The Classic French 75

The French 75 is a classic, classic cocktail. It’s one of the first cocktails I ever had and it was ordered for me by one of my dearest friends. It’s her go-to drink and honestly, she IS a walking French 75. Tall & blonde, bright & effervescent, feminine & sophisticated, but man, she can pack a punch. Cheers, Colleen. You powerhouse, you.

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This gin & champagne cocktail dates back to the early 1900s and gets its name from the 75-millimeter Howitzer field gun that was used by both the French and the Americans in World War I. I’m no gun expert but apparently this thing had a pretty mean kick to it. So it seems the French 75 is appropriately named– it is BOO-ZY, I tell ya.

When I make a French 75, or any cocktail with champagne, I prefer to purchase the little mini bottles. I love champagne as much as the next person, don’t get me wrong. But it almost always gives me an instant headache so I never finish a bottle of the stuff.

Simple cocktails, or all cocktails IMO, call for a garnish. Twist a strip of lemon peel around a straw to help it hold a curl while you assemble the rest of the drink. I know I need to up my garnish game and I plan on spending my daughter’s next nap time watching some YouTube tutorials. We all gotta start somewhere. You can use a traditional vegetable peeler or special citrus zester. I found this teeny red box grater at Hobby Lobby for a couple bucks and it is surprisingly extremely sharp.

Another great place to find fun garnishes is the dollar store. I think I got a pack of 8 of those sparkly hearts for a buck. These would be the perfect garnish for a Galentine’s Day cocktail. And the foiled paper straws just take it all to the next level.

There are a few ways to make a French 75 but typically, the components are gin + sugar + lemon juice + champagne. I’ve had them with vodka in place of gin, honey syrup instead of sugar, and with a couple dashes of Angostura bitters. It seems the recipe below is the most commonly used one, but make it however you want.

The Ingredients

• 1 1/2 oz gin
• 3/4 oz simple syrup
• 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
• 2-3 oz champagne

The How-To

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add the gin, simple syrup, and lemon juice. Shake well. Strain into a champagne glass and top off with champagne. Garnish with a lemon peel and cheers yourself for being so classy.