The French 75 is a classic bubbly cocktail that’s perfect for brunch, weddings, and holidays such as Mother’s Day. Much like a spiked bubbly lemonade, the French 75 is a refreshing summertime drink as well.
The classic cocktail is a lighter counterpart to the traditional mimosa.
French 75 Cocktail Recipe
Gin, champagne, fresh squeezed lemon juice, and sugar or simple syrup make up this delicious celebratory cocktail. This drink is traditionally served in a champagne flute and is a great addition to brunch for Easter or Mother’s Day.
The ingredients for a French 75 are simple:
- London dry gin
- fresh squeezed lemon juice
- simple syrup
- Brut champagne
- Lemon peel twist for garnish
You’ll need a cocktail shaker to make this drink, but don’t shake the champagne!
Easy steps for making a French 75:
- Using a paring knife or a zester, slice peel from lemon, going all the way around to create a long spiral.
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup. Shake vigorously for 20 seconds.
- Strain into chilled champagne flute and top with Brut.
- Curl lemon peel around a wooden spoon or your finger to create a long twist.
- Garnish drink with twist and serve immediately.
Hint: you can print this recipe with measurements and steps at the end of this post.
Why is it called French 75?
This celebratory drink has also been called a 75 Cocktail, or when translated from French it’s called a Seventy Five. This cocktail has an interesting history, as do most drinks. Dating back to World War I, it’s said that barman Harry MacElhone created the drink in 1915 at the New York Bar in Paris. The name was coined because patrons said the combination had such a kick that it felt like being shelled with the powerful French 75mm field gun.
The French 75 recipe has changed over the years, where Harry’s original contained Calvados, gin, grenadine, and absinthe. In the 1927 book “Here’s How” by Judge Jr. the name French 75, was coined and the recipe you see here today became a classic. There are some other mixology books that replace the gin in this recipe with Cognac.
If you’ve ever seen the 1942 film Casablanca, then you’ve likely heard of this bubbly cocktail already. It was also mentioned in two of John Wayne’s films in the 1940’s and 1950’s, and more recently in 2016, it appeared in the series, Mr. Selfridge.
Cocktails Similar to French 75
Gimlet Cocktail – A gimlet is a combination of London dry gin, freshly squeezed lime juice and simple syrup, served in a coupe glass.
Tom Collins – This drink has almost the same ingredients as the French 75, only instead of champagne, carbonated water is used.
Lemon Drop – Served in a martini glass, vodka, triple sec, fresh squeezed lemon juice, and simple syrup are shaken with ice and strained before serving.
Lynchburg Lemonade – This summertime favorite combines Jack Daniel’s whiskey with triple sec, lemon juice and lemon-lime soda. It’s named for Lynchburg, Tennessee where the Jack Daniel’s distillery in located.
We hope you enjoy your French 75 cocktail!
French 75
IMPORTANT - There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate It Text ItIngredients
- 1 oz London dry gin
- 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 oz simple syrup
- Ice
- 3 oz Brut champagne
- Lemon peel twist for garnish
Instructions
- Using a paring knife or a zester, slice peel from lemon, going all the way around to create a long spiral.
- Fill cocktail shaker with ice. Add gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup. Shake vigorously for 20 seconds.
- Strain into chilled champagne flute and top with Brut.
- Curl lemon peel around a wooden spoon or your finger to create a long twist.
- Garnish drink with twist and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Amanda Davis
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Marie says
so looking forward to trying the recipes