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Liqueurs · Sours

Champs-Élysées

Herbal and bright, cognac's warmth cut by Chartreuse's green intensity and a clean lemon snap.

Coupe
  • 60 ml2 ozcognac
  • 20 ml0.75 ozgreen Chartreuse
  • 20 ml0.75 ozlemon juice
  • 2 dashesAngostura bitters

Garnish: none

Method
Shaken
Strength
~24% ABV
Difficulty
●●●

Method

  1. Add cognac, green Chartreuse, lemon juice and bitters to a shaker with ice.
  2. Shake well.
  3. Strain into a chilled coupe.
  4. No garnish needed.

The story

Harry MacElhone printed this one in his 1930 ABC of Mixing Cocktails, naming it for the Paris avenue his own bar sat just off of. Green Chartreuse is a bold thing to build a sour around, but it holds its own against cognac instead of disappearing the way most liqueurs do in this amount.

Flavour

Boozy
Sour
Herbal
Citrus
Sweet
Rich
Bitter
Spicy

Quick answers

Champs-Élysées questions

How do you make a Champs-Élysées?

Add cognac, green Chartreuse, lemon juice and bitters to a shaker with ice. Shake well. Strain into a chilled coupe. No garnish needed. You need 60 ml (2 oz) cognac, 20 ml (0.75 oz) green Chartreuse, 20 ml (0.75 oz) lemon juice and 2 dashes Angostura bitters.

What's in a Champs-Élysées?

Cognac, green Chartreuse, lemon juice and Angostura bitters, garnished with none.

Is a Champs-Élysées shaken or stirred?

Shaken. Shaking chills, dilutes and aerates the citrus or cream.

What glass is a Champs-Élysées served in?

A coupe, with no ice.

How strong is a Champs-Élysées?

About 24% ABV once it is diluted, about as strong as a glass of fortified wine.

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