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Now that we are moving into Spring I am switching up my happy hour cocktail from the Manhattan to the classic French 75. It is one of my favorite drinks that is very easy to make but shockingly it is hard to find it made well when you go out. I had the BEST French 75 in Cabo at the One and Only Palmilla Resort-perfect combination of sweet and tart. I am not a huge gin fan but this drink calls for it. The gin goes so well with the champagne and lemon. And while we are on specifics you must use champagne or sparkling wine, NOT Prosecco! It is too sweet! Honestly Prosecco should be be outlawed, lol. If you are a true “champagne” drinker you cannot drink the “fake” stuff. So, when you are out and ask for a French 75 be sure and confirm that they are using champagne or sparkling wine Brut.

Lets talk Champagne…. I love a good Brut champagne (it can only be called champagne if it comes from the French Champagne region), but there are some very good sparkling wines on the market. One of my favorites is Gruet. It is made by a Frenchman in New Mexico! We found this sparkling wine by accident on our way to Santa Fe about 15 years ago. It is delicious and it is about $15 a bottle. You should be able to find it in your grocery store or liquor store. Oh and the best thing is you can open it and put a champagne stopper in it and save the rest of the bottle for the next night-I don’t mind finishing off a $15 bottle of” champagne” the next night, but not an expensive one. If I am opening a nice bottle I need to finish it. It’s hard to justify opening a $65 bottle of champagne for ONE cocktail and thats all I want is, ONE.

Hope you enjoy this cocktail as much as I do!

French 75
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French 75 Cocktail

A classic cocktail that was invented in the 1920s that has stood the test of time

Ingredients

  • 1 oz Gin
  • 1/2 oz lemon juice, freshly squeezed
  • 1/2 oz simple syrup
  • 3-4 oz Champagne (or sparkling wine)
  • Garnish-lemon twist

Instructions

  1. In a cocktail shaker, add gin, lemon juice, simple syrup and ice. Shake well until chilled.

  2. Strain into a Champagne flute

  3. Top with Champage

  4. Garnish with a lemon twist

Needed Items