Bardinet Brandy is bringing the joy of French 'Apéro' to the UK this Christmas as it celebrates a stylish new bottle arriving in stores in time for the festive season.

Crafted in France for more than a century and one of the UK's best-selling brandies, Bardinet has teamed up with award-winning Francophile author and French food and drink specialist Janine Marsh to uncover the secrets of this great French ritual of 'L'heure d'apero' – an hour of 'aperitif' drinks.

Janine has shared her insider Apéro tips for bringing friends and family together with French flair, to relax, chat and enjoy some delicious pre-dinner drinks and nibbles. She's also introducing Brits to the new trend of 'Whatsapero': the virtual get-togethers that have grown in popularity across France over lockdown.

'As a life-long fan of all things French, and having lived in France for many years, I can say that one of my absolute favourite traditions is Apéro – and particularly so at Christmas time,' she says. 'An aperitif is both a drink and an occasion and for the French it's part of daily life and culture. It signals the time to stop work, to enjoy a glass of something delicious, a nibble and a catch-up with your favourite people any time between about 5 and 9pm, anticipated in the same way as you might anticipate the weekend. It's so much more than an after work drink, and the good news is, it's highly adoptable! Here are my top tips for bringing some Apéro style to your get-togethers this festive season.

1. Enjoy the preparations: getting ready for Apéro is a big part of the ritual in France, so relax and take your time planning the drinks, the food and the setting for your guests.
2. Mix it up: Apéro is all about fun, celebration, conviviality… and cocktails! While traditional drinks like Kir (white wine and fruit liqueur) are popular, the trend is to try a bit of mixology at home. Brandy is hugely popular as a digestif after a meal, but this oldest of French drinks is gaining status as an apéritif either straight, or in a cocktail.
3. Select your guests: it's important to keep your group of guests fairly small, so that everyone can hear what's being said and the conversation can flow.
4. Always have a nibble: naturally food is a big part of the tradition (we're talking France after all!) Nibbles range from nuts and crisps to platters of cheese and charcuterie and mouth-watering morsels prepared in advance. At Christmas it's traditional to add something special, such as delicious cheese Gougères (recipe below), mini croques (cheese and ham toasties), Roquefort beurre or little brandy snaps for a touch of something sweet.
5. The art of conversation: first and foremost, Apéro is about catching up with friends and family, sharing news, chatting about the day – but keep it light-hearted and fun.
6. Mood music: add to the French ambience of your Apéro with music – funky and modern, chilled out or old school. I love Django Reinhardt's Minor Swing, Dernière Danse by Indila and La Mer by Charles Trenet.
7. Try Whatsapero: these days Apéro is likely to be an online affair on Whatsapp or similar. But that doesn't mean it can't be fun. Send out invitations, gift a bottle of something special to your guests, or let them know what to bring so you can enjoy the same food and drink experience remotely.
8. Make a meal of it: French people sometimes extend the occasion into Apéro Dînatoire – adding a buffet of more substantial food for guests.

Janine's French Gougères recipe

These choux pastry cheesy puffs are indecently good. To make 25 bite-sized gougères:

125ml water

125ml milk

125g grated hard cheese - Comté or Gruyère are ideal

80g butter

140g plain flour

4 eggs

Generous pinch of salt

In a pan bring the water, milk, butter and salt to the boil. Remove from the heat when the butter is melted and stir in the flour. It looks a bit like mashed potato at this stage and is ready when the mix comes away from the side of the pan and forms a ball. Leave it to cool for 3 minutes.

Add the beaten eggs one at a time until you have a smooth paste. Stir in the grated cheese.

Either pipe or use a tablespoon to transfer the mix into walnut-sized rounds onto a baking tray lined with grease proof paper. Leave at least 2 inches between them as they puff up quite a lot. Bake in the oven at 200˚C/Gas Mark 6 for 20-25minutes, until they are a lovely golden colour. Eat warm from the oven for maximum pleasure!

To complement Janine's Apéro tips, French mixologist Arnaud Volte from The London EDITION Hotel has created some delicious, easy to make Bardinet Brandy cocktails – from simple spritzes to warming spiced festive serves.

He said: 'It's common for people to think of brandy as an after dinner treat, but I think it's time to change perceptions. Bardinet brandy is a versatile, delicious spirit that deserves a place of honour on your pre dinner 'aperitif' drinks menu this season, and it pairs really well with a whole host of food options.'

Bardinet Pomme Canelle

Apple and cinnamon are really festive flavours that match well with the vanilla and dried fruits notes of Bardinet Brandy.

35ml Bardinet Brandy

15ml lemon juice 

15ml cinnamon syrup 

20ml clear apple juice

Soda water 

To make cinnamon syrup: 

Mix 100gm water, 100gm caster sugar and 2 cinnamon sticks In a pan, heat up the water and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Cut and add the sticks, infuse for 10/15 mins. Cool and strain.

Mix all the ingredients in a wine glass and top with soda water. Garnish with a slice of lemon wedge and a cinnamon stick.

Bardinet Christmas Stocking

Orange liqueur tastes amazing when paired with brandy. And because it's Christmas, the bubbles come from a Brut champagne, highlighting the grape notes from the spirit. 

35ml Bardinet Brandy 

10ml orange liqueur such as Cointreau

5ml caramel syrup (such as Monin) 

Very cold Champagne 

Stir ingredients (except champagne) for 10 seconds with some ice and strain in to a champagne flute. Top with the champagne.

Bardinet Bordeaux Afternoon

Bardinet is made near Bordeaux and these flavours are really common to the area. This works well for a winter cocktail but also in summer. The fruitiness of the strawberry tastes delicious with the grape notes in the Bardinet Brandy and the Chardonnay

35ml Bardinet Brandy 

1 teaspoon of strawberry jam

10ml Chardonnay 

15ml lemon juice 

2 dashes of Angostura bitters 

Soda water

Add all ingredients into a shaker (apart from the soda water), shake and strain it into a highball glass. Top with soda water and garnish with mint.

Bardinet & Ginger  

Mix 50ml Bardinet Brandy with ginger ale in a highball glass.

Garnish with a sprig of rosemary.

Bardinet&T

The combination of brandy and tea works well here, either chilled or as a warming winter serve.

To serve chilled:

50ml Bardinet 

Top with cold Dark Grey tea (such as Earl grey or Lapsang Souchon). Serve over ice in a highball glass, with a slice of lemon.

To serve warm:

35ml Bardinet Brandy

150ml hot dark grey tea 

15ml lemon juice 

1 generous teaspoon of runny honey 

Serve in a glass mug with lemon zest and a cinnamon stick.

ABOUT BARDINET BRANDY

Crafted in the traditional French way, every drop of Bardinet's finest brandy is an act of collective passion. Bardinet was founded in 1857 by passionate young Frenchman Paul Bardinet, who had a vision of creating quality spirits for all to enjoy. The brandy which takes his name is crafted with the same passion today. Made in France for more than a century, by a team dedicated to ensuring its quality and accessibility, this brandy's rounded, balanced taste can be enjoyed by everyone, in cocktails or on its own. Distilled from grapes, Bardinet is patiently aged in oak barrels and expertly blended at the House's Domaine de Fleurenne estate, near Bordeaux. Bardinet is one of the world's top 10 internationally-sold brandies (the 3rd biggest-selling French-made brandy). Bardinet, Crafted with French Passion

ABOUT JANINE MARSH

Janine Marsh is an award winning writer and cheese loving Brit in France. She's the editor of www.thegoodlifefrance.com, author of My Good Life in France and My Four Seasons in France, and maid to 65 animals. When not writing in her little pig sty in the rural French countryside, she explores all of France to discover its gastronomy, the secret locations and best places to visit, and everything in between.

ABOUT LA MARTINIQUAISE-BARDINET

Founded by Jean Cayard in 1934, La Martiniquaise is an independent French spirits group with a large portfolio of international brands. Headquartered near Paris, the group operates in over 100 countries with 38 subsidiaries and production sites. The Group's four pillars are Scotch whiskies, ports, brandies, wines, rums and craft spirits from France. www.la-martiniquaise.com