DRINK, feck, arse, gurls. (Languedoc)

 

Father Jack's favourite tipple may be whiskey but I hate the stuff  - sacrilege, as I originate in the home of Irish whisky, Bushmills.   I have already mentioned a favourite of mine Noilly Prat which is made in the Languedoc, other gems are of course the local St.Chinian and Faugere wines, and then my 2 favourite aperitifs; Muscat and Kir.

Now Kir is a drink sipped throughout France but in these parts it comes in chestnut flavour (as does yoghurt and ice cream, yum, yum) this is Kir a la chataigne, and I have just discovered a recipe on the internet -  

1 volume de sirop de châtaigne
3 volume de vin rosé

Mélanger le sirop de châtaigne et le vin rosé.

Laisser macérer une nuit.

Servir très frais.

On peut décorer le bord du verre avec un marron glacé.

Now for the life of me I can't see why it needs to left overnight - that's not going to happen. But I'm definitely into the serving with a marron glace in it, another yum, yum or miam, miam as they say.

And there's another thing, chataigne verses marron. My French teacher said that a marron is a chestnut that has been prepared into a dish and chataigne is the nut as it is off the tree. But having seen  basic chestnuts for sale labelled as marrons I don't think there is a hard and fast rule.

Second aperitif of choice would be an ice cold Muscat, a very sweet wine from mucat grapes (there's a surprise) from the Marseilles area.
And third option, but first choice as an anytime summer drink, Blanquette or Cremant de Limoux which could be called 'cheap' champagne. It was champagne before champagne was invented i.e. sparkling white wine was being made in the Languedoc before the people in Champagne figured out how to do it.

Right off for my dinner with a cheeky little rose tonight.