How To Make A French 75

Whether you know it or not, you’ve had a French 75 or at least a variation of a French 75. This is a classic cocktail that pretty much every bartender learns how to make, and it’s about as hard to dislike as LeVar Burton as the host of Reading Rainbow. The only ingredients are gin, a bit of lemon juice and simple syrup, and whatever dry sparkling wine you want to use - and you can either pour it in a coupe, a flute, or a highball over ice. We prefer the highball method, so we’re going to show you how to do it that way, but if you want to use a coupe or a flute, just make the same exact cocktail without the ice at the end.

How It Tastes: Fizzy, Summery, Slightly Sweet

Drink If You Like: Gin & Tonic, Tom Collins

photo credit: Emily Schindler

The French 75

You’ll Need:

• Ice

• Highball

• .5 ounce simple syrup

• .5 ounce lemon juice

• 1 ounce gin

• Dry sparkling wine

Step One: Simple Syrup

To start things off, put .5 ounce simple syrup in your shaker. If you want to use honey syrup or agave, that works too, just use a bit less, as both of those are typically sweeter.

Step Two: Lemon Juice

Next, juice about one lemon for every three or four cocktails you want to make. If you keep your lemons in the fridge, let them sit out and come to room temperature, or run them under some warm water. That’ll make them easier to juice. Now, put .5 ounce lemon juice in your shaker.

Step Three: Gin

We told you you’re going to need an ounce of gin for this cocktail - but maybe you had a long day, or maybe you accidentally left a Zoom chat open while you were trying to make your dog lick your toes. In that case, we suggest an ounce and a half. Pour your gin in your cocktail shaker.

Step Four: Shake

Shake everything for about 10 seconds. You’re going to top this with sparkling wine, and you want that gin and lemon juice to come through, so this slightly shorter shake time is ideal.

Step Five: Sparkling Wine

Hopefully, you have a highball filled to the rim with ice ready and waiting. If you don’t, please re-read our Rules page, then go to your bathroom mirror and promise yourself that you’ll be better. Now, pour the contents of your shaker into your ice-filled highball, and top with sparkling wine (it should be about 4 ounces). If you want to use Champagne, that’s an excellent choice, and we’d party with you anytime. But a dry sparkling wine like prosecco is more than sufficient (and a lot cheaper too). Garnish with a lemon twist, take a sip of your refreshing beverage, and stare out your window while you consider the fact that you might be sleeping and this is all a dream.