French 75 – Classic Cocktail Recipes

French-75
French 75 – The classic gin and Champagne cocktail.

French 75

This is classic cocktail that is one branch of the sour family tree. It is also one of our seven classic cocktail recipes that every bartender should know.

A gin sour is the heart of this drink. Champagne lengthens a sour made with gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup. Chill the cocktail and serve it in a flute with a long looping lemon twist. It is a very elegant cocktail.

History

Harry MacElhone of Harry’s New York Bar in Paris created the French 75 during the First World War. The drink packs a punch. Soldiers at the time compared being shelled with a French 75MM field artillery gun with drinking this cocktail.

The classic cocktail first appears in the 1922 edition of Harry MacElhone’s ABC’s of Mixing Cocktails. The drink became popular at the Stork Club in New York and made an appearance in the movie Casablanca.

French 75 Recipe

French 75

  • 1 oz. gin
  • 1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 oz. simple syrup
  • 4 oz. chilled brut Champagne
  1. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, gin, lemon juice and syrup and shake well.
  2. Strain into a chilled Champagne flute and top with the Champagne.

Due to the kick this drink was reputedly named for the 75MM French artillery guns used in WWI. Some stories say this cocktail originated with American soldiers in France who wanted a Tom Collins. Soda water wasn’t available but Champagne was. Whatever the case it’s still an amazing drink.

The Sweet

Simple syrup works well in this drink. It also lends itself to using flavored syrups as well. If you prefer you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon of superfine sugar.

The Sour

The sour aspect of this drink is fresh lemon juice. It works well with both the gin and the champagne. For variation, you can add other juices, purees, or whole fruits, but you should keep the lemon juice to maintain the acidity of the cocktail.

The Bubbles

The French 75 recipe calls for Champagne, but any sparkling wine will work. Sparkling wines vary in sweetness and flavor, but the subtleties get lost in the presence of citrus. Don’t be afraid to use inexpensive bubbles.

What is especially important for the French 75 is the level of carbonation. You want to choose a sparkling wine that is heavily carbonated.  Look for Cava, Champagne, Crémant or, Italian Metodo Classico wines. Prosecco is fine, but it is more lightly carbonated.

French 75 – Variations

Cognac 75

The French 75 started out as a Cognac based drink and it seems like that is a great place to start branching out.

Pear 75

Try substituting pear brandy for the gin. Pear brandy and sparkling wine are amazing together. If you really want to go for it, use a ginger syrup instead of simple syrup. Pear and ginger are a classic flavor combination for a reason.

Check out our falernum recipe for a delcious spicy addition to your tropical cocktails.

For more like this check out our Guide to Classic Cocktails.