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Gin · Sparkling wine · Shaken
A small gin sour, lengthened with chilled Champagne. Gin, lemon, and sugar go into the shaker; the sparkling wine is added only once it's in the glass. The result tastes fresh, effervescent, and feels lighter than it actually is.
As of: · France and international bars, early 20th century
Lemon is what you taste first. The 15 milliliters of juice make the drink noticeably sour, and the equal amount of sugar syrup balances it right back out. That's the tension that defines a sour. Behind that stands the juniper from the gin, though at just 30 milliliters it stays restrained. The Champagne takes over from there: it brings carbonation, its own acidity, and a fine dryness. The fizz carries the lemon across the tongue and makes the cocktail feel light. In the finish, the lemon lingers while the alcohol stays in the background.
A great way to kick off the evening, as a welcome drink or before dinner. The French 75 works even on people who otherwise only drink sparkling wine, since the gin disappears beneath the lemon and carbonation. That's exactly why you should be careful: 30 milliliters of gin plus Champagne add up faster than the flavor suggests. At a party, it's a crowd-pleaser.
What matters
Champagne should never go into the shaker. The carbonation builds up pressure there, the lid can pop open, and the drink loses its fizz. So shake only the gin, lemon juice, and syrup, strain it, and top up only afterward. Everything should be cold: the glass, the bottle, and the juice. Warm sparkling wine foams over and goes flat the instant you stir it. A single gentle pass with the spoon is enough.
The name comes from a French cannon with a 75-millimeter caliber, famous during the First World War. Under related names, quite different recipes initially circulated. The combination of gin, lemon, sugar, and Champagne that we know today is only properly documented later on. So the recipe is younger than its name. The glass has changed too: before the slender Champagne flute, there were longer serving styles with ice. Order the cocktail today, and you'll almost always get the short, fizzy version in a Champagne flute.
In the same direction
Gin, lemon, and a little sugar, shaken and topped with a splash of soda. The Fizz arrives without ice in a pre-chilled glass and is drunk right away. It tastes sour, sparkling, and noticeably leaner than a long gin-based drink.
Zum RezeptA long gin sour with soda and plenty of ice: gin, fresh lemon, a bit of sugar syrup, topped up with sparkling water. Fresh, fizzy, and easy to drink, without the gin disappearing.
Zum RezeptGin and lemon form the backbone, while Maraschino and a bar spoon of Crème de Violette add fragrance on top. The Aviation is a clear, sour cocktail with a pale, faintly bluish color.
Zum Rezept