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Fantastic Frenchie Cocktail

This fantastic Frenchie cocktail recipe is so delicious, not only because it contains refreshing citrus juice, but also because the gin and St. Germain liqueur are perfectly balanced!

Short martini glass in front of the collins glass both filled with the Frenchie with a few slices of grapefruit in them

This fantastic Frenchie cocktail is new for me. My first thought when I sipped it was, “Where have you been all my life?”

Then I remembered that I couldn’t have had this Frenchie cocktail sooner because it’s only recently that I’ve discovered St. Germain liqueur. The Chatelaine cocktail is another recipe that uses this delicious elderflower cordial!

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If you’ve used St. Germain before, what do you usually make with it? I’d love to know, so leave me a comment.

I’ve read online that this delicious cocktail was named “The Frenchie” by someone in England because it calls for elderflower liqueur. Who knows if it’s true? I certainly don’t. Maybe because in the Englishman’s mind, French equals flowery equals sweet equals elderflower liqueur? Or maybe because St. Germain was French?

Maybe. So, what do you think? And if you know why it’s named the Frenchie cocktail, do tell!

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Helpful tips

  • You can use either freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, or store bought. I prefer store bought because 1) it tastes so good and 2) you would need to squeeze a lot of grapefruits to make this drink, which is not cost effective.
  • Use a mid-level gin as you really won’t be able to taste the difference
  • There are a few elderflower liqueurs out here, but I like St. Germain because it doesn’t cost a lot of money and tastes amazing
  • You can choose to either shake this cocktail or stir it. I love shaking because it creates micro-chips of ice from your ice cubes

How to make the Frenchie cocktail

Pre-step

Fill cocktail shaker halfway with ice and cut a few grapefruit wedges and a wheel. Get a measuring glass and glassware.

After measuring out each ingredient, pour it into the shaker.

Step one

Gather the ingredients – gin, St. Germain liqueur, and ruby red grapefruit juice.

Gin, St. Germain liqueur and grapefruit on a green board

Step two

Measure 4 ounces of gin.

Gin measured with the bottle, glassware and shaker in the background

Step three

Measure 1 1/2 ounces St. Germain liqueur.

Elderberry liqueur measured with the bottle, shaker and glasses in the background

Step four

Measure 6 ounces of grapefruit juice.

grapefruit juice measured out with a grapefruit, shaker and glasses in the background

Step five

Cap that cocktail shaker and shake it for 15 seconds before pouring the contents into the glasses. If you need a few more ice cubes, add them now.

Step six

Float a 1/2 slice of ruby red grapefruit in the wide glass and place wedges as garnish on the rim of each glass.

Tall Collins glass in front of the martini glass filled with the orange cocktail. There are grapefruit wedges on the side of the glasses

Vertical view.

Vertical view of the shorter glass with the grapefruit floating in the liquid

And the overhead shot because the view is fine!

Overhead view of the pinkish Cocktail with a floating slice of grapefruit and another one on the rim of the glass

I hope you enjoyed this Frenchie cocktail recipe!

Other grapefruit juice cocktails

And as always, may all your dishes/drinks be delish!

If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on the blog, I’d love the hear what you thought about it in the comments below.  I love hearing from you!  You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOKTWITTERINSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!

Square photo of the martini glass with the cocktail in it with one grapefruit slice floating and one on the side of the glass

Fantastic Frenchie Cocktail

This cocktail is so delicious you will want this Frenchie drink regularly!
5 from 11 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Cocktails
Cuisine: Cocktails
Keyword: elderflower cocktail, Frenchie cocktail, what to use with elderflower liqueur
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 2 Cocktails
Calories: 247kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces gin (I used Bombay Sapphire)
  • 1.5 ounces St. Germain liqueur (or other elderflower liqueur)
  • 6 ounces ruby red grapefruit juice

Garnish

  • 2 ruby red grapefruit wedges
  • 1/2 ruby red grapefruit wheel for martini glass

Instructions

Make it!

  • Fill cocktail shaker halfway with ice, add gin, St. Germain and grapefruit juice
    4 ounces gin, 1.5 ounces St. Germain liqueur, 6 ounces ruby red grapefruit juice
  • Cap shaker and shake for 30 seconds.  Or stir vigorously with a cocktail spoon
  • Pour the contents between the two glasses and add ice if needed, place a half wheel of grapefruit in the martini glass and garnish both rims with a grapefruit wedge.
    2 ruby red grapefruit wedges, 1/2 ruby red grapefruit wheel
  • Sip
  • Smile
  • Enjoy
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Notes

If you can’t have grapefruit juice, I bet this would be good with orange juice too!
Helpful tips
  • You can use either freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, or store bought. I prefer store bought because you would need a lot of grapefruits to squeeze to make this and it isn’t cost effective
  • Use a mid-level gin as you really won’t be able to taste the difference
  • There are a few elderflower liqueurs out here, but I like this brand because it doesn’t cost a lot of money and tastes amazing
  • You can choose to either shake this cocktail or stir it. I love shaking because the ice breaks up and you get little ice chips floating in your cocktail

Nutrition

Serving: 1cocktail | Calories: 247kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 137mg | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin C: 22.9mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 0.3mg
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Updated, but first published October of 2017

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From lighting up stages with her BA in theater to food journalist, Elaine Benoit's journey is a testament to passion's transformative power. As the CEO of Dishes Delish, she offers a blend of healthy, comforting recipes and exquisitely crafted cocktails. Beyond the kitchen, Elaine voiced her culinary adventures on her podcast, "Dishing," and co-owns Food Blogger Help, extending her expertise to guide budding food bloggers to success. Whether it's for a heartwarming dish or insights into food blogging, Elaine's diverse experiences make her a beacon in the culinary digital landscape.

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32 Comments

  1. I’ve seen the St Germain liquor in stores but never really had a reason to buy it but I was totally curious about the elderberry flavour! Now I have a reason to try this out! 🙂

  2. My hubby and I have just been discussing all kinds of drinks and what we would like to try next. We bought some wine a few days ago so it is all classic this weekend. However, it definitely needs to be gin and liqueur very soon because this recipe is just amazing! I also like how great the photos look with the right amount of light on details and at the same time keeping the background perfectly balanced! ????????

  3. This Frenchie must be English as I never heard of it here in France, but then again my social drinking life is very limited so I cannot be trusted. I will check it out and let you know what I hear about the Frenchie in France

  4. I’m a fan of cocktails but I’ve never use elderberry liquer. Will have to keep an eye out for it!

  5. Love this combination of spirits. After tonic water, grapefruit juice may be the best thing that ever happened to gin!

  6. I have a whole story for you… so hang in there!

    I threw a cocktail party for my husband’s birthday last night. I knew I wanted a good combo of options. But I’m not a big drinker at all, usually I’m ordering gin and tonic at a bar. So I knew I needed recipies I could trust. You had me at your gorgeous photos and details that helped me navigate the daunting liquor store.
    I knew I wanted something I could serve from a pitcher to keep things moving… so I used your Cherry Margarita recipe with generous helping. Huge hit. We called it “Bowl Full Of Cherries Margarita” after a saying my husband uses frequently.

    I knew we needed a chocolate martini because it’s his favorite drink. So we used yours with the caramel vodka. Huge hit. People were a little wary but always pleasantly surprised. I bought cheap plastic shot glasses and had samples going to let guests try. Great way to keep things moving.

    Then we needed a strong standard to hold down the fort. So I chose the Bourbon Manhattan. I told the salesguy at Total Wine “I need a bourbon that’s cheap but makes me look like I know what I’m doing” He chose Watkins. Went over like a charm.

    But the star of the night was the Frenchie! My husband is of French descent so when I saw the name I knew we needed it to close out the menu. Everyone was excited when they saw the grapefruit slices and I used a whole bottle of Bombay Sapphire. I was really surprised how well this one went over. But glad I chose it!

    I thought you would enjoy the story of my victory. Yesterday was the first time I’d ever mixed a drink… you heard that right…. and it was a smashing success. Husband was happy, friends were happy and impressed… which makes me happy. Thank you!

    1. Abigail, I can’t even tell you what this comment meant to me. It really made my day. Thank you so much for liking my cocktails and sharing them with your friends and family! AND thank you oodles for sharing your fun and awesome story and taking the time to comment!

  7. Thanks for your yummy recipe! I do need to correct something though—it’s elderflower liqueur, not elderberry. Those are 2 totally different flavors. And the St Elder brand is $10-$15 a bottle cheaper and tastes just as good!

    1. Thank you so much for pointing that out, Sarah. I have to tell you the story about why elderberry made it into the post. I do know there are both elderflower and elderberry liqueurs, but hubby and I have played a multiplayer game online and his hunter character has a companion that is a bear, so he named it eldabeary, so the name seemed so natural to me. I wasn’t even thinking of elderflower which I prefer, because the name sounded right because of that bear.

      After I write the recipe posts, hubby edits them and neither of us recognized this mistake. We both had a good laugh about the switch of words. And, thanks also for pointing out a good replacement for the elderflower liqueur. I tend to buy higher priced liquor/liqueur, but I should put in quality lower priced options as well.

  8. I love this cocktail! I actually order it when I’m out (telling the bartender exactly how to make it), and inevitably they end up asking me what it is because it’s so delicious. 😄 One twist: instead of a grapefruit garnish, I use a sprig of fresh rosemary, and it really takes it over the top 😊

    1. I bet the rosemary is awesome! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoy it. It’s a family favorite!! And at a side note: I’ve ordered it out too and had to tell them how to make it. 🙂 Thanks for letting me know :).

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