Peachy Makeover of the French 75

By Kathy Casey

I look at the bar just like the kitchen. I’ve named of the cocktail consulting arm of my business Liquid Kitchen. It is great to incorporate the principals of high quality ingredients and freshness into the bar just like the kitchen. My philosophy at Kathy Casey Food Studios is love what you do and it comes across to people. We work with restaurants, hotels, cruise lines, retail brands, spirit companies

I also enjoy writing. Sips & Apps (2009 Chronicle Books) is my ninth book. I want to let readers know that they can be great cooks and cocktail makers and not to be intimidated. Easy entertaining is my motto!

My goal for Sips & Apps was “something for everyone”. So there are updated classics, creative cocktails, cocktails for a crowd, non- alcoholic and dessert cocktails, along with a chapter on apps to pair with the drinks. Some easy, some more complicated.

Here is a cocktail from Sips and Apps.

Peach 75

The anise scent of fresh tarragon plays well with peach in this revamped French 75.

1 sprig fresh tarragon
1 1/2 ounces Bombay Sapphire gin
3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons peach puree
3/4 ounce simple syrup
Splash of Champagne

Garnish with fresh tarragon sprig

Tear 1 tarragon sprig and drop into a cocktail shaker. Fill the shaker with ice. Measure in the gin, lemon juice, peach puree, and simple syrup. Cap and shake vigorously. Strain into a martini glass or Champagne flute. Top with a splash of Champagne. Garnish with a tarragon sprig.

Peach Puree
Makes 1 3/4 cups, enough for about 12 to 14 drinks

2 large fresh peaches, peeled and diced, or 2 cups frozen peach chunks, defrosted
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon sugar

Combine the peaches, lemon juice, and sugar in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. If not using immediately, cover and refrigerate, for up to 2 days, until needed.

Simple Syrup
This is a bar staple and the most commonly used sweetener. Though you can purchase simple syrup, it is ordinarily sweeter than I prefer, so I highly recommend making your own.

Makes 3 cups

2 cups water
2 cups sugar

Mix the water and sugar together in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Let boil 1 minute then immediately remove from the heat. Let cool to room temperature before using. Store in a clean glass bottle or container, at room temperature, for up to 2 weeks or, refrigerated, for up to 3 months.

Tip: You can also make this drink with 1 ounce of gin and 1 ounce of peach vodka, omitting the peach puree.

Kathy Casey is a Seattle-based chef, mixologist and pioneer in the bar-chef movement. She is one of the first women executive chefs in the US and was named one of Food & Wine’s Hot New American Chefs.

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