French 75 Cocktail Recipe
The French 75 is a bubbly gin and champagne cocktail with a fresh lemon zing! This classic cocktail goes well with just about everything – brunch, lunch, dinner or cocktail hour.
There comes an age where you stop drinking to get drunk, and you stop drinking cheap beer just so you have something to choke down while you're out at a way-too-loud bar with your friends.
You also stop indulging in the well whiskey specials during happy hour, and you stop buying the cheapest champagne at the store just so you can have a lot of it on hand.
Mind you, that happened a long, long time ago for me… but it's nice to remind myself that I've matured in my tastes over the years. So now:
- I'm very particular about my beer (we can blame the German in me for that – I've pretty much always been picky)
- I rarely indulge myself in hard liquor at all (and when I do it's likely something local that's smooth and sippable)
- I prefer proseccos
- and I insist on dry champagnes
Which brings us to my favorite cocktail recipe of all time: The elegant French 75.
What is a French 75?
It's said that the French 75 was named for the fast-firing 75 millimeter gun used by the French during WW1. Thankfully, the drink itself bears no resemblance to… well, any of that!
A French 75 is a simple recipe that comes together in a matter of minutes, doesn't have any crazy ingredients, and is just freaking perfect: gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, topped with champagne, and served in a champagne flute with a lemon twist garnish.
It's light and bright and makes me feel fancy – even when I'm in my PJs.
Every year for my birthday, I treat myself to a French 75 as my cocktail of choice. To be fair, it's my cocktail of choice pretty much all the time – but still! Especially on my birthday.
Ingredients for the French 75 recipe
- Gin – Make sure to use a gin you enjoy the taste of, as the flavor is prominent in this drink. I recommend a London Dry gin – Aviation, The Botanist, Plymouth, and Sipsmith are the top choices in our home.
- Fresh lemon juice – Freshly squeezed, please! Don't use the bottled stuff, it's just not the same when you're talking about cocktails. If you need a lemon squeezer, I've had this one for years (aff link) and it's been great.
- Simple syrup – I tend to measure out my simple syrup on the low side because I enjoy dry drinks over sweeter ones. If you don't have any simple syrup, you're in luck – you only need 2 ingredients to make your own simple syrup!
- Champagne – Again, use one you enjoy the taste of.
How to make a French 75
Step 1: In a cocktail shaker, combine gin, simple syrup and lemon juice with a handful of ice. Cover and shake well for a few seconds.
Step 2: Strain into two champagne flutes
Step 3: Top each glass with champagne.
Step 4: Add a lemon twist garnish and serve. Cheers!
Tips for how to make the best French 75
- Use lots of ice. Since all your ingredients will likely be room temperature, load that cocktail shaker up with ice to get it all chilled for serving!
- Serve in champagne flutes. They're designed to retain the bubbles. And if you're looking to make these for a crowd this holiday and don't want to worry about people breaking your nice champagne flutes, I highly recommend these disposable recyclable ones that come in a set of 12 (aff link). They're super cheap, no dishes to worry about, and they hold the alcohol which is really the most important piece. And you can get them with or without stems!
- Add a lemon twist garnish. A lemon twist is a cocktail garnish made from the peel of a lemon twisted in a corkscrew shape. Or as I like to say, shaped like a little piggy tail! It certainly adds to the presentation, and it's easy to make. If you're not sure how to make it, check out my tutorial on how to make a lemon twist garnish.
Best champagne for French 75
I know hardcore champagne enthusiasts and mixologists may disagree with me – but in my honest opinion, the best champagne for your French 75 is one you like the taste of.
I prefer to use an Extra Dry or Brut, but you can use whatever type you prefer. Choose the right champagne for your tastes! This picture shows you the different variations in sweetness if you need help deciding.
FAQs
A French 75 is a simple recipe that comes together in a matter of minutes, doesn't have any crazy ingredients, and is just freaking perfect: gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, topped with champagne, and served in a champagne flute with a lemon twist garnish.
It's said that the French 75 was named for the fast-firing 75 millimeter gun used by the French during WW1. Thankfully, the drink itself bears no resemblance to… well, any of that!
I recommend a London Dry gin – Aviation, The Botanist, Plymouth, and Sipsmith are the top choices in our home.
I prefer to use an Extra Dry or Brut, but you can use whatever type you prefer. Choose the right champagne for your tastes! This picture shows you the different variations in sweetness if you need help deciding.
Definitely! Brut Champagne is the traditional choice, but I'm a strong believer in making drinks with the ingredients you enjoy – not just what the recipe tells you to use.
A French 75 should be served in a tall champagne flute.
A French 75 that swaps the gin for vodka is called… wait for it… a French 76.
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French 75 Cocktail
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 ounces gin, recommend a London Dry gin
- 1 ounce simple syrup, more or less, to taste
- 2 ounces freshly squeezed lemon juice, about 2 lemon's worth
- 4-5 ounces dry champagne, chilled
- Lemon twist garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine gin, simple syrup and lemon juice with a handful of ice. Cover and shake well for a few seconds.3 ounces (85 g) gin1 ounce (28 ⅓ g) simple syrup2 ounces freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Strain into two champagne flutes. Top with champagne and garnish with a lemon twist.4-5 ounces (113 ⅖ g) dry champagneLemon twist garnish
- Serve immediately and enjoy responsibly – cheers!
Video
Notes
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is generated by an automatic API and does not take variations across specific brands into account. This information is provided as a general guideline and should not be treated as official calculations. Learn more here.
I can’t believe there aren’t other comments on this drink, I love it so much
Me too! It’s my personal favorite, go to drink – thanks so much for coming back to leave a comment and rating!
This is a really lovely post, Kiddo. Not just because of all the good things that have happened to you and Bill this year, but because of how appreciative you are re your current situation. Your focus on the positives truly shines through. Oh, and the drink looks really good, too! :)