I don’t normally base my cocktail ideas off of what pop stars are drinking, but when I heard that Taylor Swift was a fan of the French Blonde, a drink made with fresh grapefruit juice, Lillet Blanc and St-Germain liqueur, among other ingredients I was more than happy to mix one up at home. The drink features gin (one of my favorites) and Lillet, an apéritif made with a base of Bordeaux wine and macerations of sweet and bitter orange peels, cinchona bark and other ingredients chosen for their aromatic qualities. I’d heard of it before, but this was my first time working with it at my home bar.
The French Blonde is a balanced and delicious drink.
A French Blonde is a citrusy (and not too sweet) cocktail that is great in any season but can definitely brighten up the winter. You don’t have to be a Swiftie to enjoy it, and after making one at home, I’m definitely a fan. This drink contains several different ingredients, so a little legwork is involved in procuring the spirits, but I promise it’s worth it.
Ready to make a French Blonde for tonight’s game (or whenever)? Here’s what you need:
Everything you need to make a French Blonde.
French Blonde
Ingredients
Method
Note: many recipes for this drink call for lemon bitters, but I used a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice, and it was great! I’ve long been a fan of St-Germain elderflower liqueur but as I said, this was my first experiment with Lillet and now I’m excited to make more drinks using it. Maybe next I’ll try making a Lillet Spritz with the liqueur plus club soda, with an orange slice for garnish. There’s also Lillet Rosé, a light bodied, pretty -in-pink version of the apéritif and Lillet Rouge which features ripe dark fruits and a more robust structure.
