Bring Me Back Something French

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Cocktail History

The Bring Me Back Something French is a Christmas cocktail that was created by bartender Stephen Denaro while at Craft & Commerce in San Diego, California.

Inspired by a quirky line from the first Home Alone movie, the recipe is a cozy blend of rich, homemade hot chocolate with the distinct, herbal flavor of absinthe, an anise-flavored spirit. To make it extra indulgent, it’s topped with fluffy vanilla whipped cream, festive sprinkles, and a playful garnish of chocolate-dipped Pocky sticks. The combination of flavors is both warm and flavorful, with the absinthe adding a unique twist that sets it apart from typical holiday hot chocolates​.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Milk: This is a beverage made with the liquid from dairy cows, which is pasteurized and homogenized to ensure safety and consistency.

Hot Cocoa Mix: This is a dry beverage mix made with cocoa powder, sugar, milk powder, and flavorings, which are blended together into a sweet, chocolate base that’s dissolved in hot water or milk.

Absinthe: This is a spirit made by distilling a neutral alcohol with wormwood, anise, fennel, and other botanicals to develop a strong, herbal flavor.

Vanilla Whipped Cream: This is a dairy topping made with cream and sugar, which are flavored with vanilla extract and whipped into a light, airy texture.

Chocolate Pocky Sticks: This is a snack made from baked biscuit dough that’s shaped into a stick and coated in melted chocolate.

Sprinkles: This is a confection made with small decorative pieces of sugar that has a sweet flavor and comes in various colors.

Brands I Used

• 🔗 Prairie Farm Vitamin D Whole Milk
• 🔗 Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Premium Hot Cocoa Mix
• 🔗 Great Lakes Distillery Amerique 1912 Absinthe Verte
• 🔗 Reddi-Wip Original Dairy Whipped Topping
• 🔗 Glico Chocolate Cream Pocky Sticks
• 🔗 Wilton Assorted Holiday Sprinkles

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Bar Mat: This is a rubber or silicone mat that’s placed on the bar surface and used for catching spills, providing grip for glasses and tools, and keeping the workspace clean and organized.

Jigger: This is a small double-sided tool with different volume measurements on each side that’s used for accurately portioning ingredients.

Saucepan: This is a deep cooking pot with a long handle that’s used for heating and preparing ingredients on the stovetop.

Spatula: This is a flat kitchen tool with a flexible or rigid head that’s used for scraping, folding, mixing, and spreading ingredients.

Ladle: This is a large deep-bowled spoon with a long handle that’s used for scooping and serving punches and other batch drinks.

Irish Coffee Mug: This is a heat-resistant glass mug with a sturdy handle and footed base that’s used for serving warm cocktails and coffee drinks.

Tools I Used

• 🔗 A Bar Above 18×12 Premium Bar Mat
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Japanese Jigger
• 🔗 All-Clad 3-Ply Stainless Steel 3 Quart Sauce Pan
• 🔗 OXO Heavy Duty Silicone Spatula
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips Silicone Everyday Ladle
• 🔗 Libbey Christmas Irish Coffee Mug

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Light cocoa color with whipped cream topping

• Aroma: Chocolate, cream, and anise

• Taste: Classically sweet flavor of hot coca touched with an alcoholic burn

• Finish: More chocolate with a complex anise tinge

Kendall’s Take
“Absinthe and hot cocoa weren’t an obvious pairing at my bar until I tried this boozy cocoa, but the spirit’s district anise note brings a surprisingly cozy depth to the recipe’s chocolate base. It adds a little intrigue and just enough herbal edge to keep each sip interesting. If you’re someone who loves bold flavors—or you just want to give your Christmas cocoa an extra layer of personality while you watch its namesake—make a batch of the Bring Me Back Something French yourself this holiday season.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was found in the publication Liquor.com.