French Kiss
Muddle; Shake ∙ 4 min ∙ 19.6% ABV ∙
The French Kiss is a muddled raspberry sour built on Cognac, blending amaro and orgeat with fresh lime into a shaken, fine-strained drink. Silky and lightly nutty in the finish, with muddled fruit seeds adding a faint textured grip against a bittersweet, tart backbone.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- In the base of the shaker, muddle: Fresh raspberries 6 pcs
- Add the remaining ingredients: Cognac 45 mlAmaro 20 mlLime juice 15 mlOrgeat (almond) syrup 10 ml
- Shake with ice
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Garnish with raspberries on a skewer
Tips
- Muddle the raspberries gently in the shaker base first — over-crushing the seeds adds a bitter, gritty note.
- Pre-chill the coupe before straining so the drink doesn't lose its cold snap the moment it's poured.
- Shake hard and fine-strain to keep raspberry seeds and pulp out of the finished pour.
History
French Kiss refers to more than one drink; this cognac-and-raspberry version, built with amaro, lime juice, and orgeat, is recorded as the creation of bartender Chanelle O Connor in 2015 at Salomontini Le Resto in London. Other cocktails sharing the same name exist in circulation, typically built around Chambord and sparkling wine, but they belong to a different, unrelated lineage rather than this cognac-based recipe.
FAQ
What is a French Kiss drink made of?
A French Kiss is made of fresh raspberries muddled with Cognac, an amaro such as Averna, lime juice, and orgeat (almond) syrup, shaken with ice and fine-strained into a chilled coupe. It is garnished with raspberries on a skewer and comes in at roughly 19.6% ABV, making it a moderately strong, fruit-forward sour rather than a light sipper.
How do you make a French Kiss?
Muddle fresh raspberries in the base of a shaker, then add Cognac, amaro, lime juice, and orgeat syrup and shake everything hard with ice. Fine-strain into a pre-chilled coupe glass and garnish with raspberries on a skewer; the fine strain is what keeps the raspberry seeds and pulp out of the finished drink.
What is the difference between a French Kiss and a French 75?
A French Kiss is a muddled raspberry Cognac sour built with amaro, lime, and orgeat, while a French 75 is a gin- or Cognac-based drink lengthened with lemon juice, sugar, and Champagne into a fizzy highball. The French Kiss is shaken and strained up in a coupe with no sparkling element, while the French 75 is built to be topped and effervescent.
