How to make a French 75

 
 
 
 

In case you're looking for a holiday cocktail idea, we perfected the French 75. A French 75 is a cocktail made with gin, simple syrup, fresh lemon juice and Champagne. While we'd ideally love to top nearly anything with Champagne, this cocktail really works with any dry sparkling wine. You just need it to smooth out the gin and add a bit of bubbly effervescence. While French 75s pack a punch, they're dry, tangy and light. Watch out—they're as easy to drink as they are to make. When we lived together after college, we threw an annual holiday party. The year we made these as the house cocktail was our favorite and certainly the most sloppy. If you want to dance on your own couch, this is the perfect drink for you. Need a cocktail for New Years Eve? Here you go. While they're typically served in a champagne flute, you can make them in whatever: a wine glass, a mug, your hand, or these weird-ass-glasses that Dak bought at a vintage store. If you don't have a cocktail shaker, you can put all of the ingredients in a jar and shake it that way or just add ice—whatever.

 

Ingredients

  • 4 oz Dry Gin

  • 2 oz lemon juice

  • 2 oz simple syrup

  • Champagne or any sparkling wine (about 4 oz), chilled

  • Lemon twist (optional)

 

Instructions

  1. In a shaker filled with ice combine the gin, lemon juice and simple syrup. Shake until the outside of the shaker is nicely chilled and cold to the touch, about 15-20 seconds.

  2. Strain and pour gin mixture into champagne flutes, or any glass of your choosing.

  3. Top each glass with about 2oz of champagne/sparkling wine. Feel free to add more bubbles to taste- this recipe is adaptable to your preferred flavor balance.

  4. Top with lemon twist and serve

Makes 2 cocktails