Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

Home Bar Hack: How to Make French Press Cocktails

Stock-French-Press-Teas
Image used with permission by copyright holder
You might be procrastinating on getting the cocktail shaker you deserve, or perhaps you just want to try a new approach to cocktail making. Either way, French press cocktails are about to transform the way you tend your home bar.

This trend has been percolating for quite some time as seasoned mixologists have developed air-tight methods for creating hot and cold drinks. Hot cocktail lovers can enjoy a simpler technique that yields more complex flavors while cold/room temperature cocktails can get a better infusion process. Either way, you’ll be able to yield multiple drinks, maybe even enough for a dinner party, depending on the size of your press. While some insist on buying a new French press specifically for cocktails, your everyday press will work just fine if you wash it well and regularly.

Hot French Press Cocktails

Say goodbye to boring hot toddies, making drinks directly in mugs, and ill-advised attempts to put hot water in a metal cocktail shaker (it’s okay, we won’t tell anyone). Hot French press cocktails undergo a rapid infusion that you have complete control over.

Kevin Denton, national mixologist for Pernod Ricard, broke down the best way to achieve optimal infusions, according to Food52. You’re going to want to use a brown spirit with roughly a 2:5 ratio to water. You can also work with sweet alcohol like brandy, vermouth, or another fortified wine at a 1:2 ratio to your chosen liquor.

Heat your water and alcohol separately, letting the latter get to about 190° F. Place your infusion ingredients (fruit slices/peels, spices, tea, rose petals, etc.) at the bottom of the press. Add the alcohol first and let it cool to the point where the ethanol doesn’t burn your nostrils. Then, add the water, stir, and steep.

Stock-French-Press-Teas-2
Image used with permission by copyright holder

While your cocktail is steeping, don’t forget to prep your glass/mug by warming it with hot water or even by popping it in the microwave. You can steep for the standard four minutes or adjust the time as you get more comfortable with the process/adventurous with your infusions. Plunge and serve immediately for the best result.

Now that you have the basics down, here’s a hot recipe to get you started:

Hot Boulevardier

J. Fergus, The Manual, Los Angeles

  • 5 oz water
  • 2 oz rye whiskey
  • 1 oz sweet red vermouth
  • 1 orange
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp tarragon
  • 4 dashes Angostura bitters
  • 2 rosemary sprigs

Method: Heat whiskey, Campari, and vermouth on medium heat for two minutes. Peel all of the skin off the orange and place into a French press. Add bitters, tarragon, and lemon juice to the press. Stir in heated spirits. Boil water and let cool for one minute. Stir in water. Let mixture steep for seven minutes. Plunge and pour into warmed coupe glass. Garnish with rosemary sprig. Serves 2.

Regular/Cold French Press Cocktails

These cocktails won’t pack as flavorful a punch as their warmer kin, but they definitely offer a new twist on your favorite drinks. Simply add your infusion ingredients to the French press (muddling optional), pour in your alcohol and mixer, stir, and steep. More pungent ingredients work well here because it’s easier for their flavors to transfer to the mixture. You can steep for as little as one minute or as long as a day.

Some recipes still call for a shaker if you want a cold drink neat, but you can work around this. Before you plunge, lift the lid without removing the top and place a few ice cubes/crushed ice on the spiral grate. Depending on your press and finesse, you can also spin the plunger as you press down. If you don’t mind some dilution, you can also add the ice directly to the mix during the steeping process.

And a cold recipe to add to your chill:

Moscow Mule

Stock-Moscow-Mule-in-Highball-Glass
Image used with permission by copyright holder

French press version, orig. Fairmont Banff Springs, Alberta

  • 4 oz vodka
  • 4 oz club soda
  • 3 oz simple syrup*
  • 1 ½ limes
  • 2 tsp finely grated, peeled ginger
  • Candied ginger

Method: Cut limes into quarter wedges. Squeeze four wedges into French press. Place squeezed wedges and grated ginger into press. Stir in simple syrup and vodka. Infuse for five minutes. Plunge and pour over ice into highball glass. Top with club soda. Garnish with remaining wedges and candied ginger. Serves 2.

*Simple syrup: Combine equal parts water and sugar into saucepan. Stir until sugar dissolves. Cool.

J. Fergus
Former Digital Trends Contributor
J. loves writing about the vices of life — decadent food, strong drinks, potent cannabis, and increasingly invasive…
Wolves Whiskey, Undefeated’s new collab has an American Single Malt not to be missed
This is a highly sought-after release
Wolves Whiskey

The whiskey world is all about collaborations. The newest and most exciting collaboration is a little more unique than some of the others. That’s because it’s not a collaboration between two spirits brands or a whiskey brand and a celebrity (like Nick Offerman and Lagavulin). Instead, it’s a collaboration between Wolves, a luxury California-based whiskey brand known for its single malt whiskeys, and UNDEFEATED, a well-known sportswear brand.
The collection

This single malt whiskey is part of a limited-edition collection between the two brands that also includes apparel like a post-workout robe, a crewneck sweatshirt, a twill hat, and even a whiskey and water bottle. This isn’t the first time Wolves Whiskey has collaborated with UNDEFEATED.

Read more
Learn how to make perfect grill marks every time
Perfect grill marks are shockingly easy to achieve with these easy tips
Steak on the grill

Let's be honest — when it comes to grilling, a lot of the fun is in the show. It just wouldn't be a proper backyard barbecue without all the hubbub that comes once that grill is ignited. The sounds, the smells, the caveperson astonishment and pride when it comes to all things fire-related. The whole thing is rather dramatic. And part of putting on a good show is, of course, a picture-perfect, Instagram-worthy, beautifully charred, and cross-hatched piece of meat. Be it a steak, pork chop, burger, or eggplant, no grilled entree is complete without the cosmetic upgrade of gorgeous grill marks.

Chances are, though, if you've ever attempted these beautifully blackened lines in your backyard, you know just how tricky they can be. So you may have just tossed in the tongs and forgotten the whole thing. And who could blame you? The truth is that grill marks don't make a huge difference in flavor. With all the cooking methods, tricks, and techniques used today, the technique of how to make grill marks is actually something of a lost art. But damn, they're sexy. And if you can get them just right, you'll be sure to impress your guests at your next cookout. So we're here to help with a few tips and tricks for how to get those perfect steak grill marks and make your barbecue show one worth watching.
How to make perfect grill marks

Read more
How to make a classic Manhattan (and several variations)
The right way to make this classic cocktail and more to try
A bartender stirs a cocktail in a mixing glass.

One of the world's most ubiquitous cocktails, the Manhattan cocktail has been enjoyed by spiritous imbibers since it was made famous at the legendary Manhattan Club in New York City sometime around 1880. Even while falling in and out of fashion throughout the years, Manhattan has withstood the test of time to firmly cement itself as one of the great classic cocktails of all time.

As with many classic cocktails, the origin of the Manhattan drink recipe is murky at best. The most popular theory is that the drink was invented by Dr. Iain Marshall at a party for Lady Randolph Churchill, mother of Winston Churchill, held at the Manhattan Club. Sounds plausible, but this story never happened. It was later verified that Lady Churchill was never partying it up in New York at that time as she was pregnant at home in England. What is for sure is that the Manhattan emerged on the scene in the 1880s. The earliest known mention of both the name and the Manhattan cocktail ingredients was in September 1882 in the Sunday Morning Herald in Olean, N.Y.

Read more