French Connection
The French Connection: The 1970s Two-Ingredient After-Dinner Classic
The French Connection first appeared in print in Brian F. Rea's 1976 "Brian's Booze Guide" as a brandy-based cocktail that is a sibling of the better-known Scotch whisky-based Godfather Difford's Guide. While many sources claim the drink was named after the 1971 film "The French Connection," there are references to the drink's popularity in the 1960s, before either the movie or the book it was based on existed Cocktail Party.
Some sources suggest it had its humble beginnings in the mid-1960s, though this remains unofficial Cognac Reverie. The cocktail emerged during a period when cognac producers were working to increase American sales, though scotch whisky dominated the market. The drink also appeared in Stanley M. Jones' "Jones' Complete Barguide" published in 1977 Difford's Guide.
The French Connection combines equal parts cognac and amaretto, creating a surprisingly complex drink from just two ingredients. The cognac provides a bright, fruity base while the amaretto adds sweet almond and stone-fruit notes. The cocktail is traditionally served over ice in a rocks glass or neat in a brandy snifter, meant to be sipped slowly as an after-dinner drink.
The drink became part of a trilogy of "crime cocktails" from the 1970s alongside the Godfather (scotch and amaretto) and Godmother (vodka and amaretto), all named after famous films of the era.
RECIPE:
1½ oz cognac
¾ oz amaretto liqueur
Method:
Fill rocks glass with ice
Pour cognac over ice
Add amaretto
Stir gently to combine
Serve immediately