A vintage cocktail, the French 75 was created sometime around World War Ⅰ.
It was named after a 75 mm field gun used by the French military, and American servicemen liked it enough to bring the recipe home. The exact history of many vintage cocktails is pretty fuzzy, but it's generally believed that it was New York City's famous Stork Club that ultimately made it all the rage. There wasn't much to work with during Prohibition, so retro cocktails were all about simplicity. Who knew gin & champagne went so well together?
It tastes best served very cold, so make sure you chill the champagne and the glass, too. You'll need:
- 1-2 ounces dry gin
- .75 ounce fresh lemon juice
- .75 ounce simple syrup
- 2 ounces Champagne
- Spiraled lemon peel, twisted for garnish
Combine gin, lemon juice, and syrup in a cocktail shaker. Fill shaker with ice, cover, and shake vigorously until outside of shaker is very cold, about 20 seconds.
Strain it through a strainer or a slotted spoon into a large flute glass. Top with Champagne; garnish with lemon twist & enjoy.
And if you want to be velvet-smoking-jacket cool, you can ask for a Soixante Quinze pronounced 'swa.sɑ̃t.kɛ̃z' - that's French for seventy five ;-)
