Day 34: French Connection

Hot Stuff Indeed

I’ve learned pretty much everything I know about interacting with people from movies and television.  Don’t misread me, I have a fancy book-learnin’ education, too, but it hasn’t done me as much good in understanding the world around me as Hollywood has.  There is no way that organic chemistry taught me as much about attraction as Hugh Grant’s oeuvre.  The only place my media education has let me down is adult films.  You would be surprised at how little those apply in daily life.

One thing I have learned is that you can’t spell romance without France.  You can’t spell fromance without France either, but that is hardly relevant.  I have never been to France, but as frequently as it comes up in romantic movies I know that it must have something to offer in this regard.  It seems like Paris is the place to be.  From Ronin to the Bourne Identity, the City of Light leads to love as long you are not killed by a car chase or an assassin.  Just calling something French gives it a certain cachet and sets the mood.  Thus we present the French Martini, the second drink in Romance Week.

Now Super Romantic

The French Martini is vodka and black raspberry liqueur, making it a duo. The most famous black raspberry liqueur is Chambord. Chambord is a product of France and that is what gives the French Martini its name.  We made our French Martini using Chateau Monet Liqueur Framboise, which is a product of Maine.  At least it has a French sounding name and a fleur-de-lis on the bottle.  We did use Grey Goose French vodka, so we still could legitimately call it a French Martini.   The drink is quite good.  The black raspberry and vodka create a smooth tasting and nice looking cocktail.  I detected a little bit of an off-note in the finish, but I am attributing that to the 10 year old off-brand liqueur. Frugality is a key weapon in the romantic arsenal.

This drink does well in the romance department.  It is a martini and martini = class. It tastes good, which is better than tasting bad.  It has 30% alcohol. It is French.  This will help you in most cases, but in some circles call it a Freedom Martini just to be safe.


Overall Rating for the French Martini

Taste: 4
Presentation: 4
Ease of Preparation: 4
Drinks Until Blackout: 4
Romance Score: 5

Ingredients

1.5 oz Vodka
1 oz Black Raspberry Liqueur