Ninteen Pick-Me-Up

One of the most spicy and bitter Fizz drinks I've ever tried. The recipe calls for a ton of bitters, more Pernod than is usually healthy, and a little gin to give the ingredients room. This might be a great hangover drink as the words "Pick-Me-Up" imply. And I can see the appeal of so much flavor as well as fizz.

Being a Pernod drink with lots of anise flavor makes this drink related to the Nineteen, a spicy "up" drink. This was stronger, though, and soda helps push the alcohol along and make it easily crushable.

• 2 oz. Pernod
• 1 oz. gin
• 1/4 tsp. sugar syrup
• 3-5 dashes orange bitters
• 3-5 dashes Angostura bitters
• club soda

Combine all ingredients except soda in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a Collins glass filled with fresh ice. Top with soda and stir gently.

Gazette

The Gazette is a French companion to the Journalist, with brandy or cognac (please) and lemon juice. It's a little sweeter with a half ounce of sweet vermouth and a half tsp. of sugar. D’USSÉ VSOP cognac (a new product in the US) is well balanced and suited to cocktailing as it is taken neat. It's dry and oaky with that round fruit flavor you expect from good cognac. 

• 2 oz. cognac (D’USSÉ VSOP used)
• 1/2 oz. sweet vermouth
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp sugar

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

French '75'

The original French '75' cocktail seems to have been intended to pack a major punch. You won't see it served in a highball glass like this in restaurants, mostly because this much cognac and champagne amounts to two expensive and potent drinks in one. Presumably no one would pay such a steep price for one drink, and bar guests would get fall-down-drunk pretty quick if these were served.

So make this one at home. It's still as refreshing as it was in New Orleans before prohibition hit, and it is just as intoxicating as ever now. Good cognac really amounts to a richer and more interesting drink, as does the use of quality champagne. Then you are really pushing this drink into a super deluxe category of cocktails. It might easily be possible to order a Remy Martin Louis XIII French '75' with a very rare vintage champagne and pay somewhere around $700 dollars for it. But Remy Martin Louis XV and cava will do just fine for me.

• 2 oz. of cognac
• 1 tbsp. sugar syrup
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• champagne or sparkling wine
• lemon twist

Combine cognac, lemon juice and sugar in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a highball glass full of fresh ice. Top with champagne and garnish with a lemon twist. 

London French '75'

This is the British version of the classic French '75.' The idea being that gin makes this champagne cocktail British while Cognac would be the spirit of the French originator. The London French '75' is the most popular of the two today as gin is far and away the crowd pleasing clear spirit at the dawn of the classic cocktails revival. Cognac is still the brown spirit that people know least about, except that old folks seem to like it in a snifter or with a scoop of ice cream. That's for another time, though.

The coupe glass is ideal for the French '75' drinks as it holds more liquor than a flute. And that's a good thing too. These old recipies call for 2 ounces of strong spirit, not the 3/4 oz. you'll find at bars today. Be careful when you make this one. It hits pretty hard.

• 2 oz. London dry gin
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• champagne or sparkling wine

Combine all ingredients except champagne in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled coupe or champagne glass. Fill with chilled champagne. 

Vieux Carre

The Vieux Carre is a classic New Orleans cocktail, a product of combining cognac available in the French quarter with American rye to make a strong mixed drink. This photo was taken at Fiola, a great Italian themed restaurant in the District.

• 1 1/2 oz. rye (Willet used)
• 1/2 oz. cognac (Remy Martin VSOP used)
• 1/2 oz. sweet vermouth (Dolin used)
• several dashes of Angostura bitters 
• several dashes of Peychauds bitters
• cherry

Combine all ingredients except cherry in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry.

Culross

Ok, so there's a village in Scotland with this drink's name and it's not a scotch drink. But more importantly there is an abbey in the village, so I'm thinking this one belongs to the "Monkish" category of Lillet and Dubonnet drinks along with the Abbey, Nightmare Abbey, Sanctuary, and Cloister (coming soon). Definitely do this one. A note on the garnish, I love how dried apricot tastes with apricot brandy cocktails, so if you have any Turkish apricots, garnish away.

• 2 oz. light rum
• 1/2 oz. apricot brandy
• 1/2 oz. Lillet blanc
• 1 tsp. lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Granville

This is a nice, light French cocktail that makes your dry gin taste a little wine-like. Not too pushy with its flavor, it will keep you from being lugubrious at a party.

• 2 oz. gin
• 1 tsp. Grand Marnier
• 1 tsp. Calvados
• 1 tsp. Lemon Juice

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

French Connection

Whilst in Mexico, I still had time to drink French cocktails. This one was simple for after dinner.

1 oz. amaretto liqueur
1 oz. cognac

Build this drink in a lowball glass filled with ice. Stir gently.