Armagnac Cocktails: Our Favourite Recipes for Cocktails Made with Armagnac

Armagnac is not only an after-dinner drink. Young and fruity, or straight from the still as a blanche, it makes excellent cocktails: an armagnac tonic as an aperitif, a well-balanced sour, an old fashioned that is more Gascon than ever. Here are our armagnac cocktail ideas, simple to make at home or behind the bar, along with the bottles from our cellar that suit them best.

Which armagnac to choose for a cocktail

There is no need to open an old vintage for a cocktail: its rancio and oak aromas would be lost in the mix. As with cognac or whisky, the best partners are spirits with a short ageing period: young, lively, fruity armagnacs whose flavour stays clear once mixed.

• Blanche Armagnac, which has never seen a cask: it keeps the fruit of the grape, along with pear and white flowers. It is the ideal base for fresh cocktails and long drinks.
• VS, aged two to four years in cask: a touch of vanilla and roundness, with enough fruit to stand up to tonic or lemon.
• VSOP, for richer cocktails such as an old fashioned, where you want to taste the oak.

In our cellar, the Château de Millet VS, pale, fruity and vanilla-led, is designed for ice and cocktails. The Laballe Ice 3 Years Old focuses on freshness, and Clés des Ducs even offers a Mixologie cuvée. As for blanches, the Dartigalongue Un-Oaked highlights pear and white flowers, while the Château de Millet blanche showcases the purity of the grape.

The armagnac tonic, the simplest armagnac cocktail

This is the most popular armagnac cocktail, and the easiest to get right at home.

• 4 cl of VS armagnac or Blanche Armagnac;
• 12 cl of well-chilled tonic water;
• plenty of ice cubes;
• a strip of orange zest or a slice of lemon.

Fill a tall glass with ice, pour in the armagnac, top up with tonic water and stir gently just once with a bar spoon to keep the bubbles. Express the zest over the glass. With a blanche, the result is floral and lively; with a VS, rounder and more vanilla-led. A less sweet tonic lets the spirit express itself better.

Blanche Armagnac cocktails

Blanche Armagnac makes a delightful replacement for vodka or gin in many cocktails, with the added bonus of the grape's fruit.

• Blanche and lemon: 4 cl of blanche, 2 cl of fresh lemon juice, 1 cl of sugar syrup, crushed ice, all topped up with sparkling water. A fruitier, ready-made version exists in the Bordeneuve Blanche with Lemon, with notes of candied lemon and grapefruit.
• Blanche and red berries: a few raspberries crushed at the bottom of the glass, 4 cl of blanche, a dash of syrup, ice and sparkling water.
• Blanche and peach: 3 cl of blanche, 3 cl of white peach purée, topped up with brut sparkling wine. A summery cocktail, perfect as an aperitif.
• Gascon julep: a few mint leaves muddled with a sugar cube and a dash of lime juice, 5 cl of blanche or VS, crushed ice.
• Iced blanche: simply served very cold, in a small glass straight from the freezer, in the manner of a fruit brandy.

The full selection is gathered in our Blanche Armagnac range.

Pousse Rapière, the Gascon cocktail

Pousse Rapière was born in 1963 at Château de Monluc, in Saint-Puy in the Gers. It is both an armagnac liqueur flavoured with orange and spices, whose recipe remains secret, and the cocktail made with it.

The traditional preparation: pour one measure of liqueur into a flute, then top up with seven measures of brut sparkling wine, served well chilled, and add half a slice of orange. It is the festive aperitif of South-West France, made for sharing. Monluc offers the liqueur in several strengths and in orange, lemon, mint and elderflower flavours: discover the full Pousse Rapière range.

Armagnac, apple and spice

The apple is a fruit of Gascony, the fruit of the croustade, and it pairs naturally with the vanilla of a young armagnac. For an autumn cocktail:

• 4 cl of VS armagnac;
• 10 cl of pure, not-from-concentrate apple juice;
• a cinnamon stick or a star anise;
• ice cubes and a thin slice of apple.

Pour the armagnac and apple juice over the ice, add the spice and stir. In winter, the same drink can be served hot, without ice, like a toddy: heat the apple juice with the cinnamon, then add the armagnac off the heat.

Armagnac and champagne

Armagnac and bubbles get along very well. Inspired by the French 75, this Gascon version is made in a shaker:

• 2 cl of VS armagnac;
• 1 cl of lemon juice;
• 1 cl of sugar syrup;
• top up with well-chilled champagne or brut crémant.

Shake the armagnac, lemon and syrup with ice, strain into a flute, then gently top up with bubbles. Finish with a twist of lemon zest.

Classic armagnac cocktails revisited: sour and old fashioned

The armagnac sour is a balance between spirit, acidity and sweetness:

• 5 cl of VS armagnac;
• 2.5 cl of fresh lemon juice;
• 1.5 cl of sugar syrup;
• one egg white, if you like a foamy texture.

Shake hard and long with ice, strain into a short glass over a large ice cube, and add a few drops of Angostura on the foam.

The armagnac old fashioned shows off a slightly older armagnac. In a short glass, muddle a sugar cube, or pour in 0.5 cl of sugar syrup, with two dashes of Angostura, add 5 cl of VSOP armagnac and a large ice cube, stir for about thirty seconds, then perfume with a strip of orange zest. A Delord VSOP, with its vanilla and lovely oak, is perfect here. See all our VSOP armagnacs.

Floc de Gascogne in cocktails

Floc de Gascogne, the Gascon aperitif made from grape juice and armagnac, also lends itself to mixing. Red floc can be lengthened with tonic and a few ice cubes; white floc pairs well with a citrus soda or a splash of champagne. The red floc from Domaine de Millet, near Eauze, with notes of raspberry and blackcurrant, makes an excellent floc tonic. To learn all about this liqueur wine, see our Floc de Gascogne page.

Our tips for successful cocktails

• Measure carefully: armagnac has character, so 4 to 5 cl is enough in a cocktail.
• Chill: plenty of ice and cold glasses. The more ice there is, the more slowly it melts.
• Squeeze to order: citrus squeezed just before serving makes all the difference compared with bottled juice.
• Taste: adjust the sweetness or acidity to your liking before serving; a spoonful is enough to check.
• Keep great armagnacs for sipping: an XO, a Hors d'Âge or a vintage is best enjoyed on its own, in a tulip glass.

For neat tasting, see our guide how to choose your armagnac.

Frequently asked questions

Which armagnac is best for a cocktail?

A young armagnac: a Blanche Armagnac, which has not been aged in cask, or a VS. They bring fruit and freshness without overpowering the other ingredients. Old armagnacs are best kept for sipping.

What can you mix armagnac with?

With tonic, sparkling water, lemon juice and a little sugar syrup, champagne or crémant, or aromatic bitters for an old fashioned. Orange, as zest or juice, is its most natural fruit partner.

Can you drink armagnac with Schweppes?

Yes: that is the armagnac tonic, a simple and refreshing long drink. Choose a VS or a blanche, plenty of ice and a less sweet tonic.

What is Pousse Rapière?

An orange-flavoured armagnac liqueur created in 1963 at Château de Monluc, and the cocktail that goes with it: one measure of liqueur to seven measures of brut sparkling wine, with half a slice of orange.

How should you drink Blanche Armagnac?

Well chilled, neat in a small glass, or in a cocktail in place of vodka or gin: with tonic, lemon or red berries.