Floctails
Floctails
Floc de Gascogne is a versatile drink for oenophiles and mixologists alike.
What would you do if you wanted to serve cocktails at your restaurant but only had a wine and beer license? Create drinks with Floc de Gascogne, or "Floctails."
An aperitif native to southwest France, Floc is a combination of Armagnac, a local grape-distilled brandy, and fresh grape juice. Sweet and flowery, Floc has hints of citrus and is delicious served neat as a traditional aperitif, or over ice with a dash of lemon juice for a refreshing late-afternoon pick-me-up.
Floc is so versatile that Kraig Brown, bartender at San Francisco’s hip Marlowe, has designed an entire range of seasonal cocktails ("Floctails") using the apertif as a base. While most of his recipes involve homemade mixes blended from numerous ingredients, with fruits often simmered and reduced to maximize flavor, you can still enjoy a Floctail with minimum effort. Brown suggests this easy late-summer drink to enjoy at home:
Ingredients:
•One handful of fresh blueberries
•Juice from ½ Meyer lemon
•1½ ounces Floc
•Club soda
Instructions:
Muddle the blueberries in a highball glass (or let them macerate in the Floc for a while). Add the Floc, lemon juice, and ice. Stir vigorously, and top with club soda.
What’s your favorite wine-based summer sipper? Tell us below.
Tags: Floc de Gascogne, Floctail, Marlowe
