Giffard Parisian Mojito Recipe
Parisian Mojito Recipe
The Giffard cocktail-book original: a martini-glass Mojito built on Menthe-Pastille, cloudy apple juice and lemon. Lighter, cleaner and quietly French.
Ingredients
- Giffard Menthe-Pastille50 ml
- Cloudy apple juice30 ml
- Fresh lemon juice20 ml
- Fresh mint leaves4 leaves
- Garnish: a single fresh mint leaf—
Method
- Fill a shaker with cubed ice.
- Add Giffard Menthe-Pastille, cloudy apple juice, fresh lemon juice and four mint leaves to the shaker.
- Shake until the metal sides are well frosted — about 10 seconds.
- Double-strain into a chilled martini glass.
- Float a single mint leaf on the surface.
Garnish: Fresh mint leaf
Why this works
The Parisian Mojito comes from the Giffard cocktail book — a 2009 publication built around a Creative Cocktails session at the Château de la Perrière in Avrillé, hosted by Bar Expertise's Fernando Castellon with nine world-renowned bartenders. The drink is one of the original recipes that emerged from that session.
The key ingredient is Giffard Menthe-Pastille — the liqueur that started the entire Giffard story. In 1885 Émile Giffard distilled the Mitcham peppery mint plant he'd selected in Surrey, England, and created Menthe-Pastille at his pharmacy in Angers. It's still made there today. The result is a 24% ABV mint liqueur with a clean, glacial freshness — entirely different from the more familiar crème de menthe. Pair it with cloudy apple juice and lemon and you get a Mojito that drinks like a long Martini.
Bartender tips
Use cloudy (not clear) apple juice — the pectin in cloudy juice gives the drink body. Don't muddle the mint; the shake is enough to release the oils, and over-handling the leaves makes the drink bitter. The double-strain catches the leaf shards. Serve very cold in a chilled glass — the drink is high-ABV (around 14%) for a Mojito-format build, so glass temperature is doing real work.
Featured products
Giffard Menthe-Pastille
The 1885 original. Distilled mint liqueur made from Mitcham peppermint, still produced in Angers. 24% ABV.
Shop the bottleGiffard Mint Liqueur Classic
The Crème-range mint liqueur — sweeter and lower-ABV. Use for dessert cocktails and grasshoppers.
Shop the bottleGiffard Mojito Syrup
Non-alcoholic mint and lime syrup for high-volume service or zero-proof variations.
Shop the bottleFAQ
What's the difference between Menthe-Pastille and crème de menthe?
Menthe-Pastille is distilled from a single peppermint variety (Mitcham) at 24% ABV with a clean glacial freshness. Crème de menthe is a sweeter, lower-ABV liqueur built around a broader mint extract. They aren't interchangeable.
Can I substitute another apple juice?
Cloudy is essential — clear apple juice is too thin. Pink Lady or Granny Smith pressed juice works best.
Is it very sweet?
Less than expected. Menthe-Pastille is drier than typical mint liqueurs, and the lemon does real work cutting through. It reads as crisp rather than dessert-sweet.
Can I make this in a Highball with soda?
Yes — top with 60 ml of soda water and serve over crushed ice in a Highball. That's the longer, lower-ABV variation.