Fleur Noir Cocktail

You know that feeling when something keeps popping up in your life, and you start wondering if the universe is trying to tell you something? That’s exactly what happened with me and the French Martini.

A French Martini is a mix of vodka, Chambord (that beautifully rich French black-raspberry liqueur), and pineapple juice. It’s cut from the same cloth as a Cosmo – fruity, fun, and a darling of the ‘80s cocktail scene – but it never quite reached Cosmo-level fame. While Chambord is decidedly French, pineapples, not so much (unless we’re counting French Polynesia, where they do grow them). Pineapple juice adds a touch of acidity and a frothy top when shaken, which gives the drink its signature look.

After seeing it many places, I finally caved and from Brandon, the bartender, who confidently told me that vanilla vodka was the ‘game changer’ in this drink. He wasn’t wrong – it made the drink smoother – but it also pushed the sweetness over the edge for me.

Since I do love Chambord, I turned to ChatGPT for some creative alternatives and landed on this variation. The name? Also a team effort. ‘Fleur’ (French for ‘flower’) comes from the St. Germain, which is made from elderflowers harvested in the foothills of the French Alps. ‘Noir’ (French for ‘black’) is a nod to the black raspberries in Chambord.

Of course, I needed a taste tester, so I enlisted my friend, Lauren M – yes, the same Lauren behind Lauren’s Cosmo. We both enjoyed it. The Chambord and St. Germain play nicely together with the vodka (in keeping with the French theme, I used Grey Goose), and the lemon juice brings just the right hit of acidity to balance everything out. Fleur Noir is officially in the rotation.