Alcohol Review I - Apéritifs

French people drink a lot, but never get drunk. It's a strange cultural thing where you should only be tipsy, being wasted is just plain trashy. The Brits do that, not the French. Nevertheless, it doesn't stop them from starting to drink at 6pm. Before going out to dinner, either you have an apéritif  at a bar, the restaurant or quite often at your friend's place. Beer is obviously an option (especially in Alsace), but there is a category of drinks that only has that specific purpose. I'll separate them in three groups:

Les Vins Cuits (Cooked Wines)

 These guys come from either a red or a white wine, are simmered in fruits or herbs, then loaded up with more alcohol and sugar. The result is a sweet fruity drink that is best served ice-cold. The alcohol content is of about 16%.

My favourite brand has to be Lillet. The white one has been around at the SAQ for quite some time, and I was ecstatic to find the red recently. Although my roommates and I have a preference for the white, which is quite sweet and citrusy, the red is like a more refined version of Sangria. Everytime I bring a Lillet home, it probably vanishes in about fifteen minutes. I think my roommate calls it "sex in a bottle" or something vaguely raunchy like that.

Price : Around $16

Now aren't they a cute couple?

Honestly, the Lillet red is a little bit of a whimp... If you want something a little more coarse, spicy and badass, Dubonnet Rouge is the man for you. Though not too manly - it's still sweet. I find excellent to mix with a bit of sprite (sacrilegious, I know!).

Price : Also Around $16

The bad-assest of the sweeties

 

 

 

 

  If you can find these two -I know it's possible because I've seen them around - they are the bomb. St Raphaël Doré is like thick golden honey, and goes straight to your head. Rinquinquin (good luck pronouncing it right if you're anglo), on the other hand, is a delicate, peach marinated white wine that ladies tend to go nuts about. Though they're rare, grab a bottle as soon as you see it. I know that Rinquinquin is produced in limited quantities in the North-East of France, so having one is like having a limited series comic book. Except comic books don't get you drunk - unless you're weird like that.

Price : $20 for Rinquinquin, and around $16 for St Raph

Les Pastagas (Anis/Licorice Based drinks)

Do not drink these straight from the bottle. It's gross, and their pure alcohol content is around 70%. You mix it with a bit of cold water, and in some cases fruit syrups to make cocktails. There's a huge variety of these - it goes from Absinthe to Pastis. They generally come on a scale from sweet to more bitter, or more anis-y to more herbal. Down in the south of France, they drink this all day long to "refresh" themselves, and though it does have a cooling effect, I still wouldn't recommend drinking it in the sun. It makes you pee A LOT.

The most basic ones are Ricard and Pernod. I prefer Ricard, Pernod kind of has a cheap connotation to me, you can really taste the alcohol, whereas Ricard has a smoother, better rounded flavour of anis and is perhaps a tad sweeter. They are both the most popular brands in France, anyone will know what you're talking about. Oh and these guys also own almost all of the alcohols in Europe. It's a corporate conglomerate thingy (I swear I'm a business student).

Price : Around $23, although Pernod is cheaper by a little bit.

Yep, these two are partners in crime... although one is the uglier brother.

If you want an extra smooth version of these guys, Berger Blanc is like the children's version. It's as if it were fluffier, lighter and more delicate on the anis than the previous two. It goes down real smooth - I can guarantee that.

Price : Same as Ricard

I would give this to my kids.

There's way more basic pastis out there... but I don't even think the SAQ sells them so why bother. What they do sell is Versinthe and Absinthe (at a horribly expensive price though). Both of these are more plant based, so they have a very herbal flavour along with a sweet licorice taste. Unfortunately, they don't have any hallucinogenic properties (no tripping out tonight guys), even though they come from the same plant as the one that made poets see green fairies. It's fun to do the whole sugar thing and stuff, but that's mostly for the show. They're already decently sweet, and honestly the only drawback is the price.

Price : $35

Sadly, no green fairies here, only blond ones.

Well that's a decent selection of apéritifs, so next time you have a dinner party, start drinking at 6, but don't get drunk unless you're a Brit.