French Martini
A silky vodka cocktail with raspberry liqueur and pineapple juice, sparkling with foam and freshness.
Ingredients
- Vodka, cool and clean40 ml
- Raspberry liqueure.g. Chambord20 ml
- Pineapple juice, preferably freshly pressed40 ml
- Raspberry, for garnish (optional)1 whole
Method
- Chill a martini glass in the freezer or with ice water.
- Fill a shaker halfway with ice cubes.
- Pour in the vodka, raspberry liqueur and pineapple juice.
- Shake hard for 15–20 seconds, until the surface becomes like whipped cream.
- Strain the drink through a fine-mesh strainer into the cold glass.
- Garnish with a fresh raspberry and serve at once.
About this drink
The French Martini was created in 1980s New York, where the house of Chambord promoted its raspberry liqueur in bars across the city. It quickly became a symbol of the period’s love of colourful, fruity cocktails served in an elegant martini glass. Its characteristic cap of foam comes from pineapple juice’s natural proteins, whipped up by vigorous shaking.
Questions and answers
Why is a French Martini so foamy?
Pineapple juice’s natural enzymes and sugars form a lovely creamy layer of foam when shaken hard with vodka and raspberry liqueur. No egg white is needed.
Is there an alternative to Chambord?
Any good raspberry liqueur works, but Chambord’s deep, slightly honeyed sweetness is what many associate with the original drink.
