Soixante Quinze
If you had to pick a drink that sums up Christmas and New Year Champagne wouldn’t be a bad choice. From a Champagne breakfast on Christmas morning to popping the cork as the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve Champagne is deeply linked to the festive season. While a glass of Champagne on its own is nothing to complain about, sometimes something with a little more perk might be wished for. And when it comes to Champagne cocktails I think it’s hard to beat the French 75.
Named after the French 75mm howitzer artillery piece from World War I the history of the French 75, like so many other classic cocktails, is rather uncertain – with even the base spirit in question. Some claim it was invented for the fighter pilots of 411, the Lafayette Escadrille. An outfit made up of French and American aces, the story goes that they began toasting their fallen comrades with Champagne but soon started to fortify the drink with something more potent. Lacking whiskey, the Americans opted for the more readily accessible Cognac.
Others argue the drink was instead invented by the British who during World War I received a daily gin ration and began adding it to the locally available Champagne. This gin version is the recipe that first appeared in print, and is the most well known French 75 recipe. I generally prefer the gin version (I am British after all!) though it has to be said the Cognac version severed at Arnoud’s French 75 bar isn’t bad at all.
French 75
- 2 shots / 60 ml / 2 oz dry gin (or Cognac, if you must)
- ½ shot / 15 ml / ½ oz lemon juice
- ¼ shot / 7.5 ml / ¼ oz sugar syrup
- 5 shots / 150 ml / 5 oz Champagne
- Shake well with ice and fine strain in to a Champagne glass. Top off with Champagne, and garnish with an orange zest twist.
Bright, bubbly, with the lovely zesty tang of the lemon and the extra oomph of the gin, the French 75 is for me the perfect Champagne cocktail. The orange zest twist isn’t a traditional garnish for the drink but I love the zesty orange aroma it adds to the nose, which complements the rest of the ingredients nicely. Harry Cradock writes in the Savoy Cocktail Book that the drink “Hits with precision”. Quite.
I only ever seem to drink these around Christmas time, but I can’t think of any occasion that wouldn’t be brightened by the addition of a French 75 so really must mix these up more often. With regards to the Champagne, using Krug would be a little wasteful not to mention sacrilege to la maison Krug, however like all cocktails it is a sum of its parts and you should at least use a bubbly you would be happy to drink on its own.
Posted in Champagne, Gin, Lemon, Recipes
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December 24th, 2009 at 8:44 pm
French 75s for Christmas eve, eh? I’m not particularly prone to hangovers, but these have hammered me into submission more than once. In moderation or not, it’s one of my go-to drinks for converting drinkers who claim not to like gin.
December 25th, 2009 at 6:47 am
I like that Krug idea for the Seventy Five. Unfortunateley the right Lemon did not cross my path for such a purpose – yet.
December 25th, 2009 at 10:46 am
Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t soixante 60?
December 25th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
You are right; soixante is 60.
And; quinze is 15…
December 25th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
..in my opinion..what place do lemon juice has in a fine champagne glass?
DC
December 27th, 2009 at 12:59 am
We’ve served these many times, if you are doing the original (?) gin version, I’d recommend a gin that is light on the juniper, and then going light on the sugar and using a brut champagne, so that the overall effect is a dry drink – well made it is one of incomparable elegance. [Try the one that is served at Bourbon & Branch]
With cognac or brandy, I tend to steer the other way to a slightly sweet drink, I’ve found these to be very popular with the ladies.
While I’ve gotten away serving these at large events using truly barbarous “Champagne” it is better to use a sparkler you might drink on its own – Prosecco, Sparkling Wine, whatever
January 2nd, 2010 at 5:56 am
You can make a slightly modified version and use Limoncello instead of Lemon and sugar. Look for a fresh not too sweet Limoncello like CA made Limoncello di Sonoma.
January 5th, 2010 at 2:20 pm
Gonçalo: aha, goes to show how much french i’ve remembered from primary school
January 10th, 2010 at 2:06 pm
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