A mixture of gin, lemon, Champagne and sugar, the French 75 is one refreshing cocktail. Named for a quick-firing gun used during World War I, it's a surprisingly potent mixture that is best sipped slowly.
The story behind the creation of the French 75 is a bit mysterious. One account claims that French soldiers concocted the drink in the trenches during the war. Intriguing, but unlikely. A more believable account has the drink created in 1915 at the New York Bar in Paris. The components of the French 75 have been debated over time as well. Some recipes have called for cognac as the base spirit, while others call for gin.
In 1930, the Savoy Cocktail Book was released with a French 75 recipe. It calls for the drink to be made with gin and served over ice, as we chose to do in our recipe. A gin with floral notes is a particularly nice choice. (We created ours with the custom botanical blend in our Homemade Gin Kit!)
The French 75
Makes Two Drinks
- 2 shots gin
- 1 shot fresh lemon juice
- 1 shot simple syrup
- Champagne
- 2 strips of lemon zest (to garnish)
- Add the gin, lemon juice and simple syrup to The Mason Shaker.
- Add ice to above the level of the liquid, and shake vigorously for 5 seconds.
- Strain the mixture into chilled Collins glasses filled with ice, and top with Champagne. Garnish with lemon zest.