French Spirits for Spring
French spirits are ideal for spring cocktails: refreshing gin, vermouth standards, classic Armagnac, and a juniper-free botanical alternative for your tonics. Concoct stimulating sips with the French spirit staff picks below.
Dolin Blanc Vermouth de Chambery $13.99
Originally created in Savoie as a stimulating medicinal beverage, Dolin sets the standard for French vermouth. The recipe contains over 30 botanicals including gentian, alpine herbs, artemisia, and hibiscus. If all medicines tasted this delicious, I’d take them every day. – Bambi Ray, Sales Manager
Citadelle Jardin D’été French Gin $29.96
Well, the sun is finally out. I’d say it’s time for a gin cocktail with France’s (and maybe the world’s) most refreshing gin: Citadelle’s Jardin d’Été. Its blend of 19 botanicals with a definitive note of candied lemon peel, with the addition of tonic or sweetened lime juice makes a great pairing for your new spring shorts. – Chung Park, Astor Wines & Spirits Consultant
Escubac Botanical Spirit $33.99
With spring and summer coming, here is your less piney alternative for a gin & tonic. Escubac is a wonderful hybrid, robust with botanicals, but without juniper. This is so refreshing with tonic and lime that you may never return to drinking gin. – Josh Mizrahi, Sales Manager
Christian Drouin Le Gin Pear Small Batch Limited Edition Gin – 2021 $37.96
Christian Drouin is one of France’s brandy masters, but his gin has had a loyal cult following for years. What we have now is a brand new seasonal release distilled from a single harvest’s cider pears, and with a tweaked botanical profile including local iris, peppercorn, and lemon. While it’s a less juniper-forward style, the aromatic pear base mimics the green, bright, and refreshing flavors in a unique way that will work with any of the classic gin cocktails and especially shine in simple preparations like a G&T. – Jon Miner, Astor Wines & Spirits Consultant
Michel Couvreur Overaged Malt Whisky $69.99
A whisky aged in sherry casks in the damp caves of Burgundy for anywhere between 12-27 years already has my attention. Then you pull out the cork. (Yes, a cork!) A blend of over 50 malts from across Scotland combine with the sherry wood over many years to create a powerful experience, one that encompasses loads of dates, spices, and chocolate, with a wonderfully nutty finish. Truly unique and delicious! – Alex Malecki, Astor Wines & Spirits Consultant
Ch. De Pellehaut 32yr Tenarèze Armagnac – 1989 $99.96
Suffering from Bourbon Boredom? Tequila Fatigue? Me too, so I got into Armagnac. This one’s like a time machine; it was distilled in 1989, when a phone was something you had in your house and guys with hair spray and spandex ruled the airwaves. It’s hot—49.5% ABV—but that only serves to support a depth of flavor that is truly astonishing. Silky, elegant, and racy, with an incredible finish, at an incredible price (32 years old for a mere $100), this one is the reason you need Armagnac in your life. – Simon Gouldstone, Astor Wines & Spirits Consultant