Big drink trends come from a variety of places: TikTok, the Starbucks menu, and creative mixologists from across the country, for instance. Another source of some of the biggest beverage inspiration: celebrities.

Remember the Negroni Sbagliato? That spritz-y twist on the classic Campari cocktail spiked in popularity after an actor from the Max series House of the Dragon, Emma D’Arcy, mentioned that it was her drink of choice. The same holds true with the French Blonde cocktail. It has been around for more than a century, but soon after the owners of the Kansas City restaurant Rye revealed that it was one of Taylor Swift’s go-to orders in winter 2024, the French Blonde was all over restaurant menus and social media. 

What Is a French Blonde Cocktail?

Fans of the French 75, Bee’s Knees, or Tom Collins will likely go wild for the French Blonde. Equal parts fresh, fruity, and floral, this sophisticated and stylish cocktail is believed to have been available in France since at least the 1920s. Thanks to trendsetting T. Swift, the French Blonde is now getting its well-deserved moment in the sun stateside. 

Sweet and floral Lillet Blanc, a French aperitif, teams up with tart grapefruit juice to set the flavor foundation. Add a splash of gin for structure and a botanical element, plus some elderflower-forward St. Germain. The result is a refreshing, well-balanced, and not too boozy cocktail that’s an ideal summer sipper. Try it for happy hour or alongside dinner.

French Blonde Cocktail Ingredients

Just 5 ingredients are required to shake up this refreshing and easy cocktail recipe.

• Grapefruit juice: Regular white grapefruit juice will give the most “blonde” color. That being said, if you prefer pink or ruby grapefruit juice, that totally works, and will give you a “French Redhead” cocktail. Regardless of which kind of grapefruit juice you choose, we recommend freshly-squeezing it rather than pouring it from a bottle of store-bought grapefruit juice. One half of a large grapefruit should yield enough for one serving of this French Blonde cocktail recipe. Be sure to peel your grapefruit before you squeeze it for the garnish.
• Lillet Blanc: This French aperitif (pronounced lee-lay blah-nk) is white wine that’s fortified with citrus and liqueurs. It's lightly floral and fruity, and also plays nicely in a spritz. (Try it in place of Aperol.) Look for Lillet Blanc at wine or liquor stores. Once open, store it in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
• Gin: A floral botanical gin such as Hendrick’s, St. George Botanivore, or The Botanist plays nicely here, although you could certainly start with a juniper-forward London dry gin like Kansas City’s own Rieger Midwestern Dry Gin if you prefer.
• St. Germain elderflower liqueur: If you haven’t already stocked up on this sweet and floral liqueur for Hugo Spritzes, now is the time to add a bottle to your bar cart. You can also find this at most major wine and liquor stores. Besides featuring it in the French Blonde and spritzes, we adore adding a splash of St. Germain to a pitcher (or a French press!) that contains a bottle of wine and some sliced fruit to make a stellar sangria.
• Lemon bitters: Citrus-flavored cocktail bitters are traditional and add a lovely layer of complexity. If you have orange bitters handy for old fashioned cocktails, feel free to use those instead. Major retailers like Amazon and Target sell cocktail bitters, as do most liquor stores. If you’d like to skip the bitters entirely, replace them with 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice.
• Grapefruit or lemon twist: To max out the flavor expression from the sliver of citrus peel, give it a twist directly above the cocktail. This will allow the citrus oils that are expressed by the twisting to shower into the drink—rather than spray onto your counter.