French Martini

I may have written a little about the French Martini a while back. I first heard of it when I was still working days at Vito. A woman ordered one during lunch and I didn't know what it was. I looked the cocktail up in my trusty Mr. Boston's it said:

1 1/2 oz. Vodka
1 oz. Black Raspberry Liqueur

That's what I made and it was promptly sent back. The woman requested pineapple juice to be mixed in. Both Hank and I thought that was disgusting but she was drinking and paying so who cares, right?

Since then the French Martini has become the new hip drink. You can order it at almost any bar (where the clientele is under 90) and you won't get looked at like you're from Mars. However you may not get the same drink twice. Seems the rules are fast and loose with the French Martini. I've ordered it a few different bars and it's always a little different.

The best I had was at West, the new steak/martini bar at the top of the Hotel Angeleno. (Formerly known as the round Holiday Inn that sits atop the 405 Freeway at the Sunset exit.) We went there to shoot our first episode this season and me and a few other writers spent the whole times upstairs taste testing martinis. The recipe at West was pretty elaborate:

1 oz Vodka
1 oz. Chambord
1 oz. Pineapple Juice
Splash of Grand Marnier
Splash of Cointreau

Shaken well. Served in chilled martini glass with a twist.

This recipe was delicious but deadly. I had three. Needless to say when I watched the premiere of my show the other night, none of the scenes seemed familiar.

At work we are always searching for a new drink to have on show night. The standard has been Pomegranate Lemonade Margaritas with a Grand Marnier floater. (My own recipe:2 oz. Patron, 1 1/2 oz. Pomegranate Lemonade, big splash of Grand Marnier on top. Stirred. Served over ice in a paper coffee cup so as to disguise what you're really drinking on stage.) It's delicious but we've had enough of them.

The criteria for show night drinks is few: powerful enough that you only need one but sweet enough that you can't taste the liquor. Tonight I made a tester French Martini for this weeks show. In an effort to pare my costs, I skipped the Cointreau. I can't substitute the Chambord for Black Raspberry liqueur because there is no comparison to Chambord.
It's raspberry with hints of vanilla and honey and really kicks the drink up a notch. Anyway, here's my recipe:

1 1/2 oz Vodka
1 oz Chambord
Enough Pineapple Juice to make it a lovely lavender color. (Not an exact measure, I know but sometimes you gotta just feel it.)

It turned out delicious. Didn't miss the Cointreau at all. Here's a picture of it. (I didn't have my photo crew with me so excuse the lousy image and the price tag on the bottom of the glass.)