This French 75 is bright and elegant. It’s a sparkling cocktail that combines gin, lemon, and champagne into something very easy to drink. The bubbles make it feel like it’s a light drink, but don’t be fooled, it’s stronger than it seems.

A tall, slender glass filled with a pale, bubbly cocktail garnished with a lemon twist on a wooden table. Soft, decorative lights are blurred in the background, creating a cozy ambiance.

About this French 75

The French 75 is a classic sparkling cocktail made with gin, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, and champagne. It’s one of those cocktails that’s been around for over 100 yeats and still holds up. The technique is simple, just shake the gin, lemon, and syrup with ice, strain into a glass, and top with champagne. It takes about two minutes to make and looks impressive.

The name comes from the French 75mm field gun used in World War I. The story goes that the cocktail’s kick was compared to being hit by artillery fire. I can’t vouch for that comparison, but I can say it’s very strong. The bubbles make it go down easy, and before you know it, you’ve had three.

While gin is the most common base these days, cognac was actually the original spirit used. Cognac gives you a warmer, richer drink with more depth. Gin makes it brighter and more refreshing. Both are good, it just depends on what you’re in the mood for. This is a perfect cocktail for celebrations: New Year’s Eve, birthdays, anniversaries, or just a Tuesday when you feel like something fancy.

Key ingredients and why

Gin: A London dry gin works well here. The botanicals complement the lemon and stand up to the champagne. Cognac is the classic alternative if you want something richer and warmer.
Fresh lemon juice: Adds brightness and balances the sweetness. Always use fresh. Bottled lemon juice will taste flat and dull.
Simple syrup: Just enough to smooth out the tartness. Simple syrup is equal parts sugar and water, heated until dissolved, then cooled. It keeps in the fridge for weeks.
Champagne: Dry champagne (brut) works best. You can also use any dry sparkling wine like Cava or Prosecco. Just make sure it’s cold.

Method

Fill a cockail shaker with ice, then add the gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup. Shake until the mixture is well-chilled.
Strain the mixture into a chilled champagne flute or coupe glass. Pour champagne gently over the gin mixture until the glass is nearly full.
Add a lemon twist.

Tips

Chill your glass. A cold glass keeps the drink colder and the bubbles livelier.
Pour the champagne gently. Pouring too fast will make it foam over and you’ll lose those nice bubbles.
Use fresh lemon juice. This is a simple cocktail, so every ingredient matters. Fresh lemon makes a big difference.
Don’t shake the champagne. Only shake the gin, lemon, and syrup. The champagne gets added after, straight into the glass.
Try it with cognac. If you haven’t had a cognac French 75, it’s worth trying. It’s richer and more complex, almost like a different cocktail entirely.
Adjust the sweetness. If you like it drier, use less simple syrup (or skip it entirely if your champagne is on the sweeter side). If you like it sweeter, add a bit more.

A tall champagne flute filled with a light, bubbly drink garnished with a wooden skewer holding lemon slices. The background is softly blurred with faint twinkling lights.

More champagne cocktails

Summarize and save this content on:

ChatGPT Google AI Claude Grok