Paul Girault’s original Colombe cocktail, served at Café de La Paix, was a modified Champagne cocktail fortified with Cognac and cherry and orange liqueurs. I’ve adapted it to suit our supply list this month, keeping the Cognac and orange liqueur, using grenadine to hint at the conflation of grenadine and cherry syrup, and “improving” the mixture with absinthe and Angostura bitters. The snifter is a nod to the Cognac base.

A sour that was popular at the Ritz Bar in Paris in the 1920s, the Sidecar traveled across the Atlantic and became a favorite drink in the U.S. during Prohibition. I took the spec developed by Ned King (get it? roi!) at Gigantic, which uses honey syrup in addition to orange liqueur; I decided to embrace the traditional sugar rim garnish, giving it dimension by adding chamomile.

The French 75 is traditionally made with Cognac or gin, lemon, sugar, and Champagne. I favor the Cognac version–which lives on as a New Orleans classic. I thought it would be fun to make a version inspired by Normandy, using Calvados in place of Cognac and, mirroring the grapes-on-grapes dynamic of the original, to pair the French apple brandy with dry cider in place of Champagne.

The Jack Rose wasn’t invented in Paris, but it made a name for itself in the French capital’s expat scene. Though several versions exist, at times including orange juice, liqueurs, or vermouth, the version from Hugo Ensslin’s 1917 Recipes for Mixed Drinks is elemental and delicious. Our version calls on two French brandies–the Calvados as a nod to the American apple brandy of the original, and Cognac–along with a little absinthe for dimension.

Both of these beautiful products are mistelles, which are produced by adding unfermented or partially fermented juice to full-proof spirit (typically in a ratio of 3:1 juice to spirit) and barrel aging it. Pineau des Charentes is produced in the same region as Cognac and combines unfermented grape juice with 1-year-old Cognac. Some are bright and lively while others have earthier, dried-fruit notes. The Pommeau is produced similarly, but in Normandy, an apple-rich coastal region in the northwest. It’s typically 75% unfermented apple juice and 25% Calvados and delivers not only big apple flavor but a wonderful texture as well.

Gaëtan Lassale is one of my oldest friends. We studied in Canterbury, England, together back in the early aughts. Gaëtan grew up in a village in the south of France, eating dinner with his family on the terrace every night in the summer. They ate lots of grilled meat and vegetables, along with ratatouille and aubergines in tomato sauce, which were prepared in the cooler morning hours and served cold in the evening. His grandmother liked to beat the heat by drinking the anise-flavored spirit pastis with chilled water ─ a popular drink in Marseille.

Last year I had the good fortune of connecting with Zac Overman, who sent me a copy of Cocktails a L’Américaine, a compilation of L’Oursin’s house cocktails. The book is full of complex drinks rooted in American mixology that utilize the best of French and alpine spirits, wines, and liqueurs. But because of our August theme, I chose to feature this elegant bitter highball, which showcases the style of French drinking we’re celebrating this month. It’s named after the Corsican cheesemonger who supplies L’Oursin.

My friend Rebekah Peppler has a talent for transporting her readers to France. Her books, Apéritif and À Table give us a window into her life in Paris and highlight traditional French food and beverage. When I was perusing her books for this month’s programming, I noticed that her collection of Kir variations is like a mini road trip through France, from Normandy and Brittany to Burgundy, Paris, Champagne, and beyond. So, grab a bottle of crème de cassis, choose your variation(s), and be transported!