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Cool down with these summer cocktails featuring French flair

Put something with a French twist in your festive glass

French 75 cocktail in the spotlight
robert84ak / Pixabay

Summer is full of excuses for a great cocktail recipe. From graduations and holidays to lazy summer hangs and al fresco dining experiences, there’s a lot to raise a glass to. And if you need one more ounce of persuasion, there’s Bastille Day.

The French holiday lands on Monday and in preparation, we’ve rounded up some fitting cocktails from some French brands. So, whether you’re European or not, we’ve got something for you to mix up. Sometimes, you just need a fine beverage for a summer weekday.

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Courvoisier and Lemondade

Courvoisier and Lemonade.
Courvousier

Consider this a grown-up version of lemonade for the dog days and weekends of summer.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 parts Courvousier
  • 3/4 part lemon juice
  • 1/2 part simple syrup
  • Top with soda

Method:

  1. Shake all ingredients except for soda in a tin and strain into a Collins glass.
  2. Top with soda and garnish with lemon wheel.

The Grand Margarita

The Grand Margarita.
Grand Marnier

A Margarita given the French treatment? You bet. This recipe hops across the pond to the Mediterranean in style.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 parts tequila
  • 3/4 part Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge
  • 3/4 part fresh lime juice
  • 1/4 part agave nectar
  • Lime wheel and salt for garnish

Method:

  1. Fill a wide, shallow dish with 2-3 mm of fine salt.
  2. Cut a lime in half at the width and rub around half the rim of the Margarita glass. Cut a thin, crosswise slice from one of the lime halves as a finishing garnish.
  3. Holding glass upside down, dip the wet rim delicately into the salt.
  4. Pour ingredients into a shaker, add ice to both glass and shaker, shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Strain drink into glass and add garnish.

The Manual is home to all kinds of great food and beverage content. Check out our sibling features on the best French cocktails and how to make a fine French 75 cocktail. Santé!

Mark Stock is a writer from Portland, Oregon. He fell into wine during the Recession and has been fixated on the stuff since… Read Full Bio
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