French 75

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Cocktail History

The French 75 is a classic cocktail that was created in the early 1900s by Harry MacElhone at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris, France. The original is made with gin, sugar, lemon, and sparkling wine and is said to have been named for the 75mm French artillery gun used in World War I. It was popularized in the United States by the Stork Club in New York City, New York when American soldiers brought the recipe home from Europe, and although traditionally made with gin, David A. Embury insisted that it be made with brandy instead in 1948, so this variation calls for Armagnac as the base.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Sparkling Wine: This is a carbonated wine made with white or red grapes. I used Villa Bellezza Winery Brillante.

Armagnac: This is a type of brandy made in Armagnac, France with distilled white wine. I used ODVI Armagnac.

Lemon Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lemon. I used freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Simple Syrup: This is a sweetener made with white sugar and water. I made mine using this stovetop recipe.

Lemon Twist: This is the peel of a lemon that has been twisted into a corkscrew shape.

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.

Paring Knife: This is used to cut citrus into slices or wheels. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.

Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.

Peeler: This is used to remove the garnish peel from the citrus. I used the OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Peeler Set.

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Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Pale yellow color

• Aroma: Citrus and wine

• Taste: Bright effervescent sparkling wine flavor balanced with deep and dry brandy and tart lemon

• Finish: Wood-tinged brand notes

Kendall’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Kendall’s Take: “It wasn’t until I read the description of this cocktail in the book that I realized a French 75 could have a brandy base. I’ve only ever seen gin used, but I’m really glad I went with Armagnac instead. In my opinion, the iterations I’ve had with gin masked the spirit’s unique botanical flavor way too much no matter what brand I used, and the brandy does a much better job of standing out in this recipe. I enjoyed this more complex version of the classic French 75 quite a bit and will be making it again regularly!”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Essential Cocktail Book: A Complete Guide to Modern Drinks by the editors of PUNCH and Megan Krigbaum.

This post contains affiliate links, meaning we make a small commission each time you purchase a product using our links. Product images sourced from Amazon Product Advertising API. Amazon affiliate links last updated on 2025-01-16.