French 75 Recipe: How to Make a French 75

The French 75 was first called the "75" in Harry MachElhone’s ABC of Mixing Cocktails published in 1922, and the same year in Cocktails: How to Mix Them by Robert Vermeire, which credits MacElhone with the creation of the drink. However, these recipes varied from the current version. MacElhone's version contained Calvados, gin, grenadine, and absinthe, while Vermeire added lemon juice. The recipe, which includes gin, sugar, lemon juice, and champagne, was given its now-classic form and name "French 75" in Here's How!, by Judge Jr. in 1927. The French 75 recipe was republished as "French 75" in The Savoy Cocktail Book in 1930, which contributed to the drink's popularity.

Some later cocktail books, such as David A. Embury's The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, replaced cognac for gin. The French 75 gained popularity in America in New York's Stork Club. It appears in the film Casablanca in 1942 and is mentioned twice in John Wayne's films A Man Betrayed in 1941 and Jet Pilot in 1957. French 75 also had an appearance in the ITV series Mr. Selfridge in 2016, which is set in 1910s and 1920s London. On November 17, 1969, humorist Jean Shepherd gave a whimsical alternative story of the French 75's invention, in which he names Gervais Raoul Lufbery as its creator. According to Shepherd, the cocktail consists of champagne and cognac served over ice with a lemon twist. Given the documented earlier version, this version is unreliable.

The actual French 75 recipe includes gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup, and champagne on top. A French 75 is crisp, sour, and fizzy, with the simple syrup adding a slight sweetness that balances the lemon and gin. This cocktail is easy to drink but has a strong flavour. The French 75 is recommended for someone who likes champagne cocktails and a simple drink with a bright citrus flavour. There is a modern take on the classic French 75 cocktail, called the French 76 cocktail. However, the spirit used differs depending on whether it is a French 76 or a French 75 cocktail. While the French 75 is made with gin, the French 76 calls for vodka.

What are the ingredients for a French 75?

Listed below are the following ingredients for a French 75.

• 40ml of gin: Gin is a clear alcoholic spirit made from grain or malt that has been flavoured with juniper berries.
• 20ml fresh lemon juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice is a liquid that has been freshly squeezed from a lemon fruit.
• 10ml sugar syrup: Simple syrup is a sweet liquid made by dissolving sugar in water; it is commonly used to sweeten cocktails.
• Champagne: Champagne is a white or pink sparkling wine, usually produced in France's Champagne region.

1. 40ml of gin

Gin is necessary for making a French 75 because it is the base spirit  and adds other flavours to the drink. Gin has a herbal taste because of the juniper berries it is derived from. A standard drink of 1.5 ounces of gin contains about 40% alcohol by volume. Gin has 75 calories per 1 ounce (30 ml). There are many good choices for gin brands when making a French 75, including Monkey 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin, Damrak Gin, Hendrick’s Midsummer Solstice Gin, Barr Hill Tom Cat Gin, Bombay Sapphire London Dry Gin, Seven Three Distilling Co. Gentilly Gin, Beefeater Gin, Aviation Gin, Bobby’s Schiedam Jenever, and Bluecoat Barrel-Finished Gin.

2.  20ml fresh lemon juice

Freshly squeezed lemon juice is necessary for making a French 75 because it gives balance to the gin and champagne. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice rather than bottled lemon juice for a more bright and fresh flavour. Fresh lemon juice has a strong taste that is described as bitter, sour, and harsh. Fresh lemon juice has 3 calories per 0.5 ounces.  

3. 10ml simple syrup

Simple syrup is necessary for making a French 75 because it balances the gin and adds sweetness to the drink. Simple syrup has a slight caramel taste and 37 calories per 0.5 ounces.  

4. Champagne

Champagne, especially Brut champagne, is necessary for making a French 75 because it is a dry champagne that balances  the drink's sweetness. If the bartender does not have champagne, they could replace any other sparkling wine as long as it is dry. Champagne contains approximately 12.2% alcohol by volume. Champagne has 75 calories per 3 ounces (89 ml). There are many champagne or sparkling wines to choose from when making a French 75, including G.H. Mumm “Cordon Rouge” Brut NV, Taittinger Brut “La Francaise” Brut NV, Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut Champagne NV, Drappier “Carte d’Or” Brut NV, Charles de Fère “Cuvée Jean-Louis” Blanc de Blancs, Victorine de Chastenay Crémant de Bourgogne Brut NV, Domaine des Baumard Crémant de Loire “Carte Turquoise” Brut, and Cava Flama d’Or Brut.

How to make a French 75?

Preparing a French 75 has never been easier thanks to this recipe, so don't miss it and make the most out of your cocktail!

1. Pour all the ingredients except the champagne into a shaker and shake.
2. Fine strain into a champagne flute.
3. Top with champagne.
4. Garnish with a lemon twist.

1. Pour all the ingredients except the champagne into a shaker and shake.

Add all the liquid ingredients which are 40ml gin, 20ml lemon juice, and 10ml sugar syrup to the cocktail shaker filled with ice. Secure the lid tightly and shake well until completely chilled. Adding all the liquid ingredients together in a cocktail shaker and shaking it well is a necessary step for making a French 75 because it completely combines all the ingredients.

2. Fine strain into a champagne flute.

Strain into a chilled champagne flute half-filled with ice. Straining is necessary to remove the ice and freshly squeezed lemon bits from the mixing process.

3. Top with Champagne.

Top it with Champagne or any sparkling wine. Adding champagne is necessary for making a French 75 because it balances the sweetness of the drink and gives it its bubbly character.

4. Garnish with a lemon twist.

To make a lemon twist, cut the lemon into a circle widthwise. Then use a paring knife to remove the peel, removing as much of the pith as possible. Finally, cut the remaining peel circle into a long strip. Twist it and hold it for a few seconds to keep the shape. Garnishing a lemon twist is optional, but it does make the cocktail look classy.

What nutritional benefit can you get from drinking a French 75?

There are some nutritional benefits from drinking a French 75 cocktail which includes gaining 0.1% vitamin A, 3.6% vitamin C, 0.5% calcium, and 1% iron. The French 75 contains about 19% alcohol by volume and 160 calories.

What are the different variations of French 75?

There are multiple variations of the French 75 cocktail, including Old Cuban, South Mint 75, French Harvest, West 75th, Romancing the Stone, and Maxwell. To variate a French 75, replace vodka or cognac for the gin, and honey syrup, tea syrup, or Oleo-Saccharum for the simple syrup. When making a variation of the classic French 75 cocktail, the glass also has an impact on the drink's quality. The bartender could use a Collins glass instead of a champagne flute. As the ice melts and dilutes the drink, it softens the pungent gin, and the additional space in a Collins glass allows for the addition of more champagne.