How to Drink Chambord

Co-authored by Eric McClure

Last Updated: January 13, 2021 References Tested

Chambord is a brand of black raspberry liqueur that is based on a French recipe from the late 1600s. Chambord is notable for having a complex flavor profile, as it is distilled with a combination of raspberries, blackberries, vanilla, citrus, and cognac.^{[1]
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Research source} Due to its distinct flavor, Chambord is almost universally used as an ingredient in cocktails like the French martini, Chambord margarita, and gin bramble.

Ingredients

French Martini^{[2]
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2 fluid ounces (59 ml) vodka
¹⁄₂ fluid ounce (15 ml) Chambord
1 ¹⁄₂ fluid ounces (44 ml) pineapple juice

Chambord Margarita^{[3]
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1 ¹⁄₂ fluid ounces (44 ml) tequila
³⁄₄ fluid ounce (22 ml) Chambord
³⁄₄ fluid ounce (22 ml) pomegranate juice
¹⁄₂ fluid ounce (15 ml) lime juice
salt (optional)

Gin Bramble

1 ¹⁄₅ fluid ounces (35 ml) gin
¹⁄₂ fluid ounce (15 ml) Chambord
1 fluid ounce (30 ml) lemon juice
¹⁄₂ fluid ounce (15 ml) simple syrup (1:1)
Blackberry or lemon twist

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:
Shaking up a French Martini

1
Set aside a single coupe glass with ice in it. After you've created your martini, you'll want to pour it in to a chilled glass. Setting aside your coupe glass with ice in it at the beginning should give the glass ample time to chill.^{[4]
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- You can always use a traditional martini glass if you don't have a coupe glass.
2
Mix your vodka, Chambord, and pineapple juice in a shaker. Pour the ingredients over ice and shake them vigorously until chilled. It should take roughly ten to fifteen seconds.^{[5]
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- You can measure out your ingredients using a measuring cup or a jigger—a specialty bartending tool used to pour alcoholic drinks.^{[6]
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3
Take the ice out of your serving glass. At this point, your glass should be appropriately chilled and ready for your cocktail.^{[7]
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Research source} Feel free to dump the ice cubes out before serving your drink.
4
Strain the mixture into your glass. Using a cocktail strainer, pour the mixture from your shaker into your chilled glass. Be careful to avoid dumping any unwanted ice into your drink while you do this.^{[8]
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- You should get a little bit of froth on the top of your drink from the pineapple juice.^{[9]
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- While most martinis are clear, the Chambord will turn this version a pleasant pink!^{[10]
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- French martinis are not typically garnished with anything.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:
Mixing a Chambord Margarita

1
Pour all of your ingredients into a cocktail shaker. Combine your ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake the mixture for ten to fifteen seconds. You should be able to feel the shaker getting colder.^{[11]
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2
Prepare your glass by salting the rim. Dip the rim of your glass in a saucer of water and then lightly tap the rim in a separate saucer of lime sugar and salt. You can move the rim around in the sugar and salt mixture if you prefer a lot of salt on the rim of your margaritas.^{[12]
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- This step is entirely optional. If you prefer a margarita with no salt on the rim, simply skip it.
3
Pour your drink into a margarita or cocktail glass. Most margaritas are poured over ice. You can strain the drink over the ice in your glass, or include the ice from the shaker. Garnish your glass with a lime slice or wedge.^{[13]
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- A frozen version of this margarita is made by blending the ingredients with ice in a large blender instead of using a shaker.^{[14]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 4:
Crafting a Gin Bramble

1
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add your ingredients. Use a dry gin if you have it. The simple syrup should have a 1:1 ratio of sugar to water.^{[15]
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- Making simple syrup at home is fairly easy if you're up to the task. You just have to boil the sugar with some cold water and mix it until it's dissolved.^{[16]
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  Research source} But there's certainly nothing wrong with buying some premade simple syrup.
2
Shake and strain the mixture into your glass. Typically, gin brambles are served in an Old Fashioned glass with ice. Once you've strained the mixture into your glass, slowly pour your Chambord on top.
- When you pour an ingredient on top of a mixture, it's called a float.^{[17]
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3
Garnish with a blackberry or lemon twist. You can use either a scoop of blackberries or a twist of lemon to garnish your drink.^{[18]
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Method 4

Method 4 of 4:
Experimenting with Chambord

1
Add a dash of Chambord to a glass of sparkling wine. Experimenting with sparkling wine as the base for a drink is fairly common.^{[19]
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Research source} Since liqueurs typically serve as strong complementary ingredients, try adding a dash of Chambord to spice up that boring old glass of sparkling wine!^{[20]
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2
Replace the sugar in your Old Fashioned. Most Old Fashioned recipes call for some amount of granular sugar. If you enjoy a hint of raspberry in your cocktails, try replacing the sugar with a dash of Chambord. It's naturally sweet, and will increase the citrus profile in your Old Fashioned.^{[21]
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- Chambord is a sweet liqueur, but it's also acidic. If you're only trying to make your Old Fashioned sweeter, don't use Chambord.^{[22]
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3
Test Chambord in your own concoction. Chambord has a highly dynamic flavor profile, and the citrus notes and acidity can help balance out the flavors of many spirits. If you're playing around with new cocktail ideas, consider testing Chambord in drinks containing gin, vodka, bourbon or brandy.^{[23]
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- You can also prepare garnishes with Chambord. Try soaking your cherry garnishes in Chambord!^{[24]
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4
Try Chambord on its own. While Chambord is almost universally found as an ingredient in cocktail recipes, you can try most liqueurs on their own. If you find yourself particularly enchanted by the raspberry flavors found in Chambord, feel free to try it neat or on the rocks!^{[25]
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