Each year, summer brings with it vibrant flavors of fresh fruit, flowers, and herbs. And while we can’t take those with us into the darker months, French spirits provide the perfect opportunity to preserve a taste of warmer days gone by. Whether you’re at the beach, or want to pretend like you are, here are some fabulous French cocktails that simply scream summer.
Pêche de Juillet
1.5 oz VS Cognac, such as Bache Gabrielsen VS Tre Kors
0.5 oz Juliette Peach Liqueur
This elegant cocktail offers a taste of juicy summer stone fruit at its best. The fruity notes of a young cognac pair perfectly with a bit of Juliette, a liqueur made from heirloom peaches from the Rhône Valley. Simply add ice to your cognac and liqueur, stir, and strain into a Nick and Nora glass with a slice of peach or sprig of mint as a garnish. If you’d like to make it into something spritzier, top with a fruity sparkling wine from the Loire.
Pineau à la Plage
2 oz Pineau des Charentes Blanc
1 oz Pineapple Juice
0.5 oz Lime Juice
Pineau des Charentes, a specialty of the Cognac region, is made from grape juice spiked with cognac and then aged for at least 18 months. The end product bears some resemblance to cognac, but is lighter and fresher. Its fruitiness pairs remarkably well with tropical flavors, like coconut rum—or, even better, some Coconut Cartel, which is not flavored with coconut, but instead cut with coconut water for a smooth, subtle flavor that isn’t overly sweet. Combine your ingredients and pour into a cup of crushed ice with a straw and pineapple garnish.
Jardin des Roses
3 oz Lillet Rosé
1 oz The Gardener Gin
3 oz Grapefruit Soda
Even if you can’t visit the French Riviera this August, you can definitely give it a taste. The Gardener Gin, an organic spirit made on the French Riviera, is paired in this cocktail with Lillet Rosé, a wine-based apéritif with notes of raspberry and grapefruit. Add a couple drops of rosewater or a spritz of lime for a finishing touch. For something lighter, you can skip the gin altogether and go with equal parts grapefruit soda and Lillet.
Catherine Rickman is a writer, professional Francophile, and host of the Expat Horror Stories podcast. She is currently somewhere in Brooklyn with a fork in one hand and a pen in the other, and you can follow her adventures on Instagram @catrickman, or on TikTok @catinthekitchen.
