The recipe
for your table
Add all ingredients with plenty of ice to a shaker.
Shake extra hard for 15 seconds - the pineapple juice should foam.
Double strain into a chilled martini glass.
Garnish with a fresh raspberry or a small wedge of pineapple.
The story
The French Martini originated in the eighties in the New York bars of hospitality entrepreneur Keith McNally and became a signature drink at his famous brasserie Balthazar. 'French' refers to Chambord, the royal raspberry liqueur from the Loire Valley that has been made since the seventeenth century. During the martini craze of the nineties, the cocktail grew into a global star. The secret lies in the pineapple juice: shaking it hard creates a natural, silky layer of foam without egg white.
The right glass
The French Martini shines in a classic martini glass: the sleek V-shape beautifully sets off the deep pink color and light layer of foam. A generous 21 to 26 cl glass gives the foam room to develop. A coupe also works wonderfully if you are looking for a softer, vintage look. In either case, make sure the glass is well chilled. If you prefer a slightly smaller stemmed glass, take a look at our coupette glasses.
Royal Leerdam Cocktail Martini Glass 26 cl (4 pieces)
RCR Timeless Martini Glass 21 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets — together € 62,90.
The right tools
For a French Martini, besides the glass, you need a shaker, a jigger for precise measuring, and a fine strainer for double-straining. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glassware set (our choice 01) + 3 bar tools - together € 62,80.
Variations & twists
A splash of lemon juice makes it less sweet and a little more exciting. Replace the Chambord with crème de cassis for a darker berry profile. For a festive version, top it with a finger of champagne - then it falls somewhere between a French Martini and a Kir Royal. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Use pineapple juice from a freshly opened carton or freshly pressed - the foam comes from the fibers and proteins in the juice. The harder you shake, the better the foam cap.
The ratio and why it foams
Four centiliters of vodka, 1.5 cl Chambord, and 4 cl pineapple juice: the vodka and juice are equal, while the liqueur is the smallest component. The foam comes entirely from the pineapple juice. Pineapple naturally contains proteins and fine fibers that hold air when shaken hard, exactly as egg white does. The condition is that the juice is fresh or comes from a freshly opened carton; a carton that has been open for three days foams noticeably less. Shake extra hard for fifteen seconds, harder than with an ordinary cocktail, and then double-strain.
Chambord or an alternative
Chambord is a raspberry liqueur from the Loire Valley with vanilla and spices, and you can taste that complexity. A regular raspberry liqueur works fine but is often sweeter and flatter, so reduce it to 1 cl. Crème de cassis gives a darker, earthier berry profile and makes the cocktail deeper in color. What does not work is raspberry syrup, because it lacks the alcohol that provides body, making the whole drink feel thin. If you only have syrup, add an extra half centiliter of vodka to partly make up for the difference.
French Martini of French 75
The word French is about the only thing they share. The French Martini originated in New York in the 1980s and is made with vodka, Chambord, and pineapple juice, shaken until it forms a silky collar in a martini glass. The French 75 dates back to Paris around the First World War and combines gin, lemon juice, and sugar syrup with champagne in a flute. The first is fruity, smooth, and around 15 percent ABV; the second is dry, sharp, and sparkling. Pour them side by side and you immediately see that only the name is similar.
Alcohol-free French Martini
This cocktail is well suited to a 0.0 version, because the pineapple juice creates the foam, not the alcohol. Use 4 cl alcohol-free vodka, 1.5 cl raspberry syrup, and 4 cl pineapple juice. Add half a centiliter of lemon juice, because without alcohol the drink lacks sharpness and quickly becomes too sweet. Shake hard with plenty of ice for fifteen seconds; the collar forms just as well. Serve in a well-chilled martini glass with a fresh raspberry, because with this cocktail, presentation is half the experience.
Frequently asked questions
What is a French Martini made of?
Made with 4 cl vodka, 1.5 cl Chambord raspberry liqueur, and 4 cl pineapple juice, shaken hard and garnished with a fresh raspberry or a small piece of pineapple. Despite the name, it contains no vermouth: it is a martini in shape and glass, not in recipe.
What is the difference between a French 75 and a French Martini?
The names are the only thing they have in common. A French 75 is gin with lemon, sugar syrup, and champagne in a flute; a French Martini is vodka with raspberry liqueur and pineapple juice in a martini glass. The first is dry and sparkling, while the second is fruity with a creamy foam collar.
Why does a French Martini foam?
That is because of the pineapple juice. The fibers and proteins in it foam up into a silky collar when shaken hard, without any egg white. Use juice from a freshly opened carton or freshly squeezed juice, because old pineapple juice hardly foams anymore.
What glass do you serve a French Martini in?
In a well-chilled martini glass of 21 to 26 cl. The sleek V-shape sets off the deep pink color against the light foam layer and gives that collar room to form. A coupe also works, with a softer vintage look: see our martini glasses.
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