A playful twist on the contemporary classic, the French Martini. Our long-standing signature has been a popular favourite for many years.
If you’d like to look at another of our cocktails, the Rosa Colada click here!
The French Martini
If you’ve worked behind the stick of any cocktail bar then you’ve likely made a great deal of these fluffy numbers! They’re popular for a reason, the simple blend of neutral alcohol, soft foamy pineapple juice and sweet fruit liqueur is approachable to most palates.
Unlike its namesake, the French Martini has no rich history or multiple origin stories. Mainly, because the original Martini has that covered! Just like the espresso martini, the name ‘martini’ had become synonymous with the style of glass rather than indicating It was blended with vermouth as it had during its original incarnation.
This version of the ‘martini’ was popularised during the ’80s/90’s when vodka was king, especially in the Keith McNally ‘downtown’ bars of New York. The focus was on dominant flavours or a ‘modifier’ attached to the base spirit supporting the cocktail rather than embracing the taste of the alcohol itself. The main flavour, in this case, was Chambord, who had launched a huge marketing campaign using the French Martini as its vehicle. Liqueurs had historically become a staple of the bar throughout prohibition to cover up the poor quality of alcohol during this time. Now, they captured fruit flavours and vibrant colours in the worlds top bars at the beginning of the cocktail renaissance.
At Smokestack, we try to keep close to the approachable nature of the original. Adding vanilla vodka to further this and serving with toasted marshmallows to increase the decadent nature of the cocktail.
French Martinilla
- Cariel Vanilla Vodka
- Briottet raspberry liqueur
- Pineapple juice
- Champagne Acid*
Shake all ingredients and fine strain into a coupette.
Garnish with a toasted marshmallow.
*A blend of artificial acids to add balance