The French 75 Is The Fanciest Cocktail—Period

The French 75 is among the fanciest of cocktails. Sure, there’s the tried-and-true martini and the timeless Old Fashioned, but the French 75 has got what those two don’t – Champagne! Only requiring four ingredients, this is the simple, classic cocktail to prepare when you need to add the fancy factor to any occasion. Bubbly, bright, and refreshing, we’ll toast to this cocktail anytime of year. Keep reading on for all of our top tips on how to make this bubbling cocktail as good as it can be:

What is a French 75?

Yes, this early 20th cocktail is indeed French, and its name is well-deserved and appropriate given its inspiration: the powerful 75mm French field guns used during World War I. All in all, it’s no surprise it packs a punch. But a properly crafted French 75 is so well balanced that it comes off as super drinkable and delicious, to boot.

How to make a French 75:

— The gin. Use your favorite bottle of gin here, or consult our list of favorite gin brands for inspo.

— The champagne. While Champagne is what makes this drink distinctively French (and totally worth the splurge in our opinion), a more affordable sparkling wine such as a Prosecco is certainly a sound option.

— The simple syrup. Feel free to use store-bought, but we love to make our own simple syrup. Once made, you can store it to use in countless other cocktails (hello, mojitos!).

— The lemon. In addition to the lemon juice, make sure to squeeze the lemon twist into your drink to add some of those floral lemon oils.

Batch it:

Want to make it in batches? Simply add the correct ratio of gin, lemon juice and simple syrup to a pitcher and chill in the fridge. Then, when it comes time for the big toast of the night, pour the gin mixture into everyone’s flutes and top with sparkling wine. A perfect party cocktail!

Tried making your own French 75? Let us know how it came out in the comments below!

Yields: 1 serving

Prep Time: 5 mins

Total Time: 5 mins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 oz.

  gin

• 3/4 oz.

  fresh lemon juice

• 3/4 oz.

  simple syrup

• 3

  to 4 oz Champagne or other sparkling wine

• 1

  Lemon peel, for garnish

Directions

1. Add gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup to a shaker filled with ice. Shake until completely chilled then strain into a champagne flute. Top with Champagne and garnish with a lemon twist.

French 75

French 75