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Home > Recipes > Beverages

Published: May 14, 2021 · Modified: Oct 11, 2022 by Meredith · This post may contain affiliate links · 4 Comments

Classic French 75

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A classic French 75 cocktail is one of my go-to ‘feeling fancy’ drinks. It’s bubbly, light, refreshing, and served in a champagne flute with a cute lemon twist.

Champagne flute filled with this French 75 recipe and garnished with a lemon twist. Around the glass is a champagne cork, lemon, a 2nd cocktail, and a white napkin.

The French 75 is a great gin cocktail option for any and all celebrations. It is also the perfect drink to enjoy as a brunch cocktail as an alternative to a mimosa. The light and crisp taste of the French 75 make it a popular summer cocktail.

This classic cocktail recipe dates back to the late 1920s – early 1930s. While the exact origin of this drink is debated, it is agreed that the French 75 was named after a 75mm field rifle that the French used in World War I. A classic French 75 is made with champagne, gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup (a syrup made with granulated sugar and water). With the majority of this drink being gin and champagne, it’s definitely on the boozier side, so sip slowly.

If you’ve been looking for easy cocktails to make at home, the French 75 is a great option and is sure to impress!

TELL ME ABOUT MAKING A FRENCH 75

Level of difficulty: Easy. Measure, shake, pour, and top with champagne!

Flavor: Bright and citrusy, with underlying floral hints from the gin

Time: It will take you less than 5 minutes to make a French 75 (this time does not include making simple syrup; this should be prepared ahead of time and cooled)

Ingredient shot for a Classic French 75 Cocktail. Includes: gin, champagne, simple syrup, and a lemon.

INGREDIENTS

Gin: gin is the base of this great classic cocktail. There are a lot of high-quality gin options to choose from.

Lemon Juice: fresh squeezed lemon juice is the best option for this cocktail recipe

Simple Syrup: simple syrup is made using granulated sugar and water. Because the sugar is dissolved, you eliminate any potential for graininess in your cocktail

Champagne or Sparkling Wine: this gin cocktail is topped with champagne or sparkling wine. I recommend a sweeter version, like a Prosecco or Asti. If you’d prefer a less-sweet champagne, Brut also works well for this classic cocktail recipe.

OVERVIEW: HOW TO MAKE a CLASSIC FRENCH 75

  1. Place gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously until outside of shaker is very cold (approximately 15 seconds)
  2. Strain into a champagne flute and top with champagne
  3. Garnish with a lemon twist and enjoy!

See a quick story series on the French 75 here!

Occasions perfect for a french 75

A classic French 75 cocktail is perfect for a variety of occasions! Brunches, bridal showers, celebrations of all kinds, parties…the list goes on and on. This easy champagne cocktail is a great choice anytime you want to make an event feel classy and fancy.

Two champagne flutes filled with this French 75 recipe and each is garnished with a lemon twist.

TIPS & TRICKS FOR MAKING THE BEST FRENCH 75

Making a cocktail for one and don’t want to open a full bottle of champagne? No problem! Buy mini-bottles of champagne instead! I love, love, love, having mini bottles of champagne in our fridge for instances just like this! Each mini bottle fills one champagne flute (ie – is one serving). Any night can be a fancy night!

What is the best champagne or sparkling wine to use in a French 75? I recommend Prosecco or Asti for this French 75 recipe. If you’d prefer a less-sweet champagne base, Brut is a good option as well. For you Costco fans, you may have noticed the Kirkland brand Prosecco in my ingredient shot…not ashamed to say it’s my favorite (and it’s $6.99!).

What other sweeteners could I use in this cocktail recipe? If you didn’t get a chance to make simple syrup, no worries. You can always use granulated sugar instead (I would start with 1 teaspoon, you can always add more!). If you’d prefer to have a refined sugar free cocktail, honey simple syrup would be another fun option in this cocktail recipe! You could use agave syrup as an alternative sweetener (I would start with ½ teaspoon of this and add more to taste).

Is there a special tool you use to make a lemon twist? Yes, I use a simple tool called a channel knife to make my citrus twists. It is an inexpensive and small piece of equipment that can really help you to up your garnish game!

LOVE THIS RECIPE? YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY:

  • Cranberry Mimosa
  • Apple Cider Mimosa
close up for a champagne flute filled with a classic french 75 cocktail with a lemon twist.

Classic French 75

Meredith
A classic for a reason! The French 75 is made with gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and champagne. This is a light, refreshing, and fancy cocktail recipe that is easy to make and sure to impress!
5 from 3 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 3 minutes mins
Total Time 3 minutes mins
Course Drinks
Cuisine American
Servings 1 Cocktail
Calories 148 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 oz gin
  • ½ oz lemon juice
  • ½ oz simple syrup
  • ice
  • 3 oz champagne*
  • lemon twist to garnish

Instructions
 

  • Place gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously until outside of shaker is very cold (approximately 15 seconds)
  • Strain into a champagne flute and top with champagne
  • Garnish with a lemon twist and enjoy!

Notes

*You can use champagne or sparkling wine for this recipe. I recommend using a sweeter champagne or sparkling wine, like Prosecco or Asti. Brut is also a great option for those who’d prefer a dryer champagne.

Nutrition

Calories: 148kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 15mgPotassium: 99mgFiber: 1gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 1IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 10mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

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    How many stars would you give this recipe?




  1. Mayra says

    February 20, 2023 at 2:39 pm

    5 stars
    All of the people are trying it out and I am going to sell it for occasions I can’t wait to do it again

    Reply
    • Meredith says

      February 22, 2023 at 8:22 pm

      Happy to hear you enjoyed these!

      Reply
  2. M. says

    May 12, 2022 at 1:56 pm

    5 stars
    Always love ordering these at the bar, so glad I can make them at home now! And they’re so easy too!

    Reply
    • ourlovelanguageisfood says

      May 12, 2022 at 10:19 pm

      I’m glad I could help you bring a bar favorite home! Cheers!

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Meredith!

I am a Midwest-based foodie and mom working full time by day and sharing my passion for all things food by night. Follow along for great recipes to share with your family and friends. I've got you covered for breakfast, dinner, snack-time, parties, desserts, drinks, and more!

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