Cocktails Français: L’art De L’apéritif by LINDA GARSON photography by INGRID KUENZEL
In Canada we tend to celebrate the end of a busy day with happy hour, a chance to unwind with friends before going home or out to dinner. But in Europe, dinner is generally later and people linger over aperitifs (from the Latin aperire, meaning ‘to open’) before their meal to celebrate the start of the evening.
It’s a different mind-set but both work for us, so we asked two Alberta mixologists to create French cocktails that we can make at home, to enjoy after the bustle of the day and prepare for relaxation in the evening.
Chef David Omar ZINC, Edmonton
Zinc’s French Mystery cocktail is light, bright, and fresh, to stimulate your appetite for dinner. It is made with Grey Goose, a premium, luxury French vodka that is still overseen from field to bottle by its creator, François Thibault. “For those who have not yet had Grey Goose, this is the drink to have your first experience with,” says Zinc’s chef, David Omar. “They start with their own wheat mill, and it is blended with limestone filtered waters from the Cognac region to give a clean, smooth taste.” Chef Omar adds St. Germain, an elderberry flower liquor, to his cocktail. “This adds a delicate blend of citrus and pear,” he says. “The combination of the two ingredients is then paired with fresh squeezed grapefruit and rosemary to add more levels of flavour to an already delicate and delicious cocktail.”
French Mystery
1 oz Grey Goose 1 oz St Germain Splash of fresh squeezed grapefruit juice Pinch of rosemary
Combine all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker, add ice and shake well to combine the flavours. Strain and pour into a martini glass.
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