French 75 Cocktail
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The French 75 Cocktail is a classic gin cocktail with fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, and champagne. It is refreshing, bubbly, and citrusy. The perfect drink to enjoy for the holidays, celebrations, special brunches or just a hot summer day!
Are you familiar with a French 75? If not, you’re in for a REAL treat! Recently, I had one for the first time and it became an instant favorite. I knew I had to share it with you as soon as possible because this website is basically my way of telling the world “you need this in your life!”.
Cocktails made with champagne are some of the best, especially in the summertime. My 3 Bellini options, Aperol Spritz Slushie and Classic Aperol Spritz are some of my personal favorites. But, this French 75 cocktail might have just replaced all of those as my go-to cocktail. It’s seriously SO good. Very summery and fresh!
What is a French 75?
A French 75 is a classic cocktail that dates back to the early 1900s and was named after the French 75-mm field gun, which was commonly used in World War I. It’s made with just 4 simple ingredients – gin, simple syrup, lemon juice, and champagne. This French 75 cocktail recipe is similar to a Tom Collins, but made with champagne instead of the usual club soda.
French 75 Cocktail Ingredients:
The French 75 is a simple cocktail and that means you want to make sure you use fresh, quality ingredients because you’ll be able to taste them all. Here’s what you need:
- Gin. the base of this drink and the main flavor component. In my Gin and Tonic recipe post, I shared a list of my favorite gins.
- Simple syrup. to balance out the gin and the tart lemon juice. You can most certainly buy simple syrup, but it’s so easy to make homemade simple syrup.
- Lemon juice. I highly recommend fresh lemon juice for the best flavor. And don’t forget the lemon peel for a fun garnish!
- Champagne. to add fizz and bubbles to the cocktail. Traditionally, the cocktail was made with a Brut Champagne, but you can use whatever sparkling wine you like best.
How to make this classic cocktail:
Serving suggestions:
You can pour your drink into a coupe glass or champagne flute. You can serve these up in either disposable flutes or traditional glass ones, depending on the setting. Then, garnish with a twist of lemon.
To make a lemon twist: Use a vegetable peeler to remove a long piece of lemon peel from a whole lemon. Twist it up and it should hold a curl shape. For a thinner lemon twist, you can use this method.
Variations to the classic French 75 cocktail recipe:
- Champagne. Feel free to substitute the champagne with Prosecco or Cava. You just want to add some bubbly!
- Gin. Replace the gin with cognac, brandy or bourbon.
- Simple syrup. Don’t want to make simple syrup? Agave nectar or honey is a decent substitute in a pinch!
- Lemon juice. Fresh out of lemons or want to mix things up? Try replacing lemon juice with something a bit more tart such fresh grapefruit or lime juice.
Any way you serve it, the French 75 Cocktail is as close to cocktail perfection as you’re going to get. It’s a MUST try! Cheers!
As usual, if you end up making this cocktail, please come back and let me know how you like it. Or tag me on Instagram @foodwithfeeling! I always love to see what y’all are cooking from the blog.
More Classic Cocktails to try:
French 75 Cocktail
Ingredients
- 2 ounces of gin this can also be made with brandy or bourbon but I prefer gin which is more classic
- .5 ounce of simple syrup
- .5 ounce of lemon juice
- 5-6 ounces of champagne I usually just fill the glass the rest of the way up
Instructions
- In a shaker or mixer, combine the gin, simple syrup, and lemon juice with ice. Stir/ shake until the drink is icy cold. Strain into a champagne glass and then top with champagne. Serve with a lemon twist and enjoy!
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