14 Iconic French Drinks To Help Beat The Heat This Summer

Last updated on July 3rd, 2025 at 07:32 am

France might be famous for its food, culture, and history, but the drink isn’t far behind. Many regions have their own drink specialty; some you’ll know about, and some you won’t. And I’m not talking wine.

There is so much more to France’s contribution to drink than wine, although the wine is pretty damn good. But what do they drink during those lovely long French summer evenings, when life happens outside, soirées are held regularly and people gather together?

From Dubonnet to Pastis, these 14 drinks will quench your thirst during the long French summer months.

Listen to My Podcast Episode With Queen of the Paris Cocktail Scene, Forest Collins

The French Tradition Of the Apéritif

There is nothing more French than the tradition of an apéritif. When I was a child, my Dad often asked my Mum if she fancied an aperitif before dinner.

My family isn’t French, but it was very typical for us to have a pre-dinner drink before sitting down to eat. 

In France, it’s similar, but when you combine it with some snacks, it becomes the famous Apéro Hour.

Usually, this happens right after the day’s work is finished. It could be work colleagues getting together for a drink or friends gathering for an hour to enjoy a winddown before going off for dinner.

14 Iconic French Cocktails You Should Try This Summer

French 75

The French 75 is a classic cocktail from Paris created during World War I. The drink was named after a gun, canon de 75 modèle 1897, or, as it was more commonly known, Soixante-Quinze. 

The gun was powerful, and the French had pinned their hopes on it to defeat the Germans. The French barman who created it wanted a drink that packed the same sort of deadly punch, which it certainly does.

Initially, the French 75 included a mix of gin, apple brandy, grenadine, and lemon juice. However, the recipe evolved, and by 1927, it had taken its modern form: a refreshing blend of gin, champagne, lemon juice, and sugar. This combination became popularized in America through its inclusion in the Savoy Cocktail Book in 1930.

📌 Fun fact: It was famously sipped at the Stork Club in New York and appeared in the classic film Casablanca.

Kir 

Originating in the Burgundy region of France, it’s named after Canon Félix Kir, a notable figure in the French Resistance during World War II and later the Mayor of Dijon.

The Germans occupied Burgundy during the war and confiscated most of the red wine they found there. It was either sent back to Germany or kept for their own consumption.

Locals began mixing the local white wine, Aligoté, with crème de cassis, a blackcurrant liqueur. This combination created a drink that resembled red wine, allowing the French to maintain a semblance of their wine culture under occupation.

The traditional Kir is made by pouring a small amount of crème de cassis into a wine glass and topping it with chilled white wine. For a Kir Royale, follow the same method but use champagne instead of still wine. 

Mimosa

Named after the flower by the same name, its color perfectly represents its counterpart. It’s thought to have been created in 1925 by Frank Meier, a bartender at the Ritz Hotel in Paris. 

It’s closely related to the Buck’s Fizz, a cocktail invented in 1921 at Buck’s Club in London by bartender Malachi “Pat” McGarry. The critical difference lies in the proportions: while the Buck’s Fizz is made with two parts champagne to one part orange juice, the Mimosa uses equal parts of both.

📌 Fun fact: Alfred Hitchcock enjoyed and promoted the drink in the mid-20th century. By the 1960s, the Mimosa was firmly established as a brunch staple, complementing dishes like eggs Benedict and Belgian waffles​. I’ve certainly enjoyed my fair share of breakfast mimosas.

Pastis

If you’re an aniseed fan, then you’ll love pastis. It originated from Marseille, in the south of France, and was created in 1932 by Paul Ricard following the 1915 ban on absinthe, another popular anise-based spirit of the time.

Ricard named his creation “pastis,” derived from the Provençal word “pastisson,” meaning a mixture. It’s the perfect name for the combined ingredients of star anise, licorice, and various aromatic herbs and spices.

It’s diluted with water in a ratio of approximately five parts water to one part pastis. This dilution process causes the drink to turn a milky, pale yellow due to the “louche” effect, where the essential oils in the pastis become insoluble in water. You’ll see many a man sat in a tabac in France drinking a glass of pastis.

Absinthe

Another aniseed-based drink, this time one that got banned for 100 years. It was created by the French physician Pierre Ordinaire and became popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It went by the nickname of “green fairy.”

The inclusion of wormwood led to myths about absinthe’s hallucinogenic properties, ultimately leading to its ban. However, it experienced a revival in the 1990s and early 2000s, thanks to changes in European Union laws that allowed its production and sale again. 

📌 Fun fact: It was a favorite among Parisian artists and writers such as Vincent van Gogh, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and Oscar Wilde.

Calvados

If you’re a brandy lover, you’ll love Calvados as it’s an apple brandy digestif (after-dinner drink) from Normandy. It was first mentioned in 1553 by Gilles de Gouberville as he documented cider distillation.

The modern popularity of Calvados can be traced back to the 19th century, particularly after the phylloxera epidemic devastated vineyards across Europe, leading to a rise in demand for apple-based spirits. 

Calvados can be enjoyed in various ways: neat as a digestif, as part of a cocktail, or traditionally in Normandy as “le trou Normand” (the Norman hole), a small drink between courses to stimulate the appetite. Its flavor profile can range from fresh apple and pear notes in younger bottles to richer, more complex flavors in older, well-aged varieties.

📌 Fun fact: During both World Wars, Calvados production faced challenges but gained recognition and demand, mainly due to its association with Normandy’s image of peace and lush countryside. The drink became known as “Calva” and was widely consumed by soldiers and civilians.

Dubonnet

I was first introduced to Dubonnet through a podcast called “Help I Sexted My Boss.” It’s a hilarious podcast that I listen to when I’m food shopping on Saturday. Anyway, they have a glass of gin and dubonnet in every episode.

It’s a classic French aperitif created in 1846 by Joseph Dubonnet, a Parisian chemist and wine merchant. It was initially developed to help French Foreign Legionnaires in North Africa consume quinine, which was necessary to combat malaria but had a bitter taste. 

📌 Fun fact: One of the most famous fans of Dubonnet was Queen Elizabeth II, who preferred a mix of two parts Dubonnet to one part gin, served with a slice of lemon and two ice cubes. Just like William and Jordan from my favorite podcast.

Lillet

Lillet is a French apéritif wine hailing from Bordeaux, not far from where I live. It was first created in 1872 by two brothers, Paul, and Raymond Lillet, inspired by a recipe from a French monk named Father Kermann, who had traveled to South America and returned with knowledge of medicinal drinks using local herbs and spices. 

The result was Kina Lillet, a blend of Bordeaux wines fortified with citrus liqueurs and flavored with quinine, a key ingredient for its medicinal properties against malaria​.

It has several varieties, including Lillet Blanc, Lillet Rouge, and Lillet Rosé. Each of these is made from a base of Bordeaux wine.

📌 Fun fact: It became a favorite ingredient in many cocktails, including the Vesper Martini, made famous by James Bond in Ian Fleming’s novel “Casino Royale.”​

Ratafia

Ratafia de Champagne is a vin de liqueur made from the last pressing of grapes used in Champagne production, such as Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, or Pinot Meunier. 

The grape must is fortified with grape brandy, creating a sweet, fortified wine that is best enjoyed with dishes like Roquefort, foie gras, or crème brûlée.

📌 Fun fact: The drink’s name originates from the Latin phrase “rata fiat,” meaning “the deal has been made,” reflecting its historical use in toasting agreements or treaties.

Chartreuse

Crafted by Carthusian monks in the 18th century, this French herbal liqueur includes 130 herbs, plants, and flowers. It is a closely guarded secret known only to a few monks at any given time.

Named after the Grande Chartreuse monastery located in the Chartreuse Mountains near Grenoble, it was first produced in 1737. Apparently, it was based on a manuscript given to the monks in 1605 by Marshal François Annibal d’Estrées​.

There are two varieties of Chartreuse: Green and Yellow. Green Chartreuse, first produced in 1764, has a high alcohol content of 55% ABV with a strong herbal flavor. It has a distinctive green color from chlorophyll. 

Yellow Chartreuse, introduced in 1838, is milder and sweeter, with 40% ABV, and features flavors of honey, saffron, and spices​.

📌 Fun fact: It appeared in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel “The Great Gatsby” and Alfred Hitchcock’s film “The Lady Vanishes.”​

Apple Cider

There is nothing like a bottle of cider on a hot day. I’m not a beer drinker, so a bottle of cider is my beer equivalent. French apple cider, or “cidre,” has a rich history primarily rooted in the Normandy region, though it is also produced in Brittany and other areas. 

Its origins can be traced back to the early centuries, with references to apple beverages in Gaul by the 1st century BC and significant developments in cider-making techniques during the Middle Ages.

French cider is available in several varieties, including:

• Cidre Doux: A mild, semi-sweet cider with around 1.5% alcohol.
• Cidre Demi-Sec: Slightly fuller-bodied with 3-4% alcohol.
• Cidre Brut: A dry cider with a higher alcohol content of around 4-5%

Liqueur de Mûre

I’d never had Crème de Mûre till I came to France, and it’s wonderfully refreshing on a hot day. It’s a French liqueur made primarily by macerating blackberries in a neutral base spirit, such as vodka or gin.

One of the most famous cocktails featuring Crème de Mûre is the Bramble, created by legendary bartender Dick Bradsell in London in the 1980s. 

Cognac

I’m not a Cognac drinker, but I live near the town and have visited most of the big distilleries. One thing I learned was that it can only be called Cognac if it is produced within the Cognac region.

The production of Cognac involves several key steps, starting with the cultivation of specific grape varieties, primarily Ugni Blanc. After harvesting, the grapes are pressed, and the juice is fermented for two to three weeks. 

The resulting wine is then distilled twice in traditional copper pot stills known as Charentais alembics. The distillate, known as eau-de-vie, is aged in oak barrels for at least two years but often much longer, allowing it to develop its complex flavors and aromas.

📌 Fun fact: One of the most famous fans of Cognac was British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. He was known to have a particular fondness for Hine Cognac, and he even had a special “Cognac Room” in his Chartwell home, where he would enjoy it.

Armagnac

Armagnac is the oldest brandy in France. It originated in the Gascony region of Southwest France and dates back to the early 14th century. The region where Armagnac is produced encompasses three specific areas: Bas-Armagnac, Armagnac-Ténarèze, and Haut-Armagnac.

Each area contributes unique qualities to the spirit due to differences in soil composition and climate. 

📌 Fun fact: The earliest written record of Armagnac comes from a book on medicine written by Prior Vital Dufour, who extolled its 40 virtues, claiming it could cure everything from pestilence to “joy in the spirit.”