How to Make a French 75
The French 75 is what happens when a sour gets dressed for a celebration. Gin, lemon, sugar, sparkling wine. The result should be bright and dry with just enough sugar to stop the wine and lemon from colliding. A bad French 75 tastes like brunch filler. A good one feels sharp, elegant, and a little dangerous because it goes down so easily.
Ingredients
Use a dry gin that can stay present even after the wine lands on top.
Fresh lemon keeps the drink lifted and structured. Without it, it just becomes sparkling wine with ambition.
Use just enough to round the acidity. The wine is already doing part of the balancing work.
Use very cold sparkling wine. True Champagne is lovely, but a dry sparkling wine works if the balance is right.
Instructions
- 1
Shake gin, fresh lemon juice, and simple syrup with ice.
Shake the base well so the gin, lemon, and syrup are already aligned before the wine arrives.
- 2
Strain into a champagne flute.
Strain into a chilled flute to preserve bubbles and keep the temperature tight.
- 3
Top with chilled champagne and stir gently.
Top with sparkling wine gently and stir once at most.
- 4
Garnish with a lemon twist.
A lemon twist keeps the aroma clean and classic.
Bartender Tips
- ★Cold wine solves a lot of problems before they start.
- ★If the guest likes Aperol Spritz but wants something drier and sharper, this is a smart recommendation.
- ★Champagne flutes look classic, but a narrow wine glass can actually carry aroma better.
Variations
Cognac French 75
Use Cognac instead of gin for a rounder and richer classic variation that some bartenders actually prefer.
Rosé 75
Use dry rosé sparkling wine for a softer fruit edge and different visual profile.
Elderflower 75
Add a small amount of elderflower liqueur for floral lift, but keep it restrained.
A Short History
The French 75 takes its name from the rapid-fire French field gun of the First World War, which tells you how the drink was perceived when it started circulating in the early twentieth century. It was light in appearance and stronger in effect than it looked. That description still holds.
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