French Cognac

The French habit of drinking an apéritif before a big dinner is not unique to France. However, even though many other countries often practice a similar tradition, the French have certainly refined the art of apéritif to a culture of its own. The basic idea of an apéritif is that it is a small, alcoholic drink that is consumed as an appetizer before a larger dinner. The apéritif was originally designed to make diners hungrier and stimulate the senses to prepare to enjoy all that is to come. In a typical French apéritif, the alcohol is served along with a small food snack such as olives, peanuts, chips, bread and cheese or pâté. A wide variety of different alcohols can be enjoyed for an apéritif including: whisky, cognac, vodka, bourbon, sangria, any type of French wine and even champagne.

Pastis is a special apéritif that is enjoyed in the southern part of France. It is a liquor that is anise-based and tastes somewhat like Greek ouzo. When the French are about to enjoy an apéritif of pastis, they place it in a tall glass and dilute the liquor 1:5. A sophisticated way to ready your pastis for drinking is to drizzle the water over sugar cubes that are placed on a slotted absinthe spoon. When you add water you will notice an interesting change in color. The pastis goes from yellow to an opaque white when it mixes with water. Not suprisingly, pastis is related to absinthe both in its composition and tradition. If you are interested in buying pastis in France, the most common brands are Pernard, Ricard and Pastis 51.

Kir is another popular apéritif that is widely enjoyed in France. There are several variations, but the basic recipe for kir is to mix a black currant liquer called crème de cassis with wine. Kir vin blanc is the most common variety and least expensive type of kir. It is created by combining crème de cassis with white wine. For a step up, the French like to make a kir royal with champagne. These are more upscale and provide a much different taste because of the fizzy bubbles in the champagne. For those who enjoy the texture of a kir royal, but don't want to go all out for champagne, the same result can be achieved by mixing sparkling wine with crème de cassis.

In the Burgundy region of France, they like to drink kir bourgogne which is made with red wine. Drinking kir bourgogne is a completely different taste and experience than kir royal or kir vin blanc. Normandy also mixes up a kir variation that they call kir normand. This flavor is more intense and refreshing as the drink combines the crème de cassis with cider and a splash of Normandy's famous apple brandy called Calvados.

No study of French apéritifs would be complete without mentioning cognac, the French brandy from the region that shares its name that is now famous around the world. It is said that classical author Victor Hugo called cognac the veritable nectar of the gods. To be considered cognac, the spirit must be brewed from at least 90% either ugni blanc, folle blanche, or colombard grapes that are grown in the Cognac region. The rest of the liquid could be gleaned from a handful of other types of grapes that are native to the region. Cognac is distilled twice in copper barrels and then left to age in oak casks for at least two years to reach the perfect potency.

When you try a French apéritif for the first time, it won't matter what type of alcohol or snacks you consume. You will enjoy the rich tradition of whetting your appetite in anticipation of the glorious meal that is soon to come.