French 75

The French 75 is named after the primary French artillery piece of WWI because it packs a wallop. It is also very, very good.

Ingredients

• 1 oz gin
• 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice
• 0.25 oz symple syrrup
• 2 oz Champagne

Preparation

Mix all ingredients but the Champagne in a shaker filled with ice, shake vigorously and strain into a chilled Champagne flute. Slowly pour in the champagne, and optionally stir gently.

Notes

The colder the Champagne the better, throw the bottle in the freezer for best results. The after taste of the drink is dominated by the Champagne, so don’t use one you wouldn’t be willing to drink by itself. Strong Champagnes will have more of a bite on first taste, while tartness can be had by increasing the lemon content. It’s very hard to taste the gin itself, but my favorite to use is Tanqueray Seville Orange.

Feel free to leave the lemon pulp from juicing in, as it adds a nice texture to the mouth feel. You’ll have to be careful pouring the Champagne, however, as the pulp can cause bubble overs.

The Italian 75

If, like me, you’re not super fond of Champagne, can use other sparkling wines. I call the version with Prosecco the ‘Italian 75’. The gin and the lemon juice makes the cocktail forgiving of a Prosecco with a harsh initial taste as long as the after taste is smooth, but, as with Champagne, is best with one you’d drink by itself.