The French Blonde Cocktail is a delightful and refreshing drink that is a popular choice for summer gatherings and special occasions. The French Blonde is simple to make and combines the flavors of gin, lemon, grapefruit, elderflower liqueur and sparkling wine. Whether you prefer a sweeter or more tart drink, the French Blonde is a versatile cocktail that everyone can enjoy.
Looking for more refreshing cocktails to make this summer? Give these ones a try next: Peach Sangria, Dirty Shirley Temple and this Mai Tai Recipe!
![French Blonde Cocktail in a glass with garnishes.](https://www.momontimeout.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/french-blonde-cocktail.jpg)
What Is A French Blonde Cocktail?
Calling all lovers of light and refreshing cocktails! The French Blonde is in the limelight right now, and it’s all because it’s Taylor Swift’s favorite cocktail! If you haven’t tried this one yet, I bet you will love it. It’s sweet, tart, floral, and herbal; a well-balanced drink perfect for sipping on a warm summer afternoon or enjoying as an aperitif (French for a drink enjoyed before a meal to whet your appetite!)
It combines the floral notes of elderflower liqueur with the citrusy tang of grapefruit juice and lemon bitters, finished off with the smooth, white wine-like character of Lillet Blanc and juniper kick from the gin. This French aperitif wine adds a touch of sophistication, making the French Blonde a perfect choice for an elegant yet easy-drinking cocktail.
The beauty of this recipe is its simplicity. With just a handful of ingredients and a quick shake, you can create a restaurant-worthy beverage in your own home. It’s also an excellent cocktail for customizing to your taste. Prefer a sweeter drink? Adjust the grapefruit juice or add a touch of simple syrup. Want a more floral experience? Play with the amount of elderflower liqueur. No matter how you mix it up, the French Blonde is sure to become your new favorite summer sipper.
![A Top down shot of french blonde cocktails on a pink surface with garnishes.](https://www.momontimeout.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/french-blonde.jpeg)
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Flavorful: The French Blonde is a party for your taste buds! It blends the bright citrus of grapefruit juice with the delicate floral notes of elderflower liqueur (think summer in a glass!) Lillet Blanc adds a touch of sophistication with its white wine-like character, and gin brings a subtle juniper kick that ties everything together. It’s a refreshing and complex drink that’s anything but boring.
- Easy to Make: Don’t be fooled by the fancy name! This cocktail is incredibly simple to make. With just a handful of ingredients and a quick shake, you’ll be sipping on a restaurant-worthy beverage in no time. It’s perfect for those evenings when you want something delicious without the fuss of making a complicated recipe
- Customizable: The beauty of the French Blonde lies in its adaptability. Prefer a sweeter drink? Adjust the amount of grapefruit juice or add a touch of simple syrup. Want to amp up the floral notes? Play with the elderflower liqueur. No matter your taste preference, you can easily customize this recipe!
![Wide shot of two glasses with french blonde cocktails in them and the bottles in the background.](https://www.momontimeout.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/french-blonde-cocktail-recipe.jpg)
Ingredients and Substitutions
This cocktail calls for a handful of ingredients, many of which you may already have on hand. Let’s take a quick look at what you need and, as always, you can find the full printable recipe card at the end of this post.
- Gin: The gin you choose is important. We used Hendrick’s Flora Adora, which is heavy on the floral flavor yet still sweet. For the best experience, we recommend using your favorite top-shelf gin.
- Lillet Blanc: This is a fortified French wine. It’s subtly sweet with notes of honey and citrus. It’s readily available at grocery stores, liquor stores and you can also find Lillet Blanc online.
- St Germain: This is an elderflower liquor, which adds a further floral note.
- Grapefruit juice: We used freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice, but you could use store-bought. The grapefruit provides a refreshing citrus punch, and its tartness really helps to balance out the sweet notes in the cocktail.
- Lemon Bitters: The lemon bitters helps to balance the sweetness and adds a citrus kick. You can substitute with Angostura Bitters; however, this will add more of an herbal, spicy note.
- Garnishes: We used edible pansies to garnish the cocktail. If you use flowers, please check that they are indeed edible.
![Image shows all the ingredients need to prepare a french blonde cocktail.](https://www.momontimeout.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/french-blonde-cocktail-ingredients.jpg)
How to Make French Blonde Cocktail Recipe
Creating your own French Blonde is easy. Combine gin, Lillet Blanc, grapefruit juice, elderflower liqueur, and lemon bitters in a shaker filled with ice. Follow along below to see how it’s done!
As always, you can find the full printable recipe card at the end of this post
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, then add all of the cocktail ingredients.
- Shake until the outside of the cocktail shaker feels cold.
- Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
- Garnish with a lemon twist, a slice of grapefruit, and/or edible flowers.
![Collage image that shows process shots for making french blonde cocktail.](https://www.momontimeout.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/what-is-a-french-blonde-cocktail.jpg)
Storage Information
For the best taste and quality, the French Blonde cocktail should be enjoyed immediately after preparation. Here’s how to store it for a short period.
- Refrigerator: Pour the prepared cocktail into a clean, airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 24 hours for the best flavor and quality.
- Avoid Freezing: Freezing a prepared cocktail can alter its texture and taste. It’s best to avoid freezing and consume it fresh or within the recommended short-term storage period.
Variations to Try
- After preparing, top the cocktail with a little bit of sparkling wine.
- Shake fresh thyme with the cocktail and garnish with a fresh thyme sprig.
- Add orange juice to the cocktail.
- Muddle a couple of raspberries in the shaker before adding the rest of the ingredients, and garnish with a raspberry.
- Shake fresh mint leaves with the cocktail, and garnish with a mint sprig.
- Add a dash of cayenne pepper.
- Shake dried lavender with the cocktail, and garnish with a fresh lavender sprig.
![A Top down shot of french blonde cocktails in glasses on a metal tray.](https://www.momontimeout.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/french-blonde-drink.jpg)
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make a big batch of French Blonde for a party?
Absolutely! Just scale up the recipe according to the number of drinks you want to make. Combine everything in a pitcher, stir well, and refrigerate for no more than 24 hours before serving.
How can I adjust the sweetness of the drink?
The sweetness of the French Blonde comes from the Lillet Blanc. If you find it too sweet, add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or use less Lillet Blanc.
![Two french blonde cocktails in coupe glasses ready to be enjoyed. Ingredients for the cocktail can be seen in the background.](https://www.momontimeout.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/french-blonde-cocktail-coupe-glasses.jpg)
Trish’s Tips
- For the brightest, most vibrant flavor, use freshly squeezed grapefruit juice. Pre-made juice can taste dull.
- Taste your French Blonde after shaking. Add a little more Lillet Blanc or a touch of simple syrup if it’s too tart. If it’s too sweet, add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
- When making a large batch, skip the shaking and stir all the ingredients together with ice in a pitcher. Strain into chilled glasses just before serving.
![French Blonde Cocktail in a glass with edible flowers as a garnish.](https://www.momontimeout.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/french-blonde-cocktail-hero.jpeg)
More Cocktails to Try
French Blonde Cocktail
Equipment
Ingredients
- ice
- 1 ounce gin
- 2 ounces Lillet Blanc
- ½ ounce St Germain
- 2 ounces grapefruit juice
- 3 dashes lemon bitters
Garnish (Optional)
- lemon twist
- slice of grapefruit
- edible flowers
Instructions
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice then add all of the cocktail ingredients.
- Shake until the outside of the cocktail shaker feels cold.
- Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
- Garnish with a lemon twist, slice of grapefruit and/or edible violas.
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