The French Martini

[The Hersch]

I asked for a french martini

Never having heard of a "French martini" until I saw this post, I Googled it. Apparently it's a drink made of vodka, Chambord raspberry liqueuer, and pineapple juice. I cannot imagine why that would be called a French martini, nor can I imagine wanting to drink it. A chacun son goût.

[Heather]

Never having heard of a "French martini" until I saw this post, I Googled it. Apparently it's a drink made of vodka, Chambord raspberry liqueuer, and pineapple juice. I cannot imagine why that would be called a French martini, nor can I imagine wanting to drink it. A chacun son goût.

That is not what arrives at your table if you order a "martini" in France.

[JLK]

If you check out my post from August (?) under Notti Bianche, you'll see I have an aunt who also orders French martinis. The order gets responses ranging from raised eyebrows to a roll of the eyes to a shrug. I have seen it enough (plus her dissatisfaction) to think that the only place one should order it is in one of those faux martini bars with 31 flavors. Just my two cents.

[Waitman]

Never having heard of a "French martini" until I saw this post, I Googled it. Apparently it's a drink made of vodka, Chambord raspberry liqueuer, and pineapple juice. I cannot imagine why that would be called a French martini, nor can I imagine wanting to drink it. A chacun son goût.

That is not what arrives at your table if you order a "martini" in France.

Indeed. When I order a Martini in France I tend to get dry Vermouth with a twist, served on the rocks -- ok, a rock, it is France -- in a highball glass. Probably a nouvelle apero popularized by the madmoiselles on Le Sexe dans La Ville and not part of the classic repertoire. Not that there don't seem to have been other, more substantive challenges with the services, what with getting the bums rush and all.

[Mark Slater]

That is not what arrives at your table if you order a "martini" in France.

Well, ya know, I go to France often enough, and a good Gin Martini before dinner has become my quest. I speak good French, so I can describe what I want. I have still been served: white vermouth with 2 drops of gin in a Tom Collins glass with one ice cube, a water glass full of gin with an equal amount of vermouth poured into it. Luckily, there a currently some bartenders in Europe who are aware of American predilictions. The Hotel Chateau Grand Barrail in St. Emilion has a Maitre d'/ Bartender who KNOWS what a "dry martini" means. The bartender at the Milan Marriot also does, but it takes 5 minutes to swirl the whole thing and serve it. The Marriot is on Via Giorgio Washington, by the way.

[NatK]

Never having heard of a "French martini" until I saw this post, I Googled it. Apparently it's a drink made of vodka, Chambord raspberry liqueuer, and pineapple juice. I cannot imagine why that would be called a French martini, nor can I imagine wanting to drink it. A chacun son goût.

Yes, that's it. I never got that though. What I did get was more of a dry Vermouth flavor. Gosh, this whole "french" thing is so misleading.

p.s. the larger the "muscles" the better

[Poivrot Farci]

When I order a Martini in France I tend to get dry Vermouth

“Martini” is a popular if not leading brand of dry vermouth over there, commonly associated with motorsport sponsorship. Martini & Rossi also produces Noilly Prat vermouth.

[Waitman]

Indeed. When I order a Martini in France I tend to get dry Vermouth with a twist, served on the rocks -- ok, a rock, it is France -- in a highball glass. Probably a nouvelle apero popularized by the madmoiselles on Le Sexe dans La Ville and not part of the classic repertoire. Not that there don't seem to have been other, more substantive challenges with the services, what with getting the bums rush and all.

"Martini" is a popular if not leading brand of dry vermouth over there, commonly associated with motorsport sponsorship. Martini & Rossi also produces Noilly Prat vermouth.

I'm not a moron, you know. Except after too many ('merricun) martinis.

Indeed, (as you likely know) among the many apocryphal stories purporting to explain the origin of what a friend of mine likes to call the "liquid Quaalude," several are rooted in the brand name of the vermouth, and ratio of vermouth to gin far higher than that favored by today's imbibers.

[dirtymartini]

Ah, the French Martini. Another jolly rodger/ life saver flavored hold out from the 90's. The only drink that says less about a persons pallate to me is if they order an apple martini. Why not just grain alchole and kool-aid?

[southdenverhoo]

Ah, the French Martini. Another jolly rodger/ life saver flavored hold out from the 90's. The only drink that says less about a persons pallate to me is if they order an apple martini. Why not just grain alchole and kool-aid?

As I am the husband of a French Martini drinker, and the stepfather of an "appletini" drinker, despite a number of non-verbal cues of almost no subtlety, issued by both myself and our various and sundry servers....you can not imagine the glee with which this post has been linked to the two e-mails upon which I just clicked "send"

[Heather]

Ah, the French Martini. Another jolly rodger/ life saver flavored hold out from the 90's.

Oh, snap.

I wondered how and why it became a "French" martini. From The Art of Drink blog:

The French Martini was created by the Chambord liqueur company for a world wide promotion. It seems to have worked, and the cocktail is now quite popular. This is what liqueur and spirit companies need to do when creating cocktails. Most spirit companies just take the name of their product and apply it to a long list of classic cocktails. That’s just so boring and unimaginative. But is Chambord’s case, they created a popular cocktail that is original and tied to the product. This is good marketing.

Yeah, good marketing.

[dirtymartini]

Instead, a French 75. One ounce gin, half ounce lemon juice(or juice from 1/2 lemon but, please, only fresh juice), teaspoon of sugar.Mix over ice, pour into champagne flute and top with champagne. Named for the 75mm cannons used by the French during WW 1.

[porcupine]

Here's another French invention .

[DaveO]

On 10/23/2007 at 4:55 PM, The Hersch said:

Never having heard of a "French martini" until I saw this post, I Googled it. Apparently it's a drink made of vodka, Chambord raspberry liqueuer, and pineapple juice. I cannot imagine why that would be called a French martini, nor can I imagine wanting to drink it. A chacun son goût.

 

On 10/24/2007 at 5:54 PM, southdenverhoo said:

As I am the husband of a French Martini drinker, and the stepfather of an "appletini" drinker, despite a number of non-verbal cues of almost no subtlety, issued by both myself and our various and sundry servers....you can not imagine the glee with which this post has been linked to the two e-mails upon which I just clicked "send"

 

On 10/24/2007 at 8:37 PM, Heather said:

Oh, snap.

I wondered how and why it became a "French" martini. From The Art of Drink blog:

Yeah, good marketing.

Quote

The key ingredient in this cocktails is Chambord, which is made from black raspberries, honey, vanilla and some herbs. Chambord has been made for about 300 years in France (since 1685) and is a sweet, but tasty liqueur. Chambord is all natural, unlike other synthetically flavour liqueurs and is a very versatile liqueur in cocktails. It is relatively light in alcohol strength, at 23%, and has a retail price, for a 750ml bottle, of $38 CDN ($30US).

The French Martini was created by the Chambord liqueur company for a world wide promotion. It seems to have worked, and the cocktail is now quite popular. This is what liqueur and spirit companies need to do when creating cocktails. Most spirit companies just take the name of their product and apply it to a long list of classic cocktails. That’s just so boring and unimaginative. But is Chambord’s case, they created a popular cocktail that is original and tied to the product. This is good marketing.

French Martini
2 oz Vodka
½ oz Chambord
2 ½ oz Pineapple Juice

Having just seen this old thread, I rather enjoy chambord and cocktails with it.  The above story sounds perfectly reasonable as to the name and how it gained popularity.   I bet in today's craft cocktail environment there are endless variations of this drink using both vodka, chambord, and any other mixers, all described with compelling descriptions.  While its been a while since I had one I enjoyed them with sprite or a similar bubbly mixer.  I can only imagine whatever its called at a craft bar many of those that enjoy it would call it "balanced", a favorite and endlessly used phrase.  I favored them because of the chambord component and adding a liqueur to vodka always ups the alcohol content...a worthwhile endeavor.