Les aperos (Before dinner drink)

C’est toujours l’heure de l’apero en France !      (It’s always happy hour in France !)

Here are some popular aperitifs (in France)  that you may not be familiar with:

Monaco – beer, carbonated drink like 7-Up or Sprite, and grenadine syrup, which makes it red in color (the main country color of the principality of Monaco)

Panaché – beer mixed with a carbonated drink like 7-Up or Sprite

Tango – beer and grenadine syrup

Le Perrouquet (parrot) – pastis (licorice flavored liqueur), water, mint syrup

La Tomate (tomato) – pastis, water, grenadine syrup

Kir  – white wine and creme de cassis (black currant syrup) / Kir Royal is made with champagne rather than wine

Technically, happy hour is around 17h00 – 19h00, but that being said, you will often see the locals sitting at a cafe having a glass of wine or a beer in the morning, while catching up on the local gossip or playing a friendly game of cards – it’s all about comraderie!

My personal favorite apero is a glass of Champagne or a Kir- what’s yours?