Fêtes Accompli: French 75s for the Holidays! (Or how to up your sparkling holiday game this season!) The holidays are a time to break out the bubbles and raise a toast to friends, family and loved ones. This year, boost your holiday cocktail game with some French 75 variations. The French 75 is a classic cocktail that is super easy to make, yet looks elegant and fancy.
“The elusiveness of its origin is echoed in the elusiveness in the standard preparation” (The Rainbow Room’s superstar mixologist Dale DeGroff, in his elegant book “The Essential Cocktail”). Those who care about such things argue about the origins of the French 75. The most romantic story is that WWI soldiers created the cocktail from their rations of cognac and Champagne and so-named it because it packs a punch not dissimilar to that of the powerful 75-millimetre field gun widely used by the French army in the First World War. The more prosaic claim that it was simply a Tom Collins with champagne added instead of soda water, and was created in Harry’s New York Bar in Paris.
But it’s not only the name about which people disagree. The drink is unusual in that it uses either cognac or gin as its principal spirit. Both of these versions appear in early cocktail guides, the cognac variation in 1922 and the gin variation in 1927. We’ll call the brandy version “the classic” and the gin version “the modern” because that’s how they taste and feel to us.
In 2018, Mr. TFC was lucky enough to enjoy a French 75 at Arnaud’s French 75 in New Orleans, one of The Big Easy’s many venerable cocktail bars. He chose the cognac version and had a friendly debate with his bar stool neighbours about the virtues of the cognac versus the gin version. These cognoscenti called the gin version “the perfect summer drink” and, with its tangy lemon and floral gin flavours, it’s very hard to disagree. But with its rich, luxuriant and dark cognac, the classic version feels more like a winter drink. Talk about versatility! We love the French 75 in all of its manifestations and are happy to present a selection of them to you here.
Want more holiday cocktails? Check out Toasting the Holidays, Holiday Cheers, or any of our drinks that can be found under Cocktails on the pull down menu.
The Classic French 75 – Yes, this is the cognac version. We feel that this was how the original drink was created (thank you Savoy Cocktail Book!), but would be happy to hear your views.
What you need:
- 2 oz cognac
- 1 oz lemon juice, fresh squeezed
- 1/2 oz simple syrup
- Champagne, Prosecco or sparkling wine (to top)
- lemon twist (not shown)
What you do:
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, add cognac, lemon juice and simple syrup
- Shake, shake, shake!
- Strain into a coupe or Champagne glass
- Top with Champagne
- Enjoy!
The Modern French 75 – This newer version substitutes gin for the cognac and seems to be more appealing to the modern palate. It certainly is attractive! The drink is a little more Champagne forward, and is a little lighter in ABV.
What you need:
- 1 oz gin
- 1/2 oz lemon juice, fresh squeezed
- 3/4 oz simple syrup
- Champagne, Prosecco or sparkling wine (to top)
- lemon twist (not shown)
What you do:
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, add Cognac, lemon juice and simple syrup
- Shake, shake, shake!
- Strain into a coupe or Champagne glass
- Top with Champagne
- Enjoy!
The Bitter French – This is Death & Co. version creation by Phil Ward (2008). Leave it to Death & Co. to take this century old favourite and update it with a century old spirit. They advise that a fine Champagne usually doesn’t taste as good in a mixed drink (and is expensive), and they suggest using a sparkling wine or Prosecco for their creation instead. As you know, we are fans of Campari here at TFC, but for those who haven’t caught the bitter bug, this is a great intro drink for Campari.
What you need:
- 1 oz gin (they suggest Plymouth gin)
- 1/4 oz Campari
- 1/2 oz lemon juice, fresh squeezed
- 1/2 oz simple syrup
- Champagne, Prosecco or sparkling wine (to top)
- grapefruit twist
What you do:
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, add cognac, lemon juice and simple syrup
- Shake, shake, shake!
- Strain into a coupe or Champagne glass (we used a pousse glass)
- Top with Champagne
- Squeeze the grapefruit twist of the drink and then discard, no garnish
- Enjoy!
The French 75 Citron Pressé – I created this drink for the annual ServedbySoberon SecretSanté. I was given Marcus, Citron Pressé Cocktail, a fabulous French cocktail creator and blogger. This drink combines rum, lime and Giffard Banane du Bresil (such a great product, if you haven’t tried it, I strongly suggest you get some, it’s incredible), and has a slight coconut and tropic finish.
- 1 oz rum
- 1/2 oz Giffard Banane du Bresil
- 1/2 oz lime juice, fresh squeezed
- 1/4 oz simple syrup
- Champagne, Prosecco or sparkling wine (to top)
What you do:
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, add Cognac, lemon juice and simple syrup
- Shake, shake, shake!
- Strain into a coupe or Champagne glass
- Top with Champagne
- Enjoy!
TravelFoodCool is calling it a wrap for 2019! Wishing everyone a happy holiday season and see you in 2020!
What can I say, the French know a lot about wines
They do! Cheers!
Yes they do! Cheers!