it was a mix of blackcurrant liqueur and Aligoté white wine from Burgundy. It can also be made with a dry white wine without changing the taste.
Nowadays, there are many variations of this drink. For example, if it’s made with apple cider, it’s a “kir Breton”. When made with champagne, it is called a royal kir. It can also be made with other types of liquor (peach, blackberry, etc…).
The name kir should only be used for the blackcurrant liqueur and white wine. With another liquor, it should be called “blanc-mûre” (white-blackberry) or “blanc-pêche” (white-peach) for example.
Angevine soup
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Angevine soup is a French cocktail from Anjou, a territory in the West of France. It is prepared in a large bowl, with a ladle and has to be made last-minute.
Pour a bottle of Cremant de Loire, a sparkling white wine, a ladle of triple-sec (an orange-flavored liqueur), a ladle of cane sugar syrup and a ladle of lemon juice.
The Angevin soup has two variations: made with a liqueur Combier and Saumur wine, it’s a “Saumuroise” soup, made with champagne it’s a “Champagne” or “Champenoise” soup.
Mimosa
Even though it’s a very popular cocktail in the US, the mimosa was created in France. Frank Meier, the head bartender at the Hotel Ritz in Paris, is said to be its creator. It’s mostly served during brunch.
The recipe is simple: half a glass of dry champagne and orange juice, preferably freshly squeezed. You can drink it as it is or decorate your glass with a slice of orange.
Pousse-Rapière
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This cocktail was created in Saint-Puy, in the South of France. It is made of a liqueur created by René Lassus in Château Monluc and Vin Sauvage, a sparkling dry white wine, also produced in Château Monluc.
The name is a reference to soldiers from Gascogne, in the South of France. In the 16th century, they used a rapier. When attacking an enemy, they “push” (“pousse” in French) the rapier.
Monaco
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This cocktail is a classic on every French terrace. It is the most popular beer-cocktail. It is made with Grenadine, sparkling lemonade and blond beer. It is served cold and is not very strong in alcohol.
Its origins are not very clear, but it was probably created either in France or in Belgium.
The name is said to come from its colors, the same as the Monegasque flag.
Picon-bière
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Picon is a liqueur made of orange zest, cinchona and gentian roots. Even though it’s mostly popular in the East and North of France, it was created by a young soldier from Marseille, serving in Algeria.
Nowadays, picon liqueur is generally served with beer, with or without lemon. With lemon, it’s a PCB, picon-citron-beer (citron is the French for lemon). The liqueur can be served with other alcohol, such as wine.
Communard
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The communard is simply a variation of the kir and is made with a blackcurrant liqueur as well. The white wine is replaced with a red wine from Burgundy.
The name comes from the Burgundy dialect. Blackcurrant was called the “commun”. It can also be called a “Cardinal” because of the red robe that cardinals wore, similar to the color of this cocktail.
Boulevardier
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The boulevardier was created in Paris, at Harry’s New York Bar. Harry McElhone, the owner of the bar, created it for Erskine Gwynne, a writer. He was also the publisher of the magazine “Boulevardier” that gave its name to the cocktail.
It’s made with a mix of bourbon, Campari (an Italian sour liqueur) and red Vermouth. It’s a variation of the Negroni, an Italian cocktail made with gin. You can also add a slice of orange as the final touch.
Blue Lagoon
The blue lagoon was also created at Harry’s New York Bar. It is a creation of Andy McElhone, Harry’s son.
It’s a variation of the White Lady, created by Harry McElhone. His son created it when the blue Curaçao became popular.
It’s a very simple recipe: vodka, lemon juice and blue curaçao. The curaçao is a bitter green orange peel liqueur and is easily recognized by its blue color.
French 75
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This cocktail was created by Harry McElhone, at Harry’s New York Bar. It’s a reference to the French 75mm field gun.
The recipe requires gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup and dry champagne. It is shaken with ice. Then, it’s served in a champagne flute, with lemon zest and a candied cherry.
Between the sheets
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This cocktail has two origin stories. According to some people, it was created by Harry McElhone in his bar. According to others, it was created in French brothels, thus the name.
It is made of white rum, cognac, triple sec and fresh lemon juice. It is considered a variation of the Sidecar, a Harry McElhone’s cocktail.
Sidecar
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As mentioned above, the sidecar is a cocktail created by Harry McElhone in his bar. However, the origin of this cocktail is controversial.
It’s a cocktail made of cognac, lemon juice and triple-sec. Despite the few ingredients required, it’s a complicated cocktail to prepare. Half of the glass needs to be frozen before doing a double filtration.
Serendipity
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This cocktail was created in Paris, by Colin Peter Field, the head bartender at the Hemingway bar of the Ritz. He won the Forbes award for world’s best bartender.
His cocktail is made of calvados, apple juice, sugar and champagne. Mint sprigs can be used as decoration.
White Lady
As we already mentioned, the white lady is another creation of Harry McElhone, made in the 1920s at Harry’s New York Bar. However, it only became popular ten years later, thanks to comedians Laurel and Hardy.
The recipe was changed a few times throughout the years. Today, it’s made with gin, lemon juice and plai syrup, as well as triple-sec and an egg white.
Monkey Gland
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There are two possible creators of the Monkey Gland. It was either made by Harry McElhone (Harry’s New York Bar) or Frank Meier (Ritz hotel bar). The name comes from doctor Vornoff’s research on monkey glands.
It’s classified as an “unforgettable” cocktail by the IBA (international bartender association). It is made of gin, orange juice, grenadine and absinthe.
Marquisette
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The Marquisette is a cocktail from the South-East of France, mainly served during public balls.
The recipe can change, but it’s generally made of sparkling lemonade, white wine, sugar, mandarin liqueur, white rum, orange syrup and slices of oranges and lemons.
This mixture has to be prepared the day before it is served. At the last minute, add champagne (or a very good sparkling white wine).
Embuscade
This cocktail was created in Caen, Normandy. It is said to have been created at the Montmartre bar, now called Chez Raymond.
It is made of white wine, calvados, blond beer, grenadine and lemon juice.
It is particularly popular among students in Caen.
Jacqueline
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The jacqueline is a popular cocktail in the South-West of France, especially in the area of Bayonne. It’s the cocktail served in every party and ferias of the region. It’s also called the “jaja”.
It’s a mix of white wine, sparkling lemonade and grenadine. It can be made with rosé wine instead of white wine, with another soda than sparkling lemonade, or even with vodka to make it stronger.
Perroquet – Tomate – Mauresque
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These three cocktails are pretty similar and they all come from the South of France. They are made of pastis, a liqueur made of anise and licorice, with different flavored syrup.
The perroquet (parrot) is made of pastis, water and mint syrup. For the tomate (tomato), you have to replace the mint syrup with grenadine. For the mauresque (moorish), you replace it with orge syrup.
Jungle juice
The jungle juice was created by Shaker LudooOo, a Russian bartender during a trip to Paris.
It’s made of vodka, orange juice, lemon juice and blackcurrant liqueur.
I aim to share my tips and recommendations for the beautiful country of France. My goal is to help you plan your next adventure, whether it’s a weekend getaway or a once-in-a-lifetime trip. From finding the best hotels and restaurants, to discovering unique activities and sights, I’ve got you covered!
