Three Bubbly French Spring Apéritifs
Cocktails for your next Spring Apéro!
What I love most about French culture are the rituals surrounding culinary enjoyment. Aside from intricate pastries and exquisite dishes, most French apéritif cocktails are elegantly simple and balanced, offering refined flavors without being overly elaborate or cloyingly sweet. Meaning you can actually taste the passion behind the creation.
A spring apéritif should be crisp and refreshing, a pleasant drink that you can leisurely sip over a pre-meal conversation. This is not the time for margaritas, sugary mixers, or strong whiskeys (save those dark liquor glasses for after dinner). Apéritifs are meant to kickstart your palate and prime your tastebuds with delicate tasting notes. And yes, a little bit of bubbly can improve your French conjugation.
Since apéro can either be a casual drink or a multi-hour social gathering, I find it best to have snacks. (there should always be snacks) Without a true indicator of when evening apéro will end and dinner is to begin, crackers, olives, nuts, or maybe some tapenade, saucisson and cheese will do. Sip, snack, chat, repeat.
Gathering around a neighbor’s porch, clinking glasses, passing around savory bites, while multiple languages are translating gestures and common phrases through laughter—from dusk to darkness—is French hospitality at its finest. Consider such an opportunity one to be cherished.
Just keep in mind that if you are in fact attending a true French apéro, you may need to ask for water. There are often non-alcholic drinks, but I’ve attended several gatherings where there was nary a water glass in sight for hours. Another nod to starting with a lighter spirit.
Don’t forget to “Santé” with direct eye contact!
From the French Bar Cart and Wine Fridge
Lillet
A classic must-have when you’re building a French bar cart. Actually, three Lillets are a good place to start, blanc, rosé, and rouge. All of which are spring cocktail worthy. There is a small café overlooking the pond in Parc Bordelais, that serves Lillet Tonic paired with an all day geese performance.
Since Lillet aperitifs originated in a small village south of Bordeaux known as Podensac in 1872, using local Bordeaux wines, I find it imperative as a new Bordeaux resident to begin our little apéro with a Lillet cocktail. I’ve never been a fan of Aperol anyways.
Lillet Blanc
On the Nose: floral, orange blossom, fresh mint, vanilla
For the Tastebuds: candied orange, orange blossom, honey, pine resin, and exotic fruit
Grapes: sémillon and sauvignon blanc
Appearing in 1872 (the original version)
Lillet Rosé
On the Nose: red berries, orange blossom and grapefruit
For the Tastebuds: fresh and fruity
Grapes: sémillon
Appearing in 2011
Lillet Rouge
On the Nose: ripe blackberry and plum
For the Tastebuds: fresh orange, ripe berries, vanilla and spices
Grapes: merlot
Appearing in 1962
St. Germain
The most expensive bottle of this trio, but still nowhere as close to the Blanton’s bourbon that flew over in my husband’s suitcase. A stunning bottle none the less filled with a delicately flavored elderflower liqueur. Each batch is made with fresh elderflowers, that are handpicked when in full bloom every spring.
From their website: “A 100% French harvest and production, symbols of an art of living that the world envies us.”
-Direct, informative, and very French.
On the Nose: exotic fruits, grapefruit, pear, and citrus
For the Tastebuds: floral and fruity
Appearing in 2007
Chambord
A sweet blackberry and raspberry liqueur that imparts the most lovely pink hue to your glass, très magnifique. Chambord is produced in the Loire Valley to resemble a raspberry liqueur from the late 1600s.
Flowers are blooming and berries are ripening, therefore we need a pink cocktail to match.
On the Nose: ripe berries, herbs and spices
For the Tastebuds: blackberry, raspberry, black currants, honey, citrus, vanilla and cognac
Appearing in 1982, inspired by a liqueur said to have been served to Louis XIV, while visiting the château de Chambord.
*Check out my Strawberry Gateau Recipe, where Chambord is used to macerate strawberries before mixing them into the batter.
*Chambord still French, but now owned by Brown-Forman (2006), which is based in Louisville, Kentucky, also where I moved randomly during the pandemic, which led me to meet and marry my husband (who had also moved there). Hmm, I see the dots connecting, Chambord is a special one!
Champagne (brut)
If we’re making French cocktails, we must use French bubbles. It doesn’t have to be the most prestigious Champagne made in Champagne, France, though it does need to be a dry ‘brut’. A good pour of not overly sweet, non overwhelming fermented grapes to compliment the intricacies of your new Frenchie spirit friends.
French Spring Apéritifs
It’s April. The colors are alive again. Every corner is bursting with greens and pinks. The air is fragrant. Highlights are flickering from the sun, telling you and I, dear friend, to relax, sip an apéritif, and watch the world go by.
The below, simple, flavorsome drinks just need a quick measure of spirit, then let your eyes guide the amount of champagne. Garnish with citrus, berries, and fresh herbs.
Lillet Rosé Basil Spritz
Fresh basil and fruity Lillet Rosé come together over ice with a generous pour of bubbles for the perfect chic, warm weather spritz.
Ingredients:
1 oz (5 cl ) Lillet Rosé
5 fresh basil leaves, torn
4 oz (10 cl) Brut Champagne
splash of fresh lime juice
Garnish:
fresh basil leaves
sliced lime
Mix It:
Add the torn basil leaves and Lillet into a small glass. Use a wooden cocktail muddler to infuse the Lillet with basil notes.
Strain the Basil Lillet into a tulip wine glass filled with ice.
Pour in the champagne with a splash of lime juice, stir.
Garnish and serve.
Chambord Kir Royale
Replacing Créme de Cassis with Chambord for an elegant berry forward, two ingredient pour. This is one French cocktail you can whip together quickly for a spontaneous apéro.
Ingredients:
5 oz (15 cl) Champagne Brut, chilled
1 oz ( 3 cl) Chambord
Garnish:
fresh raspberries, blackberries, or currants
lemon peel
Mix It:
Pour chilled champagne into a coupe or flute glass. I’m a coupe girl, so there yah go.
Pour the Chambord over the Champagne and garnish.
Always add the Chambord second, so it can diffuse through the Champagne without needing to be stirred.
St-Germain Spritz
A tongue tickling elderflower and lemon spritz for those who love a light and refreshing floral cocktail. Fresh mint and lime can be swapped for lemon and thyme.
Ingredients:
1 ½ oz (4.5 cl) St-Germain
2 oz (6 cl) sparking water
2 oz (6 cl) Champagne Brut
splash of lime juice
Garnish:
fresh mint leaves
lime wedge
Mix It:
Pour the St-Germain liqueur over ice in a tall glass.
Top with sparkling water and then Champagne.
Add a splash of lime juice and stir.
Garnish with fresh herbs and citrus.
Love a Kir Royale!
Nothing better than a St Germaine spritz! And my snack of choice is gougeres which I’m going to try to make.