French 75

If you’ve got champagne or Prosecco and gin handy, you can make the classic FRENCH 75 as a special New Year’s treat. It has herbal notes from the gin, and tartness from the lemon juice which is offset by sweetness from simple syrup. Sparkling wine — champagne, Prosecco or Cava — gives this drink its bubbly.

Requirements: dry gin (or cognac), lemon juice, simple syrup (or prepared on the stovetop as 2 parts sugar to 1 part water), sparkling wine (Brut champagne, Prosecco, or Cava), lemon twist

• 1.5 oz. gin (or cognac)
• 3/4 oz. lemon juice
• 1/2 oz. simple syrup
• 2-3 oz. champagne, Prosecco, or Cava

Shake gin, lemon juice and simple syrup in an ice-filled shaker. Strain into a champagne flute glass and top with either champagne, Prosecco or Cava. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Comment: Many prefer the French 75 with cognac instead of gin. It might even have started with with cognac before it shifted to the more popular gin. The gin version makes a good substitution, if not a bit boozier version, to the brunch mimosa and a more layered tasting alternative to the standard champagne toast.

History: Somewhere between 1915 and its published appearance in Harry Craddock’s, The Savoy Cocktail Book (1930), this drink began being served in bars. It got its name because it was “as powerful” a drink as was a French 75mm field gun in WWI. It’s most famous movie moment was in Casablanca (1942) when Humphrey Bogart’s character Rick orders a French 75 at Rick’s Cafe nightclub.

Similar Cocktails:

Aperol Spritz — https://keetscocktails.com/aperol-spritz/

Woodstock — https://keetscocktails.com/woodstock/