French Blonde Cocktail

A French Blonde Cocktail is a light and refreshing blend of gin, grapefruit juice, Lillet Blanc and St-Germain. Rumored to be Taylor Swift’s favorite cocktail, we knew this elevated drink was going to be a favorite. Tart and refreshing, and perfect for sipping on at your next happy hour with friends.

Why You’ll Love This French Blonde Cocktail

Because if Taylor Swift loves it, then we love it too. Ok, that was our one nod to TS, now we’ll really tell you why you’re going to love this French Blonde Cocktail.

When we first tried this drink recipe we we’re blown away by the flavor. It’s really a unique cocktail, a blend of citrus and floral flavors that has tart and sweet notes rolled into one.

This was our first time trying Lillet Blanc, which is a French aromatized white wine infused with fruit, herbs and botanicals. Lillet adds another component of sweet and floral flavors in addition to the gin that’s used in this drink recipe.

All of the flavors in this cocktail blend together beautifully to create a delightful, easy sipping, refreshing beverage that’s going to be perfect for any occasion. From happy hours with friends, to holidays to watching football in front of the fire.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Dry Gin: Typically we’ve seen this cocktail made with Hendrick’s gin, but it’s really about what brand you like best. We often use Bombay Sapphire so it’s what we had on hand. As long as it’s a dry, floral gin the flavors will be perfect.
• Lillet Blanc: As we mentioned above, Lillet is a French white wine that’s been infused with florals, fruit and botanicals. You can sip on it on it’s own, chilled, or use it in cocktail recipes like this one.
• St-Germain: This elderflower liqueur is made in France with fresh elderflowers. It’s slightly sweet and has a floral flavor.
• Fresh Grapefruit Juice: Of course, we know that fresh juice is going to be best, but a good store bought grapefruit juice will also work.
• Fresh Lemon Juice or Lemon Bitters: We’ve seen this drink recipe written both ways. After testing them, it’s really about your flavor preference. Lemon bitters will add a slight bitter element to the drink where the lemon juice will add a tart, fresh flavor.

How To Make A French Blonde Cocktail

This drink recipe is as easy as adding all of the ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until icy and frothy and strain into a glass. Try using a coupe glass for this drink, but a martini glass or a low ball glass will also work.

Garnish with a large piece of grapefruit or lemon peel, twisting the garnish to allow some essence to escape into the glass. You can also add a piece of fresh grapefruit or a lemon wedge for more flavor and presentation.

Variations

We think this gin cocktail is perfect as is, but there are some variations that are also delicious! Use a darker, red grapefruit juice to make what’s also known as a Red Head Drink.

On the contrary, you can use a yellow colored grapefruit juice for a real “blonde” appearance.

Try topping this drink off with a splash of champagne for some effervescence. Champagne is a fun addition especially if you’re making these drinks for parties or on New Year’s Eve.

Not a fan of gin? We do urge you to try this cocktail as is, or try one of our other gin cocktail recipes. But if we still can’t change your mind, you can swap out vodka instead of using gin.

Ideas For Happy Hour Appetizers

Now that we’ve got the cocktail covered, let’s get into some appetizers! Having a happy hour with a signature drink like this French Blonde Cocktail paired with tasty food is always a hit.

• Bacon Wrapped Scallops
• Crab Imperial
• Candied Pecans
• Pan Con Tomate (Spanish Tomato Bread)
• Crispy Eggplant Parmesan Fries
• Classic Tomato Bruschetta

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