Three French drinks

I’m just back from France – it was a wonderful trip filled with good food, beautiful scenery, and lots of walking.  We spent a few days in Lyon, then headed south for a stop at the Michelin 3 star Maison Pic, then continued on through Provence and to Marseille before returning home.

As you might guess, I have lots to tell you about!

To start: a trio of very French drinks: pastis, chocolat chaud, and citron pressé.

Pastis

The very first thing we had upon arriving was an apéritif of pastis, that fragrant anise-flavored liqueur that’s so symbolic of the south of France.

A small amount arrives in a glass with a few ice cubes and a bottle of water alongside, so that you can dilute it to your taste.  The pastis itself is a clear, almost topaz yellow; when diluted it turns to a cloudy, pale yellow.

The resulting drink is slightly sweet and tastes of licorice – a light and refreshing start to any meal.  (We also discovered that it’s quite good as a late morning treat in a café!)

Chocolate chaud

D and I had the “fameux” chocolat chaud at the Grand Café des Négociants in Lyon, during a cool late-morning break while exploring the city.

It’s really just a warm chocolate ganache, insanely rich and thick.  You can add steamed milk to lighten it, but I had it straight.  It’s like eating a very indulgent dessert, but in the guise of a drink.Yum.

Citron pressé

Like a non-alcoholic version of pastis, this drink requires some assembly.  It’s basically a DIY lemonade that starts with straight lemon juice in a tall glass.  Ice cubes, sugar, and a bottle of water are provided to mix in.

After adding plenty of sugar (a lot more than I thought I’d need!) and some water, my citron pressé was ready.  Tart and cold, it was an ideal drink to sip on a warm afternoon while watching passersby walking through the square.

And of course, there was plenty of wine, too.  Stay tuned for more!