The 2 Fruity Beverages That Mix With Vodka To Make A Bougie French Martini

The first thing you should know about a French martini is that it is not a martini at all, and it's only a little bit French. But with its raspberry Chambord and (decidedly not French) pineapple, it's delicious, bright enough for warm weather days, and light enough for brunch. Perhaps it can be forgiven for not going by something more accurate but less appealing, like "raspberry pineapple vodka cocktail."

Making the drink is as simple as adhering to the aforementioned clunky version of the name. All it takes is 2 ounces of your favorite vodka, ¾ ounce Chambord, and 1½ ounces of pineapple juice combined with ice in a cocktail shaker, which is then chilled and strained into an equally cold coupe glass. With a traditional martini, it's advisable to stir the drink instead of shaking. But as this martini is an impostor (and includes fruit juice), you should absolutely shake the heck out of it. The pineapple juice doesn't just add a tangy tropical note, but also a luxurious creamy mouthfeel after frothing from the shaken ice. Garnish with a fresh raspberry, or a slice of pineapple, a mint leaf, or go maximalist with all three.

As elegant as the French martini is, a true martini is even simpler: dry vermouth and gin or vodka. That's it. So how does this berry and pineapple creation claim to be related?

As cocktail culture was just beginning to claw its way out of the post-prohibition dark ages, American bartenders were rather inclined to entice customers to try new drinks by flaunting their sophistication. Any beverage served in a 007-approved triangular martini glass would be given the "-tini" suffix or dubbed a martini, including the French martini when renowned mixologist Dale DeGroff first put it on the menu at NYC's Pravda in 1996. Perhaps you've met its cousins, the espresso martini, appletini, or maybe even the pornstar martini.

Despite its misnomer, the French martini exploded in popularity once it was put on the menu at Pravda's legendary sister restaurant, Balthazar, where it remains on the menu to this day, albeit with some slight changes to the recipe. The Frenchness is amped up with the specification of Grey Goose Vodka, and the Chambord has been replaced with Lejay Créme de Cassis blackberry liqueur. It makes a terrific pairing with the brasserie's renowned french fries.

You can take a page from Balthazar and make your own changes to the French martini at home. Vodka practically tastes like nothing, and raspberry and pineapple pair with just about anything. Riff to your heart's content. If you find the drink to lack acidity, you can squeeze in some lemon juice. If you'd like it sweeter, adjust the ratio of juice and Chambord to vodka. Want more froth than the pineapple provides? Throw in an egg white. You can swap the vodka for just about any spirit of your choice. And if you make enough changes to the recipe, you can make up an entirely new name for the concoction. Maybe a YOUR-NAME-HERE-tini?