You're 2 Ingredients Away From Making A French Connection Cocktail

If there's one thing we love more than a retro cocktail (like the egg-white infused New York Sour), it's a mixed drink with just a couple of simple ingredients that add up to incredible flavor. A French Connection hits both buttons, with an origin in the '70s and a simplicity belied by its nutty, warm taste — perfect for sipping after dinner on a cold night.

The two ingredients in a French Connection are simply Cognac and amaretto. It comes by its Francophile name not because it's actually French, but because it's in reference to a Gene Hackman film by the same name that was released in 1971. Notably, Hackman's cop character in the movie went by the sobriquet "Popeye," which means the French Connection cocktail narrowly avoided ending up on the list of drink names that could use a rebrand. 

The French Connection is a lesser-known cousin of the Godfather cocktail, which substitutes Scotch whiskey for the Cognac. A French Connection is so incredibly easy to whip up and enjoy that it will become an instant favorite for your personal consumption or for batch-concocting for parties where a digestif is called upon to hit the spot.

You are probably familiar with Cognac, which is not the same thing as brandy, but may be unaware of amaretto. Made of almonds and the pits of stone fruits, this liquor has a nutty, fruity taste that gives the French Connection an undeniable sweetness. Any Cognac of your choice will do the trick for this drink, although with only two ingredients, you probably don't want to pull a bottle off the bottom shelf. Simply mix one part amaretto with 1.5 to 2 parts Cognac in a snifter glass, and you are good to go.

There is some controversy over the use of ice in a French Connection. Some experts say that the snifter glass is meant to facilitate the heat of your hand warming the Cognac as you swirl it; others say that the drink is improved by a bit of water. If you like the chill of ice but not the dilution, you could use frozen whiskey stones. Opinions are also mixed on whether to garnish this drink. When a garnish is utilized, a twist of lemon or orange is traditional. Try your hand at mixing up this cocktail and experiment with what variation tastes best to you.