The French Connection Cocktail
The French Connection cocktail is not exclusively a digestif, though it is perfect for this role. The combination of 2 parts Cognac to 1 part Amaretto may, at first glance, appear to be an odd choice. However, the character of the flavours is quite unique, and it’s for this reason that I’ve included the French Connection cocktail here. The origins of this cocktail are a bit tricky to track down, but the origin of the name is not. The French Connection is a 1971 true crime drama movie that starred Gene Hackman. Since this cocktail contains two parts French Cognac, that’s enough of a connection for me!
The French Connection cocktail is not particularly in vogue these days, as it was usurped by the Godchild cocktail, which uses Brandy and Amaretto and is served in an old-fashioned glass over ice.
What I like about the French Connection variant is that it retains a bit of classical tradition. The cocktail is served in a Brandy snifter without ice, allowing the flavour combination to be enhanced from endless swirling in the glass, without any dilution to unbalance the Cognac.
I can see the traditional French Connection cocktail being a very formal digestif, which might allow for some introspection while one digests their meal—or perhaps enjoyed while sitting by an open fire on a winter’s evening. The Godchild, however, is certainly more aligned with modern tastes and is more approachable at any time of the day, as opposed to being reserved solely for after dinner. For nostalgia purposes, I am using the recipe for the French Connection, but to turn it into a Godchild, simply pour the ingredients over ice into an old-fashioned glass.
The French connection Cocktail Ingredients:
60 ml Cognac/Armagnac
30 ml Amaretto
Instructions:
Stir both ingredients with one ice cube
Strain into a Brandy snifter
