I’ve been watching David Lebovitz’s live instagram stories for the past few weeks, not every day but quite frequently. They start at 6pm Paris time which is 9am pacific time here. That’s Apéro hour in France, the equivalent of happy hour in the U.S. But at 9am I’m not always wanting to think about french cocktails that early. He’s promoting his new book Drinking French, and I’ve been learning quite a bit each episode.

I saw one not too long ago featuring this Champs Elysees cocktail with his guest Margot Lecarpentier, who owns a bar in Paris. Apparently she’s sort of a rock star in the bartending world. Honestly this drink is so good I can understand why. It’s kind of a sweet and sour flavor, it tastes a lot like a green apple Jolly Rancher candy. I kid you not. It’s so delicious!

Her recipe is all in milliliters so I did my best to translate to ounces, but some ml measurements don’t really translate well into ounces so figured out the teaspoon or tablespoon measurements which worked out a little easier. For example 40 ml equals 1.35256 oz. I rounded up on all the measurements and it worked out fine.

A few thoughts on liquor because some liqueurs and spirits can cost quite a bit and I didn’t want to spend a fortune trying out a new cocktail.

I did a phone order with a local liquor store and asked for the small bottle of Chartreuse, I think it was 375ml, but when I got there they said they were out of stock so she asked if four tiny bottles (50ml) were ok, and I mumbled underneath my mask that it was fine. These small bottles might be a good option if you just want to try some new cocktails without investing in the larger bottle. I think they were about $6 a bottle.

Apple brandy. The original recipe called for Calvados which can get a little pricy too, so I ordered E&J apple brandy, it’s inexpensive and tastes very very good! So you don’t have to break the bank to have a good cocktail!

Oh, and the original recipe tops the drink with a dash of Angostura which I’m out of so I skipped it, you can try that if you like.

Hope you are all well as we continue to stay home and keep a distance. I’m being super careful when I go out which is about once a week. And thanks so much to any of you that work in healthcare or in the service industry. Cheers!

Champs Elysées Cocktail

25 ml (1 oz) (about 1/2 lime) lime juice
10 ml (.5 oz or 2 teaspoons) simple syrup
15 ml (.75 oz or 1 tablespoon) chartreuse green
40 ml (1.5 oz) calvados or apple brandy

Pour all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with a few cubes of ice, give it a good shake and strain into a small cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon peel. Top with dash Angostura bitters (optional)