Now being served: French Kiss

Who doesn’t love fun cocktails?

And if they’re pretty, all the better.

A deliciously rich concoction, the French Kiss gets its name from the featured liqueur, Chambord. Chambord is a blend of blackberries, raspberries, black raspberries, black currants, Madagascar vanilla, and French cognac.

While a relatively new iteration of the spirit, Chambord’s origins date back to the time leading up to the French Revolution in the late 17th century. It was said when King Louis XIV visited the Château de Chambord in France’s famed Loire Valley, he was served a liqueur made from raspberries that grew in the region. It wasn’t until 1982 that the modern day version was introduced. The Chambord brand is distilled in the French province of the same name.

The French Kiss is a beautiful drink, light milky pink in color, thanks to the raspberry liqueur, and topped with mounds of fluffy whipped cream. It has a lovely berry undertone, with just the right amount of sweetness, finishing with a faint, tart nip. The berry plays perfectly off of the chocolatey crème de cacao.

A couple of notes about the alcohol:

• The Chambord is a bit more expensive, but a little goes a long way, and this recipe doesn’t call for much.
• Although the original recipe called for dark crème de cacao, light was used in this. It’s completely a taste preference. (The dark variety is less sweet than the light variety.)
• There aren’t any overly strong flavors to distract from the clean taste of the vodka, so it’s better to use a higher end brand for this particular drink. A French Kiss is comparable to a martini, you can taste each of the ingredients quite clearly. Less expensive brands will lend themselves better to blending in a cocktail such as a Velvet Hammer.

A martini glass is the perfect size.

This glass is from Ralph Lauren Home, but is no longer available. You can find a similar Classic Martini Glass at Crate&Barrel.

Because of the beautiful presentation of the French Kiss, it would be ideal to serve at a holiday party, or girls’ night. Of course, you can always simply enjoy it for a quiet evening at home.

Santé!

[Credit for the original recipe from which this was adapted: sheknows(.)com, although it is no longer searchable.]

Have you ever used Chambord in a drink recipe? Let me know about it in the comments.