French 75
intro
Bright, effervescent, and perfectly balanced, the French 75 is a timeless sparkling cocktail blending gin, lemon, sugar, and Champagne for a crisp, celebratory sip.
Ingredients
Steps
Chill serving flutes
Place four 180ml capacity Champagne flutes in the freezer for 3 minutes to chill thoroughly, ensuring the final cocktail stays cold longer without rapid dilution. Do not freeze longer than 5 minutes to avoid thick frost buildup that can water down the drink when it melts.
Measure core ingredients
Juice two fresh, room-temperature lemons to yield 60ml of pulp-free, seed-free strained juice, then measure 120ml London dry gin and 60ml of chilled 1:1 simple syrup into separate bar jiggers to prevent over-pouring.
Load shaker with ice
Add 400 grams of fresh, solid cubed ice (not crushed, which causes over-dilution) to a 750ml metal cocktail shaker, then pour in the measured gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup. Press the shaker lid firmly into place to create a watertight seal.
Shake to chill
Hold the sealed shaker with one hand gripping the lid and one supporting the base, then shake vigorously over your shoulder for 12 full seconds, until the outside of the shaker feels frosty to the touch and reaches an internal temperature of 4°C.
Strain base mixture
Remove the chilled flutes from the freezer, set a fine-mesh hawthorne strainer over the opening of each glass, and evenly divide the shaken gin-lemon mixture between the four flutes, leaving ⅔ of each glass’s volume empty for sparkling wine.
Top with Champagne
Slowly pour 90ml of well-chilled brut Champagne into each flute at a 45-degree angle to preserve delicate carbonation, filling each glass to 1cm below the rim. Do not stir the mixture, as this will dissipate bubbles and flatten the drink.
Garnish and serve
Hold a 5cm long strip of fresh lemon peel (with no bitter white pith attached) 10cm above each drink, twist gently to release citrus oils onto the cocktail surface, rub the peel along the flute rim, then rest the twist on the glass edge. Serve immediately.
Tips
2.Never shake the Champagne or add it to the cocktail shaker—shaking carbonated wine builds pressure that can cause the shaker to pop open, and will destroy the wine’s delicate effervescence.
3.For a richer, more historic variation of the drink, swap the London dry gin for 120ml of VSOP Cognac, the original base spirit used when the cocktail was first created in 1915.
OMG made this for my girls’ brunch last weekend and everyone was begging for the recipe! It’s so bright and bubbly, not too sweet, exactly what I want with a plate of lemon ricotta pancakes. SO good, will be on repeat all summer long.
Tried this for our backyard happy hour last week and it was a total hit! Super easy to throw together even when you’re juggling grilling burgers and greeting guests. Way better than the mimosas we usually make.
Made a big batch of these for my book club potluck and they went so fast I barely got a second sip! Next time I’m doubling the recipe for sure. The lemon cuts the booze perfectly so it doesn’t taste too strong.
Perfect easy cocktail for our post-hike patio hang! We didn’t have super fancy champagne, just a budget prosecco, and it still tasted incredible. Light, crisp, exactly what you want after a few miles on the trail.
Game changer for my New Year’s Eve prep list! These come together in 5 minutes flat so I don’t have to spend the whole party playing bartender. Already tested a batch for my friend’s birthday dinner and everyone raved.
Wait, can I swap the gin for vodka? My partner hates gin but loves bubbly cocktails, would love to make this for our date night this weekend.
First time making a French 75 and I was shocked how easy it was! I was intimidated by fancy French cocktails but this took literally 5 minutes, no fancy tools needed.
How far in advance can I prep the lemon and simple syrup mix? I want to have these ready for my pool party on Saturday so I’m not mixing while guests are here.
I added a tiny splash of elderflower liqueur to my last batch and it was chef’s kiss. Highly recommend if you have a bottle lying around from other cocktail recipes!
Made these for my granddaughter’s bridal shower brunch and everyone said they were the best cocktail they’d ever had! I did add a little extra lemon because I love tart drinks, turned out perfect.
Made this for my anniversary dinner at home and my wife thought I ordered it from a fancy downtown cocktail bar! Little lemon twist garnish made it look super professional, zero skill required.
Wait, is this supposed to be served in a champagne flute or a coupe glass? I have both and don’t want to serve it the “wrong” way at my party tomorrow lol
Tried this last night with our smoked brisket dinner and wow, the bright lemon and bubbles cut through the rich meat so well. Who knew a fancy French cocktail paired so good with Texas BBQ?
Help! I accidentally bought sparkling rosé instead of dry champagne for this. Will it still taste okay or do I need to run back to the store?
Made a non-alcoholic version of this for my sober friend at our last potluck! Used non-alcoholic gin alternative and sparkling white grape juice, and she said it was the best NA cocktail she’d ever had. Thanks for the base recipe!
I thought this was way too strong the first time I made it, did I do something wrong? I followed the measurements exactly but it tasted like straight gin with a splash of lemon.