French Martini
Vodka, raspberry liqueur and pineapple juice, shaken to a foam. Keith McNally's 1996 New York invention, and the best of the 1990s 'Martinis'.
Built to the standard modern spec; not yet tested in our kitchen. How we test.
The recipe.
Scaling adjusts quantities only. Prepare shaken drinks in individual portions.
Let’s make a good drink.
Chill a coupe or martini glass.
Add the vodka, raspberry liqueur and pineapple juice to a shaker.
Fill with ice and shake very hard for 12 to 15 seconds — the foam comes from the shake.
Double strain into the chilled glass and float a raspberry on the foam.
A thoughtful finish
- Shake it harder and longer than you think. Pineapple juice foams when aerated, and the thick white head is the drink's signature.
- Fresh pineapple juice foams more and tastes brighter; carton juice works but is sweeter.
- Keep the liqueur to half an ounce. More and it becomes a raspberry sweet.
Common mistakes
- A short, lazy shake that produces no foam.
- Doubling the raspberry liqueur for colour. The drink should be pale pink, not purple.
- Adding simple syrup. The liqueur and the juice are sweet enough.
A few good questions.
Is a French Martini a Martini?
No. It is a vodka, raspberry and pineapple sour in a stemmed glass. 'Martini' on a 1990s menu meant the glass.
What is Chambord?
A French black-raspberry liqueur from the Loire, around 16% ABV, sweetened with honey and vanilla. Any raspberry liqueur works; Chambord is the original.
Why does it foam?
Pineapple juice contains proteins and enzymes that whip into a foam when shaken hard, the same way egg white does. No egg is needed.
Can I use gin?
Yes — gin, raspberry liqueur and pineapple is a brighter drink, and arguably a better one.
Variations
- Pornstar Martini — Vanilla vodka, passion fruit and prosecco.
- Cosmopolitan — Citrus vodka, lime, orange liqueur and cranberry.
- Espresso Martini — Vodka, coffee liqueur and espresso.
- Clover Club — Gin, lemon, raspberry and egg white.
Where it comes from
1996 · New York City · Keith McNally · Pravda / Balthazar
The French Martini was created at Keith McNally’s bar Pravda in SoHo around 1996 and became famous at his restaurant Balthazar, which opened the following year. ‘French’ refers to the raspberry liqueur, Chambord, which is made in the Loire; nothing else about the drink is French and nothing about it is a Martini. It was the defining drink of the late-1990s stemmed-glass boom and, unlike most of its contemporaries, it is genuinely good — the pineapple juice shakes to a thick foam and the raspberry liqueur is a seasoning rather than a syrup. London bars adopted it immediately and it is still on menus there thirty years on.
Sources
- Robert Simonson, A Proper Drink, 2016 (book)
- Difford's Guide, French Martini, 2015 (reference)
- Dale DeGroff, The Craft of the Cocktail, 2002 (book)
Strength. About 1.14 US standard drinks at an estimated 15.6% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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