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Posts Tagged ‘meribel’
Après ski cocktail recipes
Nowhere does après ski quite like France!
There’s nothing like a busy day on the piste for working up a thirst. And there’s definitely nothing quite like that first grande biere or vin chaud for satisfying that hard earned thirst…apart from a cheeky après ski cocktail that is.
Here’s our guide to some of the top tipples you should be tracking down in the French Alps this season, and how to make them at home.
Après Ski
That’s right, what better place to start our mixologist’s guide than with the Après Ski itself.
Make it at home?
25ml vodka
25ml Pernod
10ml measure green crème de menthe
4 fl oz sparkling lemonade
Shake the vodka, Pernod and crème de menthe with ice, and after that strain into a highball cup with a few of ice cubes inside it. Add the lemonade. Enjoy with a sprig of peppermint and a piece of lemon.
On the piste?
For true glitz and glamour head to Courcheval 1850 and the Parisian style cocktail bar, Purple Cafe.
Chartreus’ito
Fancy a local French twist on the Mojito? Try the Chartreus’ito, substituting rum for the herbal Alpine liqueur. Guaranteed to warm those cockles.
Chartreuse is one of the oldest and most mysterious spirits around…with nearly 400 years of history and the added kudos of being produced by Carthusian monks. Allegedly only three monks from the order know the secret recipe – each hold one third of the recipe and have taken a vow of silence. Its origins are said to be as an elixir of life!
Make it at home?
Mix 1/4 lime and sugar in a glass
Add fresh mint leaves and ice cubes
And 50ml Green Chartreuse
Top up with soda
Stir and serve with straws
And what could be better than a sunny day on the slopes? A Chartreuse Soleil!
1 part Green Chartreuse
6 parts orange juice
Over ice
On the piste?
You’ll find Chartreuse just about anywhere in the Alps and L’Alpe D’huez is one of the closest resorts to the spirit’s Grenoble home.
Toffee Apple
Meribel and Val d’Isère have become synonymous with toffee vodka. This can be enjoyed as a fiery shot but why not linger over a long drink such as the Toffee Apple.
Make it at home?
50 ml Toffee Vodka
25 ml apple schnapps
25ml apple juice
12.5ml lemon juice
Over Cubed ice
One spoon of grenadine
Add to shaker Toffee Vodka, apple schnapps, apple juice (the sharper the better) and lemon juice.
Shake and pour into a Collins glass with cubed ice, then add one bar spoon of grenadine to create that marbled look and garnish with a piece of fresh apple.
On the piste?
Head to be Meribel or Val d’Isère, the home of Thunder Toffee Vodka.
St Germain Cocktail
Another local speciality, St Germain is made from elderflowers grown in the French Alps and makes for a very refreshing cocktail.
Make it at home?
Champagne or dry sparkling white wine
25ml St Germain
Topped with club soda
Fill a Collins glass with ice.
First, add St Germain, then champagne, then club soda. Stir well, and garnish with a lemon twist.
On the piste?
Where better to sip a refreshing cocktail than the heart of Paradiski at Plagne Soleil with its sunny climate and spectacular views of Mont Blanc.
Génépi
Génépi is the general term in the Alps for a home-made liquor featuring local mountain flora (the herb, Artemisia). For a warming aperitif try it mixed with spirits and apple juice for a long drink.
Make it at home?
In a shaker filled with ice, pour:
25ml Génépi
50ml vodka
Apple juice
25ml syrup blue Curacao
Shake for 10 seconds and serve in a tall glass.
Or go for something a little more frisky…
The Powder
25ml Génépi
25ml peach cream
6cl orange juice
25ml cassis liqueur
Place 2 ice cubes in a tumbler and pour the ingredients in the order of the recipe.
On the piste?
You won’t have to search far in Avoriaz to find a bottle of Génépi behind the bar.
Black Forest
The title of this suitably fruity cocktail may remind you of skiing off-piste…
Make it at home?
ke it at home?
25 ml crème de cacao
25 ml cherry liqueur
25 ml cherry brandy
25 ml cream
Shake ingredients together and pour into glass. Add a little more cream on top, then add a cherry to garnish.
On the piste?
For a twist on the traditional recipe, head to Jack’s Bar in Meribel where they serve it with raspberry liqueur, white crème de cacao with hot chocolate and Chantilly cream. Yummmmy!
Hot Bunny
Also known as the Ski Bunny or Snow Bunny, this is ideal when you want a hot chocolate with an edge.
Make it at home?
25ml Triple Sec
1 Cup Hot Chocolate
Top with Whipped cream
Heat mug. Pour in hot chocolate, add Triple Sec and stir. Top with whipped cream or marshmallows. Sit by the fire place and enjoy.
On the piste?
You’ll need a Hot Bunny after tackling the slopes of Europe’s highest ski resort, Val Thorens.
French 75
Arguably one of the most sophisticated cocktails, the French 75 is said to have originated at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris in 1915, created for returning World War I fighter pilots. The combination was said to have such a kick that it felt like being shelled with the powerful French 75mm howitzer artillery piece.
Make it at home?
1/2 oz lemon juice
50ml gin
25ml Cointreau
Champagne
Pour the lemon juice or gin and Cointreau into a cocktail shaker with ice cubes.
Shake well.
Strain into a chilled Champagne flute.
Carefully add the Champagne.
On the piste?
If you’re going to drink a classy cocktail then where better than Chamonix. Head somewhere like the Clubhouse for some of the best cocktails around.
Which is your favourite post-piste tipple? Come and tell us on our Facebook page!
Pierre & Vacances at World Travel Market 2011
World Travel Market – where the whole world converges [literally] under one roof in November. Where months of planning comes down to just four days of meetings, networking, parties and sore feet.
The Pierre & Vacances team on our stand at WTM
Want to know what Pierre & Vacances got up to this year? Well read on…
A spot of Après Ski
What better way to get into the winter spirit than with an après ski party? And it wasn’t hard to persuade people not to ‘slope’ off on the first day of WTM with drinks, hearty nibbles and some fantastique live music courtesy of the 101s who will be playing the Little World Festival in Meribel in 2012.
The 101s rock our après ski party!
But it wasn’t just a great excuse for a party; we also held a raffle for the excellent winter sports charity Disability Snowsport UK, here’s a short video about the fantastic work they do:
Disability Snowsport UK – Accept No Limits from John Currie on Vimeo.
And with prizes such as a ski holiday to France, Meribel Little World Festival tickets, lift passes to the 3 Valleys ski area, lift passes to the Alpe d’Huez ski area, ski hire, a limited edition Petanque set and a magazine subscription up for grabs, it’s not surprising that we raised a great amount for such a fantastic charity.
A limited edition Petanque set
A glass of wine and a chunk of cheese
To celebrate WTM’s Responsible Tourism Day on Wednesday, we held a Green Wine and Cheese event on our stand – although it should be pointed out the cheese and wine weren’t actually green…
Delicious French wine and cheese
We plied people with delicious and authentic French wine and cheese from different regions in France, while our UK & Ireland Sales and Marketing Director, Cathy Rankin, presented the key elements of our sustainable approach, and the green initiatives being worked on for next year – and beyond! Interested? You can view Cathy’s presentation here!
Cathy presents Pierre & Vacances' sustainable approach
Here comes the cheese!
Plenty of cheese to go around guys...
Pierre & Vacances' Elodie dishes out French saucisson
And some green ideas
Going paper-free – To further support a sustainable message, the Pierre & Vacances’ press pack went paper-free this year! Instead of paper packs we handed out these nifty and specially designed USB sticks made from renewable materials.
A bag for [a ski] life – As French ski resorts are plastic bag free, we’ve designed an eco bag for life which can be used to lug back French delicacies from the supermarché, and is also designed to be big enough to hold a pair of ski boots as well as fit as carry-on luggage for the plane!
Educating the Brits – Plus front and centre of our stand this year was our Recycling in France infographic, to help UK and Irish tourists to clean up their recycling act while on holiday. There’s more about this initiative here.
Our recycling infographic taking pride of place
How to celebrate Christmas like the French!
Speak to any of our Gallic cousins and you’ll be told that Christmas is a very different affair in France. It’s all about the family and food. Sound a little too much like Christmas à l’Anglaise? Well there’s plenty more to drive home la difference. Here’s our guide to how to celebrate Christmas like the French.
And if you need further convincing, book yourself a trip across the Channel for a truly Joyeux Noël.
- Write To Santa
In France, Father Christmas is known as Père Noël or Papa Noël. He isn’t big and plump and ruddy but a tall, slim chap. In the east of the country he’s likely to be accompanied by Père Fouettard who keeps a tally of just who’s been naughty or nice, dolling out a spanking to those not deserving of gifts.
The French take Santa very seriously – a law was passed in 1962 decreeing that anyone writing to Père Noël must receive a reply.
The question of when to give presents is a potential hurdle to the uninitiated. Most provinces in France celebrate Christmas day on 25th December, but in Eastern and Northern France the season begins on 6th December on La Fête de Saint Nicolas, when children receive small gifts and sweets. There are other regional variations, such as the Fête de Lumières in Lyons on 8th December. Many adults don’t exchange gifts until New Year’s Eve or even New Year’s Day.
And rather than stockings hung by the fire, French children leave their sabots or shoes out on Christmas Eve (you’ve got to hope you’re a size 9 rather than 6!).
- Deck The Halls
Despite laying claim to the invention of the Christmas tree – originating in Strasbourg in 1605 – the French don’t invest as much significance in the festively decorated fir as the Brits. (If you do opt for a tree, don’t forget your tasteful red ribbons.) And whilst mistletoe is often hung above the door for good luck, the main decorative focus is the crèche or the equivalent of our nativity scene. Filled with wooden or clay figurines of santos or saints, the crèche features in many French homes and churches. Living crèches are common, in the form of plays and puppet shows, and a tradition has grown up in the south of France for craftsmen to make the figures year round – legend tells that the moulds have been passed from generation to generation since the seventeenth century. Don’t be surprised to see random characters such as local dignitaries, butchers, bakers and policemen.
- Fatten Up The Turkey
Unlike in the UK where Christmas day dinner is the main event, in France the tradition is to celebrate le Réveillon (traditionally after midnight mass) on Christmas Eve. Confusingly many French also mark le Réveillon on New Year’s Eve, often going out with friends or enjoying a variant of the Christmas menu at home. If you’re planning on spending New Year in France it pays to book your preferred restaurant early if you want to usher in the New Year with a meal out.
The menu various from region to region, but common attributes will be special-occasion foods served over multiple courses. Typical dishes include:
- Goose in Alsace
- Turkey in Burgandy
- Oysters and foie gras in Paris
To truly follow form the meal should include an aperitif such as Kir Royale, canapés, entree, a plat principal or main course (preferably stuffed with chestnuts), and dessert. The is one course the French all agree on, the chocolate Yule log, or Buche de Noel (not to be confused with the actual Yule log which is made out of cherry wood and sprinkled with red wine to make it smell nice when burning).
Other festive culinary – or quaffing – highlights include Beaujolias Nouveau. The new wine is re-released on the third Thursday of November and, never a wine to hang around, tradition holds that the entire stock has to be consumed by New Year.
It’s not all about the meal on Christmas Eve – La Galette des Rois is an almond cake baked to celebrate the Fête des Rois on January 6th, the twelfth day of Christmas. The cake has a charm or toy crown inside and whoever finds it is dubbed King or Queen for the day.
- Silent Night
Aaand relax. Christmas Day in France is typically a quiet affair, time for the family to come together and relax. Without the emphasis being all on the one day, December 25th is just one chapter in the yuletide celebrations. Time to recharge before the big New Year event!
- A French Carol – Un Chant de Noël Français
‘Vive le Vent’( Jingle Bells)
Vive le vent, vive le vent, vive le vent d’hiver
Qui s’en va, sifflant, soufflant
Dans les grands sapins verts, Oh !
Vive le temps, vive le temps, vive le temps d’hiver
Qui rappelle aux vieux enfants
Leurs souvenirs d’hier !
Sur le long chemin
Tout blanc de neige blanche
Un vieux monsieur s’avance
Avec sa canne dans la main
Et tout là-haut le vent
Qui siffle dans les branches
Lui souffle la romance qu’il chantait petit enfant
Christmas Holidays in France – Do it Style!
- Christmas in The Alps
5* Premium Les Crets in Meribel stands above the resort and enjoys uninterrupted views over the Tueda lake and the ski area. The building, in typical Savoie style, has undergone major renovation: apartments have been enlarged and redecorated in warm colours, and top-of-the-range furnishings and equipment installed.
Accommodation for 4 people sharing for one week starts at €1490 during the Christmas period.
- Christmas accommodation in the Cote d’Azur
4* Pont Royal Holiday Resort offers small residences no taller than 2 floors with views of the lake, golf course or surrounding hills. The apartments are near shops and activities. The houses are on the edge of the village. Most of the Provencal farmhouses are on the edge of the golf course.
Accommodation for 4 people sharing for one week starts at €2373 during the Christmas period.
- Christmas in Paris
Adagio Paris La Defense Le Parc, located in the Faubourg de l’Arche district, this new 12-storey architecturally modern residence with rounded lines offers conformable air-conditioned apartments, most of which open onto terraces or balconies. Facing a 1-hectare landscaped park, it is also close the shopping and business centre of La Défense.
Accommodation for 4 people sharing for one week starts at €1211 during the Christmas period.
Check the Pierre & Vacances website for it’s amazing two nights for free Christmas ski offer!
Méribel Little World Festival – dates and line up announced
Did you catch UK pop royalty the Feeling and Sophie Ellis Bextor performing on the 3 Vallées stand at the Ski & Snowboard Show this year?
© www.petewebb.com
Well in 2011 they’re back, performing at The Feeling’s Little World Festival in Méribel. The music event takes place form March 12-19, 2011 and has so far confirmed diverse acts including the Freemasons, Squeeze and Carl Barat of Libertines and Dirty Pretty Things fame.
Tickets go on sale soon so keep your eyes peeled for updates on the Little World Festival Facebook page here.
Book your accommodation now: Maeva Les Ravines is slap bang in the centre of the resort providing the ideal ski and party crash pad in Méribel. Prices start from 714 € for a studio cabin that sleeps up to four people. Chose from a further six Méribel apartments on PV-Holidays.com.
Pierre Vacances: Altitude Festival 2009
If you’re planning to squeeze in a ski trip to the French Alps at the end of the season, make your way to the fabulous resort of Meribel for first-class snow action and belly laughs on the piste.
Featuring some of the biggest names in comedy, the annual Altitude Festival, runs in the beautiful resort of Meribel from 28th March- April 3rd 2009.
Co-created by British comedian Marcus Brigstocke, the Altitude Festival offers the ultimate in après-ski entertainment. This year’s line-up features the cream of the British comedy crop, including Phil Jupitus, Ed Byrne, Andrew Maxwell, Lee Mack and Jenny Éclair.
Internationally acclaimed DJs, Brandon Block and Hed Kandi are also featured and the fellows from the Ministry of Sound are scheduled to play a set, too. While the full line up of bands won’t be announced until mid-January, The Dub Pistols are top of the bill – and guaranteed to get the party started. Having gained much credibility after collaborations with Busta Rhymes, Ian Brown, Bono, Moby, and Terry Hall from The Specials, the band also scored a hit at music festivals this summer.
And if you speak the lingo, check out some of the French bands too –an intriguing mix of upcoming French acts have been drafted in to give the snowy festival that extra je ne sais quoi.
The highlights of the festivals, in addition to brilliant stand-up performances, include screenings of comedy films, gigs and a lot of messing around on the piste. Join your favourite comedians for some top entertainment on the slopes, including three legged ski-races, snowball fights and expression sessions.
On a more serious note, visiting Meribel at the end of the season also means you’ll also get to watch the pro-skiers and snowboarders in action. The British Ski Championships takes place in the same week as the Altitude Festival… escapes to the piste don’t come much better than this!
Comedy at Altitude festival
Last year’s highlights included impromptu heated pool parties, The Highest Stand Up Gig Ever (at 2,800km) and a group invasion of the nearby Courcheval resort organised by Andrew Mar who insisted everyone dressed up in masks and capes.To get a feel for the festival, watch last years highlights:
Green giggles
Festival organisers are also aware of the environmental impact on the resort, and are aiming to make this year’s Altitude comedy party, a carbon neutral festival. They are not only offering a lift-sharing service, but customers are being encouraged to travel by train. All the ski lifts in the resort are powered hydro-electrically, and there are many piste-cleaning parties currently being planned.
Getting there
If you’re travelling by train, the nearest station to Meribel is Brides des Bains and the nearest airports are Lyon, Geneva or Grenoble.
Where to stay at Altitude festival
Pierre Vacances has seven self-catering residences at very affordable prices in Meribel.
Choose from a wide range of comfortable studios and apartments – all of which have modern kitchens and facilities, and are situated in the heart of the resort close to the ski lifts.
Altitude Festival accommodation
A stay for the entire festival (28th March- 3rd April) at PV-Holidays Residence Maeva Les Ravines, in a studio, which sleeps four people, cost from just £527. For detailed property information, see the page here or watch a virtual tour of the resort.
For those on less of a budget, a stay for the duration of the festival at PV-Holidays Residence Les Crets will cost from just £891, for a one -bedroom apartment, which can sleep up to five people. Find more information on the website here.
For our current special offers see our website here!
Make sure you visit the Altitude Website to find out more information as the website is updated regularly.
Thanks for reading,
PV-Holidays.
*Pictures provided by Altitude organisers.
