When it comes to wine and a host of refreshing alcoholic beverages, French surpasses everyone else. Being at the zenith in wine production, France is indeed versatile as it has a whole lot of unique cocktails to offer. Lemon, grapes, as well as several herbal plants, serve as the primary ingredients for most of the drinks. Read on to know the list of some of the famous alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages of France.
What is it: A sought-after cocktail, prepared by blending Cognac (a typical brandy named after the French town of Cognac) and Amaretto (an Italian wine sweet to taste). It derives its name from Gene Hackman’s film having the same name.
What does it taste like: The sweetness of amaretto teamed with the warm and smooth flavor of Cognac gives it an increasingly unique taste.
What is it: A refreshing vodka prepared from distilled grapes and vanilla flavors. It is a portmanteau of the French word cime Roche where cime stands for a summit, and Roche means rock, perhaps because of the increased height where the vineyards are situated.
What does it taste like: The sweetness of grapes and aromatic flavor of vanilla makes this an excellent drink altogether.
What is it: A sought-after cocktail, gin, lemon juice, sugar, and champagne are its main ingredients. Alternatively referred to as 75 Cocktail or Soixante Quinze, it was introduced as early as the First World War, with its early form created at Paris’ New York Bar. The drink produced such a tremendous effect that many started comparing it to the French 75 mm field gun.
What does it taste like: The strong taste of gin and the sour flavor of lemon juice and champagne give it a perfectly refreshing flavor.
What is it: An anise-flavored drink containing a little amount of sugar, licorice root, and 40 -45% of alcohol. Paul Ricard, the French industrialist, popularized this drink in1932.While serving, it is mostly diluted with water (5 part water for 1 part anise), though some may prefer it neat.
What does it taste like: Besides the strong alcoholic flavor, the sweetness of anise and licorice makes it an irresistible beverage mostly served on the rocks.
What is it: A refreshing nonalcoholic drink made from fresh lemon juice, ice cubes, sweetener, and water.
What does it taste like: It might be exceptionally sweet or too sour. The reason being the components served separately, left for the concerned person to blend them as per his choice.
What is it: A pretty pink alcoholic beverage prepared blending Chambord liqueur (a raspberry liqueur) alongside pineapple juice as well as vodka.
What does it taste like: It has a sweet taste, serving as a perfect Valentine’s Day drink.
What is it: A distilled alcoholic drink originated in Switzerland, and its production began in France during the 19th century. Besides green anise, the other components that went into its making included sweet fennel as well as other culinary and medicinal herbs. Its popularity in the latter part of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century was so intense that it became an integral part of the bohemian culture. James Joyce, Van Gogh, and Ernest Hemingway were some of the eminent personalities who consumed it. The United States and certain European countries banned it by 1915. Post its revival in 1990 restrictions were imposed on the thujone content
What does it taste like: It has a strong and intoxicating flavor with a tinge of bitterness.
What is it: A French soft drink of lemon flavor created by the brand Perrier in 1971, purchased by Cadbury Schweppes in the year 1989.
What does it taste like: Lemony and tart, giving you a refreshing feel in the warm summers.
What is it: A refreshing cocktail having champagne, gin, elderflower liqueur, and lemon juice as its main components, garnished with a pretty lemon twist.
What does it taste like: A sweet and warm taste, while the presence of lemon gives it a tangy flavor.
What is it: A fantastic drink made with vodka, lemon juice, champagne, and sugar syrup.
What does it taste like: The variety of components gives it a sweet and sour taste altogether.
What is it: A romantic beverage invented about 2000 years back in the mountainous terrain of Southeastern France by the monks of Carthusia. Mint leaves along with lemon juice go into the making of this sizzling drink.
What does it taste like: Strong in taste, its flavor varies from sweet to spicy.
What is it: A famous cocktail made using two parts of gin, one part lime juice as well as soda. The variations of this drink are vodka gimlet and daquiri, having vodka and rum, respectively, as their prime ingredients.
What does it taste: A sweet cocktail with lemon and soda adding to its tanginess and freshness.
What is it: An alcoholic drink and a type of mead prepared by fermenting honey with water. The buckwheat honey goes into the preparation of chouchen, giving it an intense hue and distinct flavor. In ancient times, it was said to be an intoxicating drink prepared from honeycombs. The person drinking would not wake before three days and would also have an intense headache after getting up from sleep.In ancient times, it was said to be an intoxicating drink prepared from honeycombs. The person drinking would not wake before three days and would also have an intense headache after getting up from sleep.
What does it taste like: Sweet and soothing, mostly had chilled but not with ice. Serving as an excellent digestive drink, it often teams with a platter of seafood.
What is it: A beverage made from fermented pears, popular in the Anjou and Normandy region of France.
What does it taste like: Sweet and juicy since pears is its main ingredient.
What is it: An orange-flavored liqueur popularized in France’s Saint-Barthélemy-d’Anjou region. The formation of the Cointreau distillery dates back to 1849. The production process remains a secret, with even photography restricted in the area of its preparation. Besides being had neat, this beverage is an integral part of a host of cocktails.
What does it taste like: Mostly consumed all over France during Christmas, Cointreau is sweet, with the taste of orange and orange oil being prominent.
With a host of such refreshing alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, you would perhaps keep all of them in your bucket list on your next visit to France.
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