Martini (French)

The French Martini is the drink that helped to kick off the flavoured Martini craze of the ’90s. The cocktail was brought to prominence in NYC restauranteur Keith McNally’s Balthazar, where it appeared on the menu after being placed on the menu in one of his other establishments. It’s sweet and creamy due to the pineapple juice and Chambord black raspberry liqueur. The primary spirit is vodka, though sometimes rum is used instead. This recipe was created by venerable bartender Allen Katz and uses crème de cassis liqueur in lieu of Chambord. This imparts a deeper flavour from the currants that are a bit less sweet than raspberries. So this French Martini tends to be a little more spirit-forward and complex.

2 oz Absolut vodka
1¾ oz pineapple juice, freshly juiced
¼ oz crème de cassis liqueur

Add all the ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake.

Fine-strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Makes 1 serving.