May the Easter Bells bring you an Easter cocktail

Wandering around Salt Lake City and viewing the traditional Easter decorations and candy, one gets the idea that the Easter Bunny is a global phenomenon, but that is not the case.  Students of French language and culture learn that Easter (Pâques) is as big of a deal in France as it is in Utah and the USA.  Visitors to France around Easter are impressed by the amount of chocolate available (there are large displays of it in the big hotels), and it’s all delivered by les Cloches de Pâques.  France was once a strongly Catholic nation, and many Catholic traditions persist.  One of them is that the church bells (les Cloches), usually a daily presence as they ring the hours, do not ring from Good Friday morning until Easter morning.  Legend has it that the bells do not ring because they have flown off to Rome (yes, they have wings) for the week-end.  When les Cloches fly back into town on Easter morning they bring chocolate for all of the children, but what about something for the adults?

This year les Cloches may have something for the adults, too.  Do you have a weakness for chocolate covered cherries at Easter? Then you might want to try an Easter Egg.  This cocktail has all the essentials of an Easter treat in a single glass: chocolate, cherry, and cocoanut.  The Easter Egg will remind you of gobbling your candy Easter morning as a child (if you have a sweet tooth, that’s a good thing).  The Easter Egg may be enjoyed on its own or after dinner, but is definitely not a good choice for an aperitif or with your meal.  As you can guess, this one’s a little sweet, so if you’re looking for something dry to enjoy with your meal, read my post on Pairing cocktails with Easter dinner.