C'est la Vie (That's Life)

Difford’s Guide
Discerning Drinkers (47 ratings)

Photographed in a Michelangelo Coppa 225ml

Ingredients:
1 23 oz Rémy Martin V.S.O.P. cognac
13 oz Bénédictine D.O.M. liqueur
23 oz Apple juice/apple cider (cloudy & unsweetened)
13 oz Lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
13 oz Monin Cinnamon Syrup
× 1 1 serving
Read about cocktail measures and measuring

How to make:

  1. Select and pre-chill a Coupe glass.
  2. Prepare garnish of dehydrated apple slice and star anise.
  3. SHAKE all ingredients with ice.
  4. FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.
  5. Garnish with dehydrated apple slice and star anise floated on surface.

Review:

A tasty apple and cognac sour with delicate herbal and cinnamon spice.

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History:

Created in 2015 by Saverio Vicari at The Rib Room Bar at The Jumeirah Carlton Tower Hotel in London, England.

Nutrition:

One serving of C'est la Vie (That's Life) contains 188 calories

Alcohol content:

  • 1.3 standard drinks
  • 17.64% alc./vol. (17.64° proof)
  • 17.6 grams of pure alcohol

Difford’s Guide remains free-to-use thanks to the support of the brands in green above. Values stated for alcohol and calorie content, and number of drinks an ingredient makes should be considered approximate.

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Ruth Harvey’s Avatar Ruth Harvey
24th April at 16:12
It's spring officially - but today feels like autumn 🍂 and this cocktail was perfect. I would like to try with calvados although it's hard to imagine it being better!
Peter McCarthy’s Avatar Peter McCarthy
17th March at 02:28
Made this with Camus VSOP Cognac & Monin Cinnamon Syrup. Very nice! It's a little sweet and very apple forward, but the cognac, cinnamon, and subtle herbal honey help balance that out. This seems like a great option for the "Autumn/fall" category here on DG.
Simon Difford’s Avatar Simon Difford
17th March at 06:41
Thanks, Peter. I've added to Autumn/fall cocktails.
jason keane’s Avatar jason keane
2nd March at 08:02
Very good indeed. But garnished mine with a dried apple slice and a sprinkle of powdered cinnamon.
Dávid Ugróczi’s Avatar Dávid Ugróczi
3rd November 2023 at 23:58
I upped the lemon juice to 15 ml. Very tasty, autumnal drink, the apple flavour is surprisingly upfront.
Florian Ruf’s Avatar Florian Ruf
16th February 2023 at 17:11
I made two versions, one with armagnac and one with calvados. Both versions were super and interestingly different. I think the original is even better.