Cooking Lesson #48— The French 75 Cocktail

The French 75 Cocktail

How you doin’? Are you ready for a little Happy Hour? Hopefully by now, you are becoming a very good home “Baresta.”

Today we are going to explore the French 75 Cocktail. This drink is a beautiful tapestry of gin and bubbles, gracefully woven together to turn anyone into a carousing debauchee. It may become your cocktail to turn to in times of celebration. It’s the perfect cocktail to serve as an aperitif as the bubbles will help lift the mood in no time during difficult times like these.
 
The French 75 is said to have received its name because the drink had such a kick that it felt like being kicked in the ass with the powerful 75mm Howitzer field gun carried by the French and the Americans at the time. Around since the 1930s, the French 75 was popularized in America in the 1940s thanks to Casablanca and Humphrey Bogart’s and Ingrid Bergman’s irresistible stylishness—“here’s lookin’ at you kid.” Typically, a French 75 is comprised of a refreshing mix of gin (or maybe even a shot of cognac) with lemon, sugar, ice and Champagne of course—it is French! It is often described as a strong drink in a sparkling dress.
 
You can used honey instead of sugar for the simple syrup. The light honey flavor plays well with fresh lemon and herbal gin. That said, you can absolutely keep to the original recipe and use sugar if you’d prefer. This recipe works either way!
 
Classic French 75 cocktails are easy to make at home with this recipe! The French 75 is a refreshing and citrusy, sparkling gin cocktail that packs a punch. This is one classic you’ll want to rediscover again and again.
 
Ingredients (Per individual served cocktail)
1-1/2 ounces gin
2 tablespoons (3/4 oz) fresh lemon juice (about 3/4 medium lemon)
2 tablespoons (3/4 oz) simple syrup (recipe below)
3 ounces Champagne
Lemon twist, garnish
 
Directions

1. Add all the ingredients except the Champagne into a shaker with ice and shake well.
2. Strain into a Champagne flute.
3. Top with the Champagne.
4. Garnish with a lemon twist.

 
ChefSecrets: Try using honey instead of sugar in the simple syrup. The light honey flavor plays well with fresh lemon and herbal nature of the gin. Regardless if you are using honey or sugar, you’ll need to make simple syrup on the stove, which will take less than 5 minutes (if you use straight honey out of the bottle in a cold cocktail, it will seize up). You can make the simple syrup up to several days before your party (store it in the refrigerator, covered) or just let it cool for a few minutes before you shake up your drinks.
 
As far as the best gin to use, you can use standard dry gin, such as Beefeater. Personally, I have a preference for Hendrick’s Gin which has floral notes of cucumber and rose.
 
                                                            How To Make Simple Syrup
 
Ingredients
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
 
Directions

1. Add the sugar and water to a small saucepan over medium heat.
2. Stir until sugar is dissolved.
3. Let cool, then pour into a glass jar and seal tightly with a lid.

Storage:  Simple syrup will keep, refrigerated, for about one month.

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