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When I write a book, I’m all in. That’s why I tend to lean into single-subject books, exploring ice cream, cooking and baking in Paris, and the traditions and culture of French drinks. Each book gives me an opportunity to take a deep dive into something that I love, but also allows me to learn and discover something new.

I’ve always liked the flavor of noyau, the bitter almond-like kernel tucked inside the pits of stone fruits; peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, and cherries. Amaretto cookies are made from apricot kernels, and I was happy to get my hands on a bottle of Noyau de Poissy, a liqueur which prominently features their flavor as well.

First up is the difference between a crรจme and a liqueur. The rules are sometimes interpreted loosely, but in France, a liqueur should have a minimum of 100 grams (1/2 cup) of sugar or sweetener per liter whereas a crรจme has 250 grams (1 1/4 cups) per liter (about 1 quart), except for crรจme de cassis, which can have up to 400 grams (2 cups) per liter.

I became fascinated with is Noyau de Poissy because it’s the oldest liqueur in France that’s not connected with any religious order, made from apricot kernels macerated plucked from apricots that grow in the region where it’s made, which is about an hour from Paris. The flavor is intensely almond-forward, its sweetness tempered by the nutty kernels with gentle vanilla and orange notes. It can be enjoyed on its own as an aperitif or digestive, in small quantities, but it really shines as a background flavor when used with other ingredients, and it’s strong enough to hold its own in any cocktail. (It’s also nice to add a few drops to any desserts made with almond paste or almond flour, or any of the fruits mentioned above, as well as pineapple.)

You might find it a challenge to get this particular bottle of France, but Tempus Fugit Spirits makes an excellent Crรจme de Noyauxย and I have a recipe to make it yourself in Drinking French, although I cut the sugar down considerably from what the classic versions have since most people these days prefer less-sugar, as I did with the other homemade liqueurs, crรจmes, and other infusions in the book as well. Tempus Fugit’s spirits and liqueurs are available in the U.S. and elsewhere, so picking up a bottle of noyau-flavored liqueur should be within reach.

I have a few homemade jars of liqueur de noyau, as well as the bottles I bought for book “research.” I was looking for ways to use my bounty and came across a recipe in The Savoy Cocktail Book by Harry Craddock, written and illustrated in 1930. The Jockey Club was a cocktail that stood out to me, with an ingredient list sporting a bracing mix of gin, lemon juice, and “2 dashes of crรจme de noyau.”

Older cocktail recipes can require a bit of decoding. Modern cooks, bakers, and drink-makers favor precision, and it’s hard to discern what “3/4 glass” of gin is. Another vintage cocktail book on my shelf has a recipe that calls for ” 1/6 grenadine, 1/6 Cederlund’s Swedish Punch, 1/6 Calvados, 1/6 lemon juice, and 1/3 gin.” Forgot trying to find Cederlund’s Swedish Punch (although that punsch, which is the correct spelling, sounds worth tracking down), but after doing the math on those measurements, I’d be ready for a stiff drink, too.

According to the most recent issue of Saveur magazine, cocktail historian David Wondrich discovered that a number of older cocktail recipes that called for gin, originally were made with genever, a spirit that’s enjoying a renaissance, according to the article in the magazine. I haven’t tried it (after writing my book, I am now the proud owner of over 150 bottles of liquor, รงa suffit for a while…), but it’s said to have a malty flavor. However it fell out of favor, and was replaced by gin. Which may explain a Jockey Club recipe I came across that called for whiskey, rather than gin.

The recipe in The Savoy Cocktail Book took a little tinkering, and while I made a decent stab at it using the sketchy ingredient amounts as guidelines, this one, by Tobin Shea, bar director at Redbird (published in Imbibe), hit it just right. There’s a generous amount of gin to give it some heft, backed up by tangy lemon juice, which keeps it light, and noyau liqueur to round things out. It’s a straightforward cocktail that’s been on rotation around here, and considering how good it is, it’s not going to take any arm twisting to mix one up. A little cocktail shaking will do the trick.

The Jockey Club

Adapted fromย Tobin Shea, inย Imbibeย magazine
I used the ambrรฉe (amber)ย Noyau de Poissy, which has 25% alcohol, but you can use the clear one, which clocks in at 40%.ย Tempus Fugit Spiritsย also makes a crรจme de noyaux and is available at well-stocked liquor stores, or online atย K&L Wine Merchantsย (in the U.S.) andย La Maison du Whiskyย (in Europe.) If neither is available, you can use amaretto or maraschino liqueur. To make simple syrup, heat 1/2 cup (125ml) of water with 1/2 cup (100g) of sugar, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool until room temperature. Chill until ready to use. (The syrup can be stored for a few weeks in the refrigerator.)
Servings 1 cocktail
  • 2 ounces gin
  • 3/4 ounce liqueur or crรจme de noyau
  • 3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/4 ounce simple syrup
  • 2 dashes orange bitters
  • 1 dash Angostura or aromatic bitters
  • Pour the gin, liqueur de noyau, lemon juice, simple syrup, and orange and Angostura bitters in a cocktail shaker.
  • Fill the shaker 3/4s full with ice, cover, and shake until well-chilled, about 15 to 20 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe glass.

Drinking French

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21 comments

    • Awfulknitter

    I brought some genever back from a trip to Bols in Amsterdam. It IS maltier than gin, as a proportion of the spirit is made with malted barley. The bottle I had was barrel-aged, so the similarity was even more apparent. I think genever is also sweeter then gin, as we’re used to the dry London gin being the standard flavour profile.

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      A few gin makers, like Citadelle are doing barrel-aged gin, and St George, which makes a rye gin. Both of those could be interesting to use in this cocktail for sure.

    • Toni McCormick

    How easy is it for someone living in Lyon to find Noyau de Poissy? We can ask our friends to look for it.

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      They actually sell it at a Monoprix near me (but all Monoprix stores seem to carry different things). It’s distributed by Vedrenne, in Dijon, so isn’t that hard to find at a well-stocked liquor store, if there is one in Lyon.

    • Leah

    What do you mean by “dash”?

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      It’s when you flip the bitters bottle over and give it one shake into the shaker. It’s not an exact quantity but the Kitchn measured it and determined it’s 1/5 of a teaspoon, or 10 individual drops. But I’ve never seen a bartender measure bitters with a spoon or measuring device, but you can use that as a point of reference.

        • Linda

        I’ve got this darn blood orange bitters that comes in a bottle with a mouth like a ketchup bottle. Dashes are a challenge. Another bottle has a rubber dropper that no longer functions. Beware when purchasing bitters.

        • Leah

        Thank you!

    • Suzi Parks

    You show Citadel Gin (which I love) but don’t specify in the recipe. Should it be a floral gin?

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      You could use any kind of gin in this that you like. Citadelle has nice botanical notes and it’s extra-dry (and it’s French!), so contrasts a bit with the lemon and noyau, but one could use a London dry or another type of gin.

    • Peter

    I always was under the impression that certain seeds from stone fruit were poisonous when consumed in large quantities. Am I wrong?

      • Diane Campbell

      Its in a Dorothy Sayers book of short stories. This post rang a vague bell so I looked it up.
      “Creme de Noyaux has appeared in fiction as the vehicle for cyanide poisoning, due to the presence in apricot kernels of aromatic chemicals that break down into hydrocyanic acid when mixed with water. One famous instance of this is the short story, “Bitter Almonds,” by renowned mystery author Dorothy Sayers. The main character, a wine and spirits salesman, determines that a customer died after drinking the first (oiliest) glass of a bottle of Creme de Noyaux that had stood unopened for 40 years.”

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      Yes, it’s best not to consume them in large quantities. I did a post that delves deeper into that subject: Is it safe to eat apricot kernels?

    • Kimberly Blanton-Day

    Where did you find your glass jigger?

      • Jim

      Also wondering this!

        • David
        David Lebovitz

        At a flea market somewhere in France ; )

    • Mikael

    Iโ€™ll gladly send you a bottle of Cederlundโ€™s Swedish punsch if you wish. Quite sweet, arrack taste, best enjoyed ice cold.

    • Lisa

    As a proud Pisciacaise (person from Poissy), I’m excited to see our local spirit on your website. I often give it as a thank you gift for friends or relatives that we visit. I can’t wait to try it with gin.

    • Marianne McGriff

    Hi, David
    Iโ€™ve pre-ordered your new book: ยซย Drinking Frenchย ยป and am excited to receive it. I have a question about one of your recipes that showed up on my FB feed: Seville Orange Marmalade. Iโ€™ve always brought some back from Ballymaloe, so thought Iโ€™d try this…but, I canโ€™t find Seville Oranges? Is there a substitute? I hope you enjoyed Darinaโ€™s book that I ended up sending to NY on your last book tour. She has a new one as well…both of you are so prolific at writing and cooking. Thank you for sharing. Blessings, Marianne

    • Alison

    Speaking of flea markets in France, did you see that Food 52 is selling vintage champagne coupes allegedly “handpicked in France”? Not sure how I feel about that…

    Can’t wait to get my copy of Drinking French!

    • Marc

    On measurements, I think โ€œone glassโ€= โ€œone wine glass,โ€ which I have read in several respected book = two ounces. In your recipe, that would = 1.5 ounces, which sound sensible to me.

A

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