French 75 Cocktail Recipes to Celebrate France ’24: Let’s Toast the Olympics Closing Ceremony in Style
Let’s raise a glass to toast the 2024 Olympic Games. I confess I am an unabashed Francophile ~ always have been.
From the Opening Ceremony spectacle ~ Lady Gaga, Celine Dion, Snoop Dog! and all those glamorous artful passions that celebrated all things French Culture ~ Fashion, Literature, Cinèma, Food and of course, Drink, it’s been quite the summer show.
And when I stop to think of French libations, Champagne and Wine naturally come to mind first.
So just in time for the closing ceremony, here’s my homage to the Olympics in France, with a take on what else? The French 75. Here are Delicious and très chic cocktail recipes and their glamorous garnishes.
Santé!
From my Art of the Garnish Cocktail book:
The color purple is often associated with royalty, nobility and luxury — and a scintilla of mystery…
So create a springtime, mind clearing – or mind-blowing – purple-hued cocktail composition utilizing the power of herbs and flowers — and a sorcerer’s wand for assured magic.
The herbs’ medicinal pedigree can spark the party’s cocktail conversation: learn how the anemone cures headaches, the violet is a cough and cancer remedy while it too calms the mind. Lavender helps purifies the mind.
The come-hither Creme de Violette liqueur possesses native Austrian wildflowers: Queen Charlotte — an anemone in the ranunculaceae family — and March Violets; fragrant and vibrant wildflowers that grow in the wind-swept alps (anemone is Greek for wind).
Purple Herbal Haze Cocktail
Ingredients:
2 -3 jiggers champagne – One of my newest champagne loves is Palmer ~ a family-owned vineyard. We have come to know the US representative and have very much enjoyed this spectacular champagne from Maison Palmer. Their Rosé Solera is perfect in this French 75.
Another good choice is Chandon Rosé’s color-coordinated look and the bottle’s Carol Lim Limited Edition purple and pink design revs-up the presentation.
1 jigger Creme de Violette
1 tbsp. Cognac You can also change out the cognac for gin ~ I created a cocktail honoring Elizabeth Taylor for a recent event, using the basics of Purple Haze, and, inspired by Ms. Taylor’s legendary violet eyes. Voila: Violet Eyes Cocktail using the very botanical Wölffer Estate Gin
Method
Combine ingredients in a flute glass, top with the Champagne and serve.
Garnish
Top with a sprig of fresh-cut lavender, perched on the glass rim, or a fresh blue fruit such as blueberry, blackberry.
You can tie curled purple ribbons onto a cocktail pick.
For the ultimate in purple herbal haze garnish, make sugar-coated, violets! The candied flowers are edible.
And as you can see, I gilded the garnish with a violet brooch to better hold the floral garnish and well, look more glamorous.
Recipe below for how to make the candied violets ~ or any edible flower garnish.
You can also mix up a Pink French 75 made with the Gin, Elderflower, a teaspoon of the fabulous, Francine’s Raspberry Coulis and lemon juice.
Garnish with a candied violet or pansy or a lemon twist.
And to celebrate this French 75, what better way than to serve with my hand-painted, watercolor French 75 Cocktail Napkins?
I created them to honor a very special guest, Toni Sabatino, a guest on my very first Ladies Who Lunch Conversations show where I have the privilege to interview the most inspiring women and share with our audience.
The sale of the napkins also benefits the Ladies’ charity of choice. A double win, n’est ce pas?
While I’m still in the process of changing/updating/migrating my blog, you can purchase the French 75 cocktail napkins on the “in-transition” blog. (wink)
The napkins come lovingly wrapped in an organza gift bag and tied with pretty ribbons.
Thank you for your kind consideration.
Candied Violet Garnish
Ingredients:
25-75 blossoms – depending on how many you want to have on hand. They keep very well in a tin lined with wax paper. You can use violets, pansy, Johnny-Jump-Ups, rose petals, borage nasturtiums, mint, and any edible flower.
1 beaten egg white – with a dash of vodka or lemon juice
Method:
Start by taking the blossoms from the violet’s stems (you can make a healthy tea from the stems).
Dip whole violet pansy flowers in a mixture of melted cane sugar, lemon juice or vodka, and egg-white and then drop them into cold water to “set hard” the sugar coating.
Alternatively, you can just dip the blossoms into the liquid and then dust with a superfine sugar coating. You can use a painters brush to reach those inside petal spots.
Set on rack or parchment paper to dry.
Additionally, you can coat the champagne glass which has been dipped in the sugar/lemon/egg white solution – to make a billowy-like “rim ribbon” on the flute.
Top with the candied blossom nestled on the rim or floating in the purple haze for a happy, calming, mindful cocktail experience!
The closing ceremony is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 11 at Stade de France just north of Paris. It’s expected to last until 5:15 p.m
Chin, Chin.
Here’s an NPR YouTube video of the Opening Ceremony.
