Bartending 101 - Quick ‘n’ Easy French Martinis

With only three ingredients, the French Martini is probably one of the simplest drinks I've put up here, but done well it’s a beautiful cocktail. With the wrong balance, it can be very juicy with little punch, but with the right ratio and a bit of love it should be rich, fruity, with a thick Yop-like consistency (read: Yop is a yoghurt drink for kids that any good Northern Ireland child be happy to find in their lunchbox). You want a good aount of vodka so you actually taste it, with little liqueur and slighty more pineapple juice than both to bring the thickness and sweetness out.

Recipe

35ml Absolut vodka or similar

15ml Chambord or Creme de cassis

60ml pineapple juice

pinch salt

Method

Shake all ingredients thoroughly, double shaking if neccesary to build a really good foam on the drink. Cocktail should pour with a slightly thick quality, somewhat akin to a smoothie. Garnish is optional, it‘s a good looking drink as is, but a wee strawberry heart or a splash of peychaud (the red one) bitters gives it a lovely wee finish.

Advanced Tip - Bitters Art

Drop a few splashes of bitters around the middle of the foam as soon as the drink is poured, and use a toothpick or fine straw to twirl the bitters around. Play around to develop you own style.