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French 75
French 75: gin, lemon and sugar shaken cold and topped with Champagne, the Parisian toast with a kick
The French 75 took its name from the light field gun of the First World War, because Parisian bartenders of the late 1910s and 1920s said it hit you just as hard. It has stayed a celebration drink in Paris and beyond: raised at weddings, New Year's Eve and long weekend brunches. It is for adults only and stronger than it tastes, so drink responsibly. A good one is bright and lemony with gin botanicals underneath, then a fine, persistent Champagne fizz that makes it feel light and dry. The common mistake is putting the sparkling wine in the shaker, which either blows the lid off or leaves the drink completely flat. Shake only the gin, lemon and syrup with ice, strain them into the glass and top with Champagne there. It is ready when the shaker is frosted, the foam has risen and fallen once, and a steady stream of small bubbles runs up the flute. Any dry traditional-method sparkling wine such as crémant works in place of Champagne; check the label if vegan matters. Chef's tip: twist the lemon peel over the glass, not into the shaker; the oil on the surface is the first thing you smell.
- Total time
- 5 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 1
Ingredients
For the French 75
- 2 tbsp ginLondon dry
- 1 tbsp lemon juicefreshly squeezed
- 1 tbsp simple syrup1:1 sugar and water
- 8 ice cubes
- ½ cup Champagnebrut, very cold; or crémant; check the label for a vegan one if it matters: some wines are fined with egg or fish products
To serve
- 1 strip lemon peel (optional)
For the alcohol-free version
- 6 juniper berries (optional)lightly crushed
- ¼ cup tonic water (optional)chilled
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (optional)
- 1 tbsp simple syrup (optional)
- 8 ice cubes (optional)
- ½ cup sparkling white grape juice (optional)very cold
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put 2 tbsp gin, 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tbsp simple syrup in a shaker, add 8 ice cubes and shake hard for 12 seconds, until the tin is frosted.
1 minStep 2: Strain into a chilled flute or coupe.
1 minStep 3: Top slowly with ½ cup Champagne, letting the foam rise and fall before adding the rest. Twist 1 strip lemon peel over the glass and drop it in.
1 minStep 4: Alcohol-free version: drop 6 juniper berries into ¼ cup tonic water and leave in the fridge until it smells piney, then strain.
10 minStep 5: Alcohol-free version: shake the juniper tonic, 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tbsp simple syrup briefly with 8 ice cubes, strain into a flute and top gently with ½ cup sparkling white grape juice.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 170 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does french 75 take?
- About 5 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 1 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of lemon juice?
- Lime juice, same amount.
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