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A French Kiss cocktail is vodka, raspberry liqueur and dry sparkling wine, served in a flute with a raspberry or two floating on top. Pink, fizzy, a little sweet and a little sharp, and ready in about ninety seconds. It is the drink you make when you want to look like you tried without actually trying.
Below you will find the quick bar version for one glass, our party batch that stretches one bottle of bubbles across six people, the bottle to buy for it, and the honest answer to how many standard drinks you are holding. No cocktail shaker is required. A spoon will do.
Table of Contents
What Is a French Kiss Cocktail?
It is a sparkling wine cocktail built on three things: a clean spirit (vodka), a berry liqueur (Chambord or another raspberry liqueur) and dry bubbles (Champagne, Prosecco or an Australian sparkling). The liqueur brings the colour and the sweetness, the vodka gives it a bit of backbone, and the sparkling wine keeps the whole thing light enough to drink before dinner.
The name is more marketing than history. Nobody has a good record of who made the first one, and there is also a completely different “French Kiss” from the 1990s made with equal parts sweet and dry vermouth. If someone hands you a brown drink with a lemon twist, that is the other one. This post is about the pink one.
Ingredients
For one glass (bar style)
- 30 ml vodka (plain, or vanilla vodka if you like it softer)
- 15 ml Chambord or another raspberry liqueur
- About 90 ml chilled dry sparkling wine, enough to fill the flute
- 2 or 3 fresh raspberries to drop in
For six glasses (our party batch)
- 1 bottle (750 ml) chilled dry sparkling wine
- 1 punnet fresh raspberries
- 90 ml vodka
- 30 ml fresh lemon juice
- 30 ml Chambord
- 30 ml mint simple syrup (or plain sugar syrup with a mint leaf in each glass)
The party batch is softer and fruitier than the bar version because the lemon and the muddled berries do some of the work the extra liqueur would do. It is also cheaper per glass, which matters when six people want a second one.
Method
One glass
- Chill the flute. Five minutes in the freezer is plenty.
- Pour in the vodka and the Chambord and give it one gentle stir with a spoon.
- Top slowly with sparkling wine, tilting the glass so it does not foam over.
- Drop in the raspberries and serve straight away.
Six glasses
- Put 3 to 5 raspberries in each flute and press them gently with the back of a spoon to release the juice. Do not mash them into jam.
- Add 15 ml vodka to each glass.
- Add 5 ml each of lemon juice, Chambord and mint syrup to each glass.
- Stir gently.
- Top each glass with chilled sparkling wine, about 125 ml, and serve at once.
One rule for both versions: everything goes in cold. Warm vodka plus warm bubbles equals a flat, sad drink and a lot of foam on your bench.
The Recipe Card
Here is the six-glass version as a printable card, with the measures in millilitres and spoons.
PrintFrench Kiss Cocktail Recipe
Whether you’re toasting at a New Year’s Eve party, enjoying a romantic evening, or hosting an elegant gathering, the French Kiss Cocktail adds a touch of class and enchantment to any event.
Ingredients
- 1 Bottle (750ml) of Champagne or Prosecco
- 1 Punnet of raspberries
- 90 ml of vodka (6 tablespoons). I prefer Absolut Vanilla
- 30 ml of fresh lemon juice (6 teaspoons)
- 30 ml of Chambord (6 teaspoons)
- 30 ml of mint simple syrup (6 teaspoons)
Instructions
- Place 3-5 raspberries in each glass and muddle them gently to release their juices
- Add 15ml (1 tablespoon) of vodka, followed by
- Now add 5ml (1teaspoon) each of lemon juice, Chambord, and Mint Simple Syrup
- Stir the mixture gently to combine all the flavours
- Top off each glass with chilled champagne to add a delightful fizz
- Serve immediately and enjoy the refreshing and elegant cocktail
Notes
Prepare a large batch in a pitcher for parties, and add champagne just before serving to maintain its bubbly charm. This versatile drink pairs wonderfully with a range of foods, from sugared cranberries to caprese salad, making it a perfect choice for elegant get-togethers.
Which Sparkling Wine to Use
Dry is the word to look for. Brut on the label means the wine has very little sugar, and that is what you want because the liqueur is already sweet. Champagne works, but you are paying for subtle flavours that the raspberry then walks straight over. A good dry Prosecco or an Australian sparkling made from Chardonnay does the same job for a third of the price. If you want to know what you are actually buying, our guide to Prosecco versus Champagne explains the difference in plain words.
Avoid anything labelled Moscato, Asti or “sweet sparkling” for this drink. Sweet on sweet turns a French Kiss into a lolly.
Drink One Tonight
This is the bottle we would buy for a round of these: dry, made from Chardonnay, organic, and cheap enough that you will not wince when it goes in a cocktail. We checked it was in stock at Just Wines on 6 September 2026.
Angove Organic Cuvée Brut NV
A clean, dry, well-made Australian sparkling that turns a French Kiss into an affordable habit.
- 100% Chardonnay from a certified organic vineyard
- Properly dry, so the raspberry liqueur does the sweetening
- Under twenty dollars, so mixing it is not a crime
- Fine bubbles that hold up after the vodka goes in
- Not much complexity on its own, but that is not the job here
- No rosé version if you want an even pinker drink
How Strong Is a French Kiss Cocktail?
Stronger than it tastes, which is the danger with any drink that goes down like fizzy cordial. Using the model from our wine calorie calculator, the one-glass bar version (30 ml vodka at 40%, 15 ml Chambord at 16.5% and 90 ml sparkling at 12%) holds about 20 grams of alcohol, which is two Australian standard drinks in one flute. It runs to roughly 165 calories, or about 690 kJ.
The party batch is a touch gentler: about 17 grams of alcohol per glass, or 1.7 standard drinks, and around 155 calories (about 650 kJ), most of it from the alcohol rather than the sugar. Two of those and you are past the point where you should drive. Plan accordingly.
Variations Worth Trying
- Rosé French Kiss: swap the brut for a dry sparkling rosé. Same recipe, more blush, slightly more strawberry.
- No vodka: just Chambord topped with bubbles. It is basically a Kir Royale with raspberry instead of blackcurrant, and it drops to about one standard drink.
- Alcohol-free: use raspberry syrup instead of Chambord and an alcohol-free sparkling. Our alcohol-free wine guide has the ones that actually taste like wine.
- Extra fancy: a sugar cube soaked in Chambord in the bottom of the flute keeps the drink fizzing longer and looks very pleased with itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is in a French Kiss cocktail?
Vodka, raspberry liqueur (usually Chambord) and dry sparkling wine, topped with fresh raspberries. Some versions add lemon juice and a little sugar syrup.
Can I make a French Kiss with Prosecco instead of Champagne?
Yes, and it is the better choice for most people. Prosecco is dry, fruity and much cheaper, and the raspberry flavour covers the finer points of Champagne anyway.
Is a French Kiss cocktail sweet?
Mildly. The liqueur is sweet but the dry sparkling wine and the vodka balance it. If it tastes like lollies, your sparkling wine was too sweet or you were heavy-handed with the Chambord.
Can I make it ahead for a party?
Mix the vodka, liqueur, lemon and syrup in a jug and keep it in the fridge. Add the raspberries and the sparkling wine only when you pour, or the bubbles will be gone before your guests arrive.
What glass should I use?
A flute keeps the bubbles longest. A coupe looks prettier and goes flat faster. Either way, chill it first.
How many calories are in a French Kiss cocktail?
About 165 calories (690 kJ) for the bar version and about 155 (650 kJ) for our party batch, based on the alcohol and sugar in each glass. Most of that comes from the alcohol, not the raspberries.
Making these for a special night? The Champagne and Shackles party idea pairs nicely with a round of French Kisses, and if you would rather drink the bubbles straight, our guide to vintage versus non-vintage Champagne will tell you which bottle is worth the money.
Not sure which bubbles to buy for it? Our Prosecco vs Cava guide sorts out the two cheap options.
This post contains affiliate links. If you buy through them we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It keeps the wine flowing and the reviews honest.
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