France Archives - First Pour Cocktails

Giffard Creme de Cacao Blanc

Posted on September 15, 2023September 11, 2023 by Nick

Chocolate Liqueurs run the gamut from clear and boozy to creamy and mild. The result makes planning your cocktails a bit of a trick. Add the wrong chocolate liqueur to a drink, and that clear white chocolate martini can end up cloudy or brown. Add cream to the wrong drink, and things can curdle. Once you get past just figuring out what liqueur you need, then you have to figure out which one doesn’t suck. In the long line of their liqueurs, we have never had issues with Giffard, so does their Giffard Creme de Cacao Blanc work for your cocktail needs, or is this a leftover tootsie roll in the liqueur aisle?

Giffard Creme de Cacao Blanc

Proof: 50 (25% A.B.V.)
Notes: Lactose free, Gluten free, Vegan, No preservative

Sight: Essentially clear, but highly viscous.

Smell: The nose has a mild to moderate burn, but is layered with milk chocolate bars, vanilla, and hints of tootsie roll. The chocolate notes seem layered and more than just one milk chocolate element. It has a mild earthy note.

Sip: Unsurprisingly it’s sweet, thick, and very smooth. The flavor milk chocolate bars mixes with vanilla, and has a creamy chocolate milk like texture. The touches of vanilla and white chocolate keep that tootsie roll note going a bit. Subtle dark chocolate notes are in the background.

Savor: The finish is smooth and sweet with plenty of chocolate hanging around.

Giffard Creme de Cacao Blanc is wonderfully chocolate laden, and delivers it with the required amount of sweetness. Although you wouldn’t want to sip on this straight (due to all the sugar), it’s clearly setup well for making drinks with. The flavors are thankfully very real, and avoid some of the artificialness you see in cheaper products.

In Cocktails

In a Grasshopper it adds a wonderfully chocolate background, and gives the mint a clever foil. It ends up rich and chocolaty without being overwhelming sweet. Similarly, Giffard plays particularly well in more complex applications, like the the 20th Century. The cacao element gives an earthiness without making the gin fight with the chocolate. This balance with the citrus shows how well it plays with other ingredients. It even works well in my mother’s chocolate martinis.

In Review – Giffard Creme de Cacao Blanc

Giffard Creme de Cacao Blanc is a wonderful choice for a creme de cacao, especially a white one, for your bar. The price point in the mid-to-high $20 range provides good value with lots of solid flavor. While you could go cheaper, you should prepare to taste more sugar and more alcohol. For these reasons, this is our current go to creme de cacao blanc.

H by Hine VSOP Cognac

Posted on February 17, 2023February 1, 2023 by Nick

Hine provides one of the most over the top descriptions for H by Hine I’ve seen in nearly 15 years of writing about wine and liquor:

H by Hine is whimsical. If it were a young man, it would have the keen eye of Dick Diver in Fitzgerald’s Tender is the Night. Adventurous, lively and elegant, it is the ideal sidekick for daring cocktails and a flamboyant soloist when served neat with a dash of cold tonic. Expressive yet discreet, its notes of iris, fresh apricot, acacia and white pepper chime with its sprightly and joyful demeanour. Feels like Coachella in a bottle.

That’s a heck of billing to live up to, and we’ve already established our like of Lustau’s Brandy de Jerez as a budget offering and Pierre Ferrand’s 1840 as an entry cognac. So does it live up to it’s Coachella’s billing?

H by Hine VSOP Cognac

Sight: Chestnut Oloroso Sherry

Smell: There’s a slight heat to the nose that gives way to juicy, fermenting grapes. A raisin like sweetness laced with dates and figs comes to the forefront. It wraps in caramel and a bit of white pepper. Slight dried cranberry and fresh bright berries join in.

Sip: The body has a solid weight with a good amount of fig and caramel. The grape notes persist with a bit of raisining. There’s a rather consistent flavor throughout with a bit of oak. The slight oak gives a little white pepper, vanilla, and touch of ginger.

Savor: The ending carries forward the touches of spiced ginger and pepper with a nice hint of vanilla and pepper!

H by Hine VSOP is well balanced and gives off solid flavors of caramel, raisin, and fresh fig. As an easy sipper, it works nice as cognac, giving off the flavor profile you’d expect without paying a fortune for it. The subtleness is nice, and inviting, without being too soft to enjoy.

In Cocktails

In a Sidecar, vanilla and raisin come forward with a touch of oak before giving way to bright lemon and sweet orange. The vanilla and body are smooth and give a silkiness. There’s an interesting almost leather or cigar box note as well. Other stone fruit starts to emerge with dried apricot and peach preserves. There’s also something nice about the brightness and sweetness, which is well controlled by H by Hine VSOP and balances the drink.

In Review – H by Hine VSOP Cognac

H by Hine VSOP Cognac is well balanced and has all the right notes for cognac. While it isn’t the most exciting cognac, it also delivers all the flavors you’d expect at a very reasonable price point. As it works as both a sipper and a cocktail cognac, this is an easy recommendation around $40 for your home bar. Definitely check it out if you’re looking for something well made.

Martell VSOP

Posted on July 22, 2022July 19, 2022 by Nick

I may have mentioned in the past that I am not particularly fast at going through the back log of bottles we’ve collect. As a result, there are occasional packaging flow throughs and changes that make identifying what a particular bottle is a challenge. This is part of what happened with this particular bottle of Martell VSOP (Matured In Red Barrels).

Martell VSOP

Martell VSOP (Matured In Red Barrels) was an effort in Martell’s branding to help address the stodgy image of cognac. By emphasizing the “red barrels” the focus would be adjusted to target the fruity flavors within the cognac. The aging process is done in “red barrels” of fine-grained oak that reduce the exchange rate (compared to larger grain). According to their website, it is also aged at least 4 years for VSOP.

Sight: A pretty reddish amber

Smell: There’s a notable heat here coming off the start that gives way to flowers, touches of lychee, and plenty of fresh apricot. Notes of baking spiced laced macerated peaches come in with a top note of subtle caramel. The nose is unmistakably fruity, but carries the oak influence in the background.

Sip: The palate has a middling to heavy weight and a prickly heat to it. It drinks significantly hotter than 40% A.B.V. would imply. Notes of ripe apricot, peach, and nectarine come out and have a hint of caramelized brown sugar and spices.

Savor: The ending carries over the heat but brings in more oak and a hint of bitterness and unripe stone fruit.

Martell VSOP is fruit on the nose and fire on the palate. This is a rare case of dramatic discontinuity between the nose and the palate. Which is particularly confusing given that the proof isn’t particularly high. While the fruit notes are nice, this is hard to sip straight.

In Cocktails

In a Sidecar it brings the fruit in spades. The drink pops with notes of strawberries, apricot, marmalade, and peach. The overall notes of orange and lemon get prolonged appearances as a result of the relatively weak showing of oak and rich preserved fruit flavors. The result is a refreshing and bright sidecar that’s short of depth.

In Review – Martell VSOP

The value of Martell VSOP is in a price tag that sits below the $40 mark. That’s about where the appeal ends. The cognac in the bottle doesn’t match up with the presentation of the label and bottle. The result is something that’s acceptable, but not a recommendation.

Grey Goose Vodka

Posted on January 21, 2022January 2, 2022 by Nick

Grey Goose Vodka is a status symbol. Walk into any bar, and you’re likely to find it on the top shelf. The marketing obviously work, as folks that you used to grab Svedka or Stoli suddenly reached upward to a trend avian based vodka. It didn’t just grab vodka fans either. Beer drinkers like my father gradually moved toward martinis from what was mostly beer. As much fun as it is to discuss the malaise of chilled glasses of Grey Goose (keep that vermouth away from my [vodka] martini!), Appletinis, and Cosmopolitans – these were critical steps to revitalizing cocktails. So was Grey Goose worth the expense?

Grey Goose Vodka

Grey Goose’s origin story is that it’s an effort to make a French vodka unlike any other. They accomplish this by using winter wheat from France and water from their spring in the Cognac region of France. So does it make it better?

Sight: Clear

Smell: The nose is clean, presenting ethanol and a light about amount of vanillin and a light amount of cereal grain.

Sip: The body is rich, lanolin, and has just a slight amount of sweetness. The cereal and vanillin notes comes through once more with a hint of the wheat from the distillate.

Savor: The ending has an ethanol note that lays heavily over the top of the vanillin and wheat notes before fading.

Grey Goose Vodka is clean, with few distracting flavors. The lack of real burn or complex flavors is clearly the draw here. It’s important to note that the texture is also quite nice. There are clearly reasons to like Grey Goose if your desire is an unobtrusive vodka.

In Cocktails

In a Kangaroo the Grey Goose does what it does best, provide support. The weight of the vodka goes well with the bright character of the dry vermouth. The subtle sweetness ties it together, and that vanillin note makes it feel composed. Overall, it behaves cohesively without being obtrusive.

In Review – Grey Goose Vodka

Grey Goose Vodka is really a master class in how to create a luxury brand. As vodka goes, the smoothness of texture puts it right in line with other luxury focused brands like Absolut Elyx and Chopin. While it gets an edge over the Tito’s and Absolut of world, there is an almost 50% price increase. We have in the past said that we think the splurge is worth it to buy the slightly more expensive Absolut Elyx, and by that standard Grey Goose deserves consideration. If you really don’t want to taste the vodka, Grey Goose is something that could fit the need and your bar.

Summum Vodka

Posted on December 6, 2021December 6, 2021 by Nick

Summum Vodka is Total Wine’s house vodka brand, and their competitor for Grey Goose. The similarities are intentional and obvious. Summum is made from wheat in France and finished with spring water. As a result, they’re able to offer the brand in large quantities for cheap. So is this a goose hunter or should you stick to the avian?

Summum Vodka

Sight: Clear

Smell: There’s a bit of ethanol wafting off the top that gives way to hints of vanilla and a touch of cereal. The nose is very simple and straight forward, almost clean smelling like wet rock after rain.

Sip: The body is medium to rich, the flavor starts off with touches of vanillan and cereal grains. There’s a distinct ethanol and mineral notes as well, but the vodka doesn’t end up hot, but rather smooth.

Savor: The finish carries through notes of ethanol and vanilla, and a slight bitterness.

Summum Vodka is solid, straightforward, and plentiful. The overall flavor profile is clean with just a hint more alcohol than might be expected, but not enough to be offensive. It’s the sort of thing you have to dig for. That said, it also isn’t the kind of vodka you’d feel compelled to sit and sip on ice.

In Cocktails

In a Kangaroo Summum Vodka does it job admirably. The weight of the vodka leaves the texture as smooth and silky all the way through. The alcohol notes are subtly subdued by the chilling and herbal characteristic of the vermouth. The result is an easy drinking Kangaroo where the vermouth and vodka coexist in harmony and build slightly off each other.

In Review – Summum Vodka

Summum Vodka offers a surprising amount of quality and quantity for the price. Does it end up beating Grey Goose though? The results are a bit mixed. From a texture standpoint, I would say Summum delivers on 90% of Grey Goose’s, but things slip away on the flavor side. While both vodkas are clean, Grey Goose has a slightly more cohesive flavor profile and less identifiable alcohol notes. That doesn’t mean that Summum is bad vodka, on the contrary it provides amazing value at a discount price (this 1.75L comes in at $27, compared to Grey Goose at $25 for 750.

For these reasons, Summum is a great choice for those starting a bar or who need to serve a large number of people.

Domaine Dupont Calvados Fine Reserve

Posted on September 10, 2021September 1, 2021 by Nick

Calvados is a protected designation within France for apple brandies made within the region conforming to specification. Among the producers is Domaine Dupont, who offers an entry level Calvados at about $40. Domaine Dupont Calvados Fine Reserve is a two year aged calvados that features 80% bitter apples and 20% acid apples. It is fermented and after 6 months receives a secondary distillation. The aging occurs in at least 50% new oak. So is it worth the investment?

Domaine Dupont Calvados Fine Reserve

Sight: A moderate straw yellow.

Smell: Apples, pears, and notes that range between floral and industrial come through. The nose has a soil like earthiness about it. Touches of overly ripe, pressed apples pull through with a hint of vanilla and a light baked quality.

Sip: The mouthfeel is moderate, leaning into thin at points. Notes of apples pressed for cider, caramel, and touches of oak join in. There are light touches of earthiness that gradually grow, a slight heat.

Savor: The ending is more earthy than anything else, leaving slightly bitter fermenting apple note behind. A slightly tannic end.

I’d be hard pressed to sit for a long period of time enjoying Domaine Dupont Calvados Fine Reserve on its own. There’s nothing particularly wrong with it as Calvados goes, providing the old world earth qualities along side a well intentioned spectrum of apple flavors. Notes of vanilla and caramel are glancing and not the lead, but nor are the earthy elements that venture toward medicinal or farm like. Overall, it presents itself well as an expression for something other than sipping.

In Cocktails

In a Jack Rose, the fermented apple notes come to the surface and amplify the caramel and oaky notes. The lemon drags more of the earthiness out, only to cut through it. The sweetness from both Domaine Dupont Calvados Fine Reserve and the grenadine result in a wonderful balance elevating both past their original starting point. That said, if you feel the old world farm flavors are noticeable, you’re not going to seem them less here. They do take on a vanilla crème kind of note, but are clearly inclined toward slightly fermenting apple notes.

While the apple element is not overt in most cocktails, it is present. If you try to use this Calvados to drive an apple flavor you’re going to be disappointed. Rather, what it adds is a subtle oaked fruitiness with an earthiness that adds a rustic sort of complexity. Play within these bounds and you’ll find a reasonable Calvados for a reasonable price.

Domaine Dupont Calvados Fine Reserve In Review

Domaine Dupont Calvados Fine Reserve is a decent enough bottle at the $40 price point. While it lacks some refinement to enjoy it on it’s own, it’s going to add an old world style to cocktails calling for Calvados without breaking the bank. The experience with in the Jack Rose is convincing enough that it deserves at least a try, as it elevates to a level beyond standard expectations. While I’d still recommend against enjoying it on it’s own, I think you’ll be reasonably satisfied with the quality using it in a cocktail.

Dupont’s Website

Pernod

Posted on August 20, 2021July 29, 2021 by Nick

To understand Pernod, a Pastis, you must understand what happened to Absinthe.

Absinthe was banned after a spike in interest in France, causing a loss of business for French wine farmers (who has previously had to deal with phylloxera – which had killed off a large number of vines). Combined with the rumored hallucinogenic properties and some murders in France at the time, a decree was passed to outlaw all anise spirits. This lined up with similar movements in other countries. Absinthe wasn’t really bad (or worse than any other liquor), but it was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and ended up being a casualty of the temperance movements.

When the ban was loosened in the 1930s, some producers were ready with a wormwood free version. This version, was a pastis, instead of an absinthe. The primary difference is the use of star anise as the principal flavoring, instead of using green anise, wormwood of fennel. The resulting liqueur is different in it’s flavor profile, but similarly enough that it can be used as a substitute to absinthe.

So with all that said, what does Pernod taste like, and is it any good?

Pernod

Sight: A bright translucent green. Turns cloudy with water.

Smell: Strong notes of anise mixed with touches of herbs. It moves toward a fresh fennel note as well.

Sip: The body is thick thanks to the sugar, but feels less so thank to the growing alcohol burn as it sits on the palate. A subtle sweetness holds throughout and build in complexity between anise and fennel. The notes of herbs grow gradually throughout but it never loses the predominately anise note.

Savor: Anise, licorice, and fennel linger predominately and extend for a significant period of time.

When cut, Pernod behaves more like a black jelly bean than a full on anise attack. It gets a lot softer with the addition of water, making it much more pliable. It also opens up some subtle herbal notes that are notice in the full proof version. Correspondingly, the same notes should come forward in cocktails, adding flavor if not complexity.

In Cocktails

There are very few cocktails that rely on absinthe or pastis to serve as the main liquor, so Pernod is most frequently tasked with playing a modifier. Most commonly used as a stand in for absinthe, you can use Pernod in classics such as the Corpse Reviver #2, the Sazerac, and Remember the Maine. One cocktail that prominently features either pastis or absinthe is Death In the Afternoon. Made by combining pastis or absinthe with sparkling wine, Pernod opens up and gives a more herbal, drier rendition of itself. The sweetness is instead replaced by brightness, and the a more licorice and green fennel notes becomes prominent.

In Review – Pernod

Pernod is a widely available and a well rounded pastis that can also substitute for absinthe. This makes it useful for both classic cocktails as well as Tiki drinks. While this isn’t a starter bottle, it’s a great choice once you’ve established your bar. It will also last a long time as most drinks require a rinse to a few drops. For these reasons, we suggest you give Pernod a shot if you can’t find an absinthe.

El Pasador de Oro XO

Posted on August 13, 2021July 29, 2021 by Nick

El Pasador de Oro XO is a Guatemalan rum, that’s bottled in France. While there is no displayed age statement, it should be aged around a minimum of 6 years (according to a variety of unofficial blogs all over the internet). In these cases, it’s normally best if the bottle produces some obscure web address. In this case, they don’t even provide that level of information. That said, like many products, sometimes there’s limited information, and all you can do is pop the bottle.

El Pasador de Oro

Sight: An amber-gold, almost honey like color.

Smell: There’s a toasty coconut and vanilla start to the nose. It gets a little nutty with some caramel and orange marmalade edges. There’s a hint of spun sugar, golden raisin, and burn of ethanol. The nose is somewhat subtle, and doesn’t open willingly.

Sip: The body is moderate, and a subtle sweetness pervades out over time. There’s a lot going on as it moves from vanilla to caramel to roasted coconut. Something gradual starts to happen where the sugary flavor profiles start to morph into stone fruit, brandy, and other unexpected flavors.

Savor: The ending get almost sauternes like, pulling out flavors of ice wine, stone fruit, and hints of tropical fruits. The finish lingers pleasantly with a hint of tannic nature.

El Pasador de Oro XO is something interesting and unusual. If what they say is true, then the character is really a molasses based rum that’s doing a fun morph into a cognac at the end. That said, it’s very pleasant to sip, and straddles a line that fans of rum and cognac might enjoy.

In Cocktails:

In a Daiquiri, the cognac runs in full effect – almost giving a perception of a split base. While it’s obviously rum forward, it also ends up extremely fruity – emphasizing a lot of the raisin like and orange flavors in addition to the lime. The sweetness plays well and it ends up making a super inviting Daiquiri. That said, applications may end up a bit trial and error trying to balance the extra finishing notes. In a Grog, the rum disappears a bit, instead giving off more tropical fruit and honey notes. The caramel and toasty coconut hang out at the end, and the tannic nature pulls through.

In Review – El Pasador de Oro XO

El Pasador de Oro XO is a very pretty rum to sit and sip, and it even plays well in Grog. It isn’t a powerful bruising rum, but rather something elegant and slight. This same characteristic can make is slip away in cocktails. While it offers great flavors to them, finding the rum is a little tricky. If you want an in your face rum, you might find better options, but this is a great choice at the price to sit and enjoy.

If you’re looking for a second opinion on this not so well covered rum, check out the Rum Howler’s take.

Benedictine D.O.M.

Posted on August 6, 2021July 29, 2021 by Nick

Developed by Alexandre Le Grand in 1863, Benedictine D.O.M is an herbal liqueur made with 27 herbs, spices, and other secrets. Made in the heart of France at the extravagant palace Le Palais Bénédictine, the liqueur actually starts as four different distillation recipes which are then aged in oak for 8 months. Once aged, these recipes are blended together, and saffron and honey are added. The blend is then heated, before being aged for another 4 months in a large oak tank. The result is a unique liqueur with a special sort of sweetness and flavor.

Benedictine D.O.M.

Sight: A coppery hue with a hint of gold. Plenty of viscous sugar is visible with the cling to the glass. There is a subtle amount of oily notes in the body of the liqueur. [Caramel color is added]

Smell: Beautiful notes of honey and baking spices mix immediately with a hit of mountainous herbs. The unmistakably floral note of saffron lays over the top, adding a complexity while the spices and herbs evolve.

Sip: Rich and thick like syrup, it immediately feels like thinned honey, and has an underlying honey like flavor that runs throughout. Floral notes kick of ranging from saffron to roses. Notes of pine resin, alpine herbs, and garigue join in to give a subtle earthiness. Spicing hints throughout, suggesting warm baking spices in small amounts, similar to the background flavor on mead.

Savor: The ending is a hint of herbs and baking spices with a honey like backbone. It lingers lazily but pleasantly.

Benedictine D.O.M. is a classic herbal liqueur that seamlessly sews together herbs, honey, and floral components. The net result is a silky smooth, if very sweet herbal liqueur. It isn’t exactly the kind of thing most people would want to sit around and crush a glass of, but in cocktails it’s a rockstar.

In Cocktails

Benedictine D.O.M has been around long enough that’s it’s managed to work it’s way into a number of classic cocktails. The most prominent of these is the Vieux Carre, a mix of rye, cognac, sweet vermouth, Angostura and Peychaud’s bitters which you can still find on many prohibition style cocktail bar menus today. Lesser known, but equally great are the Preakness and Bobby Burns, but of which recipes can be found right here on First Pour Cocktails.

Benedictine D.O.M. has even crossed over to the world of Tiki, where you’ll find it in a Singapore Sling

In Review – Benedictine D.O.M.

Benedictine D.O.M is beautiful mix of honeyed flavors and herbal notes with just the right amount of floral touches. This complexity, combined with the refined balance and texture makes it a wonderful addition to your bar. This bottle is a great expansion choice as it can help make a number of classic drinks and will last you a decent amount of time.

Benedictine’s Website

Cointreau

Posted on July 23, 2021July 19, 2021 by Nick

Perhaps few bottles of liqueur are as synonymous with the type of spirit they represent as Cointreau is. The square tawny bottle is found on almost every bar, and is the top shelf orange liqueur mixer for most establishments. With good reason, Cointreau is a key ingredient in drinks including the Cosmopolitan, the Sidecar, and the Margarita. So what makes it so special, and why is it worth the upcharge over Triple Sec?

Cointreau

Sight: Clear.

Smell: There’s a natural and fresh almost clementine-orange smell that leads off. A mix of zest and fruit is in the nose, with a just a hint of pithy bitterness.

Sip: A beautiful, complex orange leads off with notes ranging from candied orange peels to fresh tangerine segments. The orange is well complimented by a subtle, balanced sweetness. There’s a hint of heat, but nothing distracting.

Savor: The ending is a delicate mix of tropical oranges with just a hint of bitter pith.

Cointreau is simple, clean, and straightforward in it’s delivery of orange liqueur flavors. The sweetness is balanced, the alcohol is moderated, and the flavors are direct and enjoyable. It’s nice enough that it even works on its own, and can be served as a cordial. [If you can find dark chocolate shot glasses, we highly recommend trying Cointreau or Gran Marnier in them].

In Cocktails

The beauty of Cointreau is the balance that it achieves in a cocktail. It manages to simultaneously be present and providing orange flavor, while not throwing unnecessary additional flavors. A result that’s easy to see in a margarita. Some citrus beyond lime is clearly present, but not in a distracting way. The sweetness also doesn’t unbalance the drink or obscure the tequila. This is true in both a Cosmo and a Sidecar. Further, unlike some other curacaos and triple secs, there’s no additional chemical or artificial taste present.

In Review – Cointreau

Cointreau is an elegant orange liqueur that does its job admirably. While the price is higher than some competitors, the flavors are cleaner and more direct. For this reason, Cointreau is the orange liqueur we recommend for your bar. Due to the number of drinks it compliments, we recommend it for when you’re starting your bar as well.

Giffard Curacao Bleu

Posted on May 7, 2021May 4, 2021 by Nick

Blue curacao is not necessarily a required ingredient in your home bar. At its core, it’s orange liqueur with blue coloring added. That coloring is the core of its charm, giving drinks an electrically colorful charm. Blue Curacao’s troubles stem from low quality producers that make poor quality curacaos, with bitter, chemical flavors. Thankfully, Giffard isn’t a low quality producer. So does Giffard Curacao Bleu do it better?

Giffard Curacao Bleu

Sight: It is undeniably blue. Somewhere between cobalt and azure with a hint of teal.

Smell: A bright smell of freshly zested oranges ranging from clementines to tangerines floats up. There’s a compliment of some vanilla notes and a hint of powder sugar. A slight tang of alcohol exists as well.

Sip: Sweet and thick to start, it brings in a slightly sour, candied orange flavor. The cloying sweetness has a hint of vanilla and other tropical orange zest notes to it.

Savor: The ending is cloyingly sweet, but leaves a light to moderate lingering tropical orange flavor palate.

Why anyone would want to drink Giffard Curacao Bleu straight is not for me to ponder. Suffice it to say that unless you a fan of saccharinely sweet liqueurs that are primarily orange flavored, then you will very little here to enjoy on it’s own.

In Cocktails

Lest we be too hard on Giffard Curacao Bleu, as it works wonderfully in cocktails. The two things you want blue curacao to do well are:

Be Blue
Impart a lightly-tropical but ultimately orangey flavor into a cocktail.

The first two things it passes with flying colors. It is, in fact, blue. It also happens to be orange flavored. More importantly, it passes another unspoken rule, it doesn’t impart any strange cheap flavoring or chemical flavors. This last one is the kiss of death of most of the Windex colored liqueurs you see gracing the bottom shelf.

There is a third, semi-unspoken objective that blue curacao also has (which Giffard passes), which is to add sweetness. The third is obviously optional, but something that always needs to be considered when making drinks with any orange liqueur. Overall, even though Giffard’s blue curacao is sweet, it’s not overwhelmingly sweet, and thanks to that, it replaces well with 1:1 simple. As a result of its good behavior and modifier characteristics, we’ve used it in both our original Frankenstein and Slimer cocktails.

Giffard Curacao Bleu Overall

Giffard Curacao Bleu is somewhat more expensive than it’s competitors, ranging from the low to mid $20s. We feel that based on the smooth characteristics, natural flavors, and balanced sweetness that it’s one of the best blue curacao options out there, and highly recommend it for any bar looking to add a blue curacao to their cocktail kit.

Giffard Curacao Bleu Cocktails

Halloween Inspired Cocktails 2019 - Slimer — Slimer

Marie Brizard Cassis de Dijon

Posted on January 19, 2021January 19, 2021 by Nick

There are a lot of liqueurs that have very few uses. For better or worse, Creme de Cassis is amongst these bottles. Being primarily used in a Kir Royale, you might question if you should spend more for a better bottle of something with so few uses. If you happen to like the Kir Royale, than one sip Marie Brizard Cassis de Dijon will answer your question instantly.

Marie Brizard Cassis de Dijon

Claimed to be made from the finest blackcurrant, Marie Brizard will set you back somewhere around $20 for a 750ml.

Sight: An inky, purplish black at it’s core. The edges give way like an old wine through shades of garnet and brick with a watery orange edge.

Smell: The smell of blackcurrents and ripe berries is abundant with hints of earthiness, almost like grape stems or stony soil.

Sip: The palate starts sweet and quickly works into a more lively territory as notes of bright, fresh berries well up. There’s a subtle bitterness like berry skin, that gives way to a mix of both fresh and jammed blackcurrants. That subtle bitterness gives it bit of extra snap texturally, helping with a syrup like consistency.

Savor: The ending a long affair of blackcurrants brambling slowly away leaving a saccharine sweetness and touch of stem.

Marie Brizard Cassis de Dijon highlights blackcurrants naturally, giving them their space to show off. The slightly jammy notes that run throughout make for a lovely bookend to the fresh fruit like bite the liqueur displays. It is definitively more complex and well rounded than a bottom shelf bottle. A comparison of Marie Brizard to DeKuyper Creme de Cassis left no doubt as to the reason for the price difference, with the later being artificially powdery in it’s sweetness and muddled with flavors approaching chocolate and concord grapes.

In Cocktails

To say Creme de Cassis is limited is a bit of an understatement. There is exactly one classic cocktail I’m aware of that class for Creme de Cassis, the Kir Royale. A built drink, the Kir Royale is merely a half ounce of Creme de Cassis, and around 5 oz of champagne. In essence, you’re building a highball with champagne. For this application, Marie Brizard Creme de Cassis has enough complexity and acidity to complement the wine, and elevate the experience, while adding its fruity twist.

Marie Brizard Cassis de Dijon Overall

Marie Brizard is a gorgeous example of blackcurrant liqueur. The complexity and natural character make this a shoe in for lovers of Kir Royale. Others might think twices if they really need a bottle of blackcurrent liqueur on their bar. However, if you do, then Marie Brizard Cassis de Dijon is our recommended bottle.