If it’s Date Night In Parée, pull up this list of French cocktails to make your evening a little bit sophisticated, a little bit fancy, with a lot of easy bartending!
France is famous all over the world for its culture, language, and culinary delights, which extend beyond wine and food to well-balanced pleasing cocktails you should try.
You will be transported to France with any of these 15 French cocktails, drinks, and liquor without setting foot outside your doorstep and without battling foreign borders.
This list has a wide variety of versatile drinks with a French name only like the French Connection, alcoholic cocktails originating in France like the French 75, and drinks that are popular in France like Kir Royale.
Read on and discover French mixed drinks that will excite your palate whether you try the recipe at home or order one at the bar.
This classic French drink was invented in 1915 at a bar in Paris and named for a powerful French 75 mm field gun.
It serves a mean punch so imbibe with care.
This refreshing cocktail is bubbly, tangy, and easy to put together making it perfect for most occasions.
Reach out for this recipe whenever you need a bubbly cocktail.
2. Serendipity
This accidental discovery makes this list because it is an easy recipe that captures France in a glass with its light, bubbly and refreshing feel.
This masterpiece is with us thanks to the head bartender at Bar Hemingway in Paris, France, and has become popular worldwide.
Handle the fresh mint with care without muddling the leaves so they can release their oils into the cocktail.
3. Sidecar
This is a basic combination of orange liqueur (only Cointreau will do), Brandy (Cognac), and lemon juice with some ice for a cocktail to rival most.
The French use equal parts cognac, lemon juice, and Cointreau creating a pretty sweet cocktail.
Serve in a coupe glass and enjoy.
There are also many other cocktails made from Cognac, thanks to its versatile nature.
4. Kir Royale
This fantastic champagne cocktail has a blushing pink look to it thanks to the ingredients used.
Almost like a blush.
A French Catholic priest called Felix Kir is credited with this French mixed drink created during World War II.
Kick off your evening with this aperitif with some munchies to go along.
This is a mellow spritz perfect for when you need a light cocktail to unwind.
A spritz is basically a cocktail of an aperitif, sparkling wine, and a splash of sparkling water or club soda, and this recipe is a French masterpiece.
Sip at your next pool party or next barbeque or as a perfect pre-dinner sip.
6. Le Forum
This is a French cocktail named for the French bar Le Forum where it is their signature drink.
The heady combination of aromatic Gin, dry French Vermouth and a splash of the French orange liqueur, Grand Mariner.
Serve it chilled in a martini glass.
This cocktail is a spin on the vodka martini and is not traditionally French.
This stunning cocktail is silky smooth, and sexy and will have you falling in love in no time with the perfect blend of vodka, pineapple juice, and chalkboard.
Love at first sight or love at first taste? You tell me because I think the cocktail is almost too beautiful to drink.
Yet a careful first sip has me fighting not to dump the entire drink down my throat while smacking my lips with glee.
8. Mimosa
This iconic beverage favored by the French is named for a yellow-flowered plant.
It is a well-balanced cocktail featuring some Champagne, and orange juice that is carefully poured onto a tilted flute to keep the fizz.
Elevate your favorite French dishes by pairing them with a flute of mimosa and turn a basic experience into a luxurious one.
This is not a French drink at all in terms of origin but it does use a French Cognac and is named after a movie with the same name.
The simple duo of cognac and amaretto play in harmony to give your palate a performance of a lifetime. You will want an encore!
Fill your glass with ice, add the two and stir briefly. Done and done!
Make this French connection and dream of France with all its splendor.
Come with me?
10. Boulevardier
This is a French drink invented in Paris in the 1920s and named for an American writer who founded a Parisian magazine called Boulevardier.
This sipper comes together in minutes and is great for entertaining or for busy evenings.
The balance of sweet and bitter, oak-y and caramel-y hits all the spots and you will be refilling glasses constantly.
11. 1789
This is an all-liquor, no-filler cocktail that traces its roots to Paris and is named for the year Bastille was stormed.
1789 restaurant located in Georgetown, DC is the source of this copycat 1789 recipe for which they are famed.
For a total French experience, use a French whiskey, a French aromatized wine, and a French aperitif wine.
This recipe yields one serving but can be scaled up to cater to a crowd.
12. Earthquake
This earth-shaking two-ingredient recipe is credited to an influential French post-impressionist called Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.
Simply combine the Cognac and absinthe over cracked ice in a mixing glass then stir well.
For a better presentation, strain it into a punch glass and garnish with a lemon peel.
Add this French cocktail to your repertoire and start or end your evening with a bang!
This creepy cocktail was purportedly invented by Ernest Hemingway who was a champion drinker and wisely recommended that one slowly sips on 3 to 5 of this potent cocktail.
This simple cocktail only needs two ingredients; absinthe and champagne and are definitely not for lightweights.
The signature iridescent green color also makes it great for theme parties and a fantastic nightcap.
14. Suze Tonic
This is a super easy cocktail you should be sipping on as you go through this piece.
You will only need two ingredients to get this gorgeous color and a light yet slightly bitter taste that will leave you reaching out for more.
The Suze is a French aperitif with a pleasantly bitter flavor that will pair really well with your favored tonic water.
Garnish with a lemon wheel and that’s it!
15. Ti’ Punch Recipe
Pronounced “tee paunch” this creole branch of French loosely translates to “small punch” and is a national cocktail of the French Caribbean Islands.
You must try a Ti’ Punch if it features on a menu and be ready to be converted by the sweet and addictive flavors.
Alternatively, make your own Ti’ Punch using three easy ingredients and enjoy the sweet cocktail with some appetizers.
The bottom line
Expand your liquor bar and explore this list of French mixed drinks and cocktails for that touch of class and sophistication.
The list of French cocktails cannot be exhausted as mixologists keep on churning out new rarities but these 15 recipes give you a base to build on.
The secret is in the quality of the drinks; take your time, do your homework and find a fun French cocktail that works for you. Why stop at one?
For an intimate dinner party, prepare one beautiful cocktail with quality ingredients but if it’s a bigger cocktail party, go for 4 or 5 cocktails and always use cold glasses.
So, pick your elegant French drink and raise a toast.
‘Santé!’
Famous French 75 Cocktail & More
If it’s Date Night in Parée, pull up this list of French cocktails to make your evening a little bit sophisticated, a little bit fancy, with a lot of easy bartending!
Ingredients
- Classic French 75 Cocktail
- Serendipity
- Sidecar
- Kir Royale
- The Rosé Lillet Spritz Recipe
- Le Forum
- French Martini
- Mimosa
- French Connection Cocktail
- Boulevardier
- 1789
- Earthquake
- Death In The Afternoon
- Suze Tonic
- Ti’ Punch Recipe
Instructions
- Find your favorite recipe from our French Cocktails list.
- Gather all the ingredients needed.
- Start mixin' and make us proud!