Sparkling · Celebration · Spring

French 75

Gin, lemon and sugar shaken, then lengthened with Champagne. Named after a field gun, and it hits about as hard.

Base: Gin
Glass: Champagne flute
Method: Shake
Strength: 16% ABV

Ingredients

30 mlGin1 swap
Any London dry ginhigh
Depends on the brand’s botanicals
15 mlFresh Lemon Juice1 swap
Fresh lime juicemedium
A touch sharper
15 mlSugar Syrup
60 mlChampagne1 swap
Dry sparkling wine or Proseccohigh
Little change

How to make

Technique

Shake · 10–15s

Shaking chills the drink fast while adding dilution and a light texture.

Pour all the ingredients, except Champagne, into a shaker.
Shake well and strain into a Champagne flute.
Top up with Champagne.
Stir gently.

Serve

Glass

Champagne fluteAlso fine: Coupe glass, Wine glass

Garnish

Lemon twistTwist it skin-down over the glass, then run it round the rim.

Taste & nutrition

16%ABV

125kcal

1.89Drinks

StrengthMedium

Sweet to dryBalanced

Estimated from ingredient amounts and assumed ABVs — not a lab measurement.

Good to know

Use freshly squeezed juice — bottled tastes flat.

History

Year1915–1920s

PlaceParis, France

Created byAttributed to Harry MacElhone

Gin, lemon, sugar and Champagne, the French 75 first appeared around the time of the First World War and is often linked to Harry's New York Bar in Paris. Its name honoured the French 75mm field gun, a nod to the drink's surprising firepower. Early versions were long, served over ice; the modern flute serve came much later. Bright and celebratory, it bridges the Champagne and gin worlds.

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