A French Martini is an incredibly easy drink to make as long as you have a bottle of Chambord. Oh, and pineapple juice. I assume everyone has vodka. Chambord is a French black raspberry liqueur in a cool spherical bottle. It's a bit expensive but it does come in handy. In this drink for a start, which was invented at a New York City bar, a product of the 1980s–1990s cocktail renaissance. Anticlimactically, It has neither an exotic history or any extravagant stories to accompany it.
As for the drink itself, it's nearly always just these three ingredients, except for the odd recipe substituting Cognac for the vodka. I haven't tried that but it obviously makes a totally different drink. Regarding the quantities, there is some disagreement about the ratio of vodka and pineapple juice with some recipes halving the juice for a much more alcoholic mix. On the other hand, if you like things a little fruitier and don't want to taste too much vodka, you could always use a 40/60 mix.
Anyway, this is how I like it - it's a lovely slightly fruity, not-too-long drink for any occasion, with just a hint of pink blush from the Chambord. Of course despite the name, like so many other so-called martinis, it has absolutely nothing to do with a real martini.
- 40ml vodka
- 50ml pineapple juice
- 15ml Chambord
Method
- Shake everything with plenty of ice
- Strain into a glass
Other things that people do with Chambord include a Chambord Royale, the equivalent of a Kir Royale but adding Chambord to bubbly instead of cassis. You can do the same with beer, adding a measure of Chambord to a big glass of lager. It can similarly be used for a Bramble, a gin cocktail again regularly made with cassis. In fact any recipe that uses cassis or other blackberry or even strawberry liqueurs can be tried with Chambord.
Chambord also features in another faux martini I was introduced to in Melbourne just before the pandemic at a cocktail bar called Beneath Drivers Lane (which is where it was, natch'). It was - drum roll please! - a Cheesecake Martini. They were kind enough to share the recipe - I'll pass it on next time we make them.
What I haven't worked out is something to do with empty Chambord bottles - it's such a nice shape that it should be good for something... ideas?
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