I thought I would explore the French Martini - of course as a tribute to the weekend wedding of French President Nicholas Sarkozy. Kind of quick, huh Nicky? Ah, Le Joie de Vivre…I really happen to like this guy. He makes me want to go to Paris and kiss strange men with berets at the Eiffel Tower - with Nicky, I feel…French…(said with a French accent like Charles Boyer) Mais, bien sur! (Translation in English - But, of Course!)

Anyway, I happen to really dig this martini and have it often. It is a little sweet, but I have given several variations on the same one, just so you can make them all and then determine which is the best for you.

French Martini

1 1/2 oz vodka
1/4 oz Chambord® raspberry liqueur
1/4 oz fresh pineapple juice
1 twist lemon peel

Pour each of the above into a martini shaker or tall bar glass. Shake with ice, pour into a cocktail or martini glass, and serve. I like to serve it with a bigger slice of lemon and smear it all over the glass and the rim. I love shaking it, because the pineapple juice makes it all foamy and cool.

Here’s another one:

2 oz Vodka
½ oz Chambord
2 ½ oz Pineapple Juice

Back a shaker full of ice and add all ingredients. Shake or stir. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Chambord Liquer

The key ingredient in this cocktail is that wonderful raspberry liquer, Chambord, made with the finest raspberries and blackberries, honey, Madagascar vanilla, Moroccan citrus peel, and cognac. Chambord® has been made for about 300 years in France (since 1685) and is a sweet, but very tasty liqueur. Chambord is all natural, unlike other synthetical liqueurs and is very versatile in many cocktails, as the upcoming Martini Monday posts will show.

Chambord was introduced to King Louis XIV in the Loire Valley where it originated on one of his journeys to the Chateau de Chambord in the 17th century.

The French Martini was created by the Chambord liqueur company for a world wide promotion, with Finlandia vodka. It has been well received and seems to be doing quite well since the release as world wide promotion several years ago. Use your favorite vodka, I tend to use Stoli and Ketel One for my mixing cocktails.

The actual recipe from the Chambord company website (as tedious and Over Flashed-out as it is) is as follows:

1 1/2 parts Finlandia vodka
1/2 part Chambord®
1/2 part pineapple juice
Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a martini glass.

Martini Video of the Week

Since my good friend Marji Macy has been kind enough to give us some awesome martini comments and recipes on these posts, I am dedicating this video to her and her hubby, the famed Doctor of Mixology, Dr. Frank Macy: