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A French 75 is a classic cocktail that tastes kind of like a champagne martini. With just a few ingredients, this drink is almost better than just having a glass of bubbly! It’s pretty, class, a little sweet and a lot delicious.

stemless champagne glass with sugared rim and drink inside and twist of lemon

What is a French 75 Cocktail?

This classic cocktail originated in the early 1900s when a bartender in London made a Tom Collins but swapped champagne for the club soda. I’d never heard of this cocktail until just a few years ago when I was traveling. We’d gone for dinner at a chic and hip restaurant, you know the type: dark wood and chandeliers with a hipster new-age millennial foodie vibe. I was pleasantly surprised by how good a French 75 was; it reminded me of drinking a champagne martini.

A French 75 cocktail is a drink made from (traditionally) gin, champagne, lemon, and sugar. You can even put your own twist on it and use vodka – or lots of other variations (see below for ideas!)

ingredients in a french 75

4 Ingredients Needed

  • Fresh lemon juice
  • Simple syrup or sugar; in the old days they’d use superfine sugar and add it to the martini shaker. Now, if you have simple syrup, you can use that instead. I keep it in my refrigerator, but you can also buy it at the liquor store.
  • Champagne is tradtional but I make my French 75 with prosecco
  • Gin – This is the traditional liquor used.

What glass is used for a French 75?

You can use either a champagne flute (with or without a stem) or a coupe glass. I love using the coupe glass because I think they’re more elegant, but champagne flutes are more readily accessible.

pouring champagne into coupe glass with sugared rim

French 75 Variations

  • Use vodka instead of gin, which is called a French 76
  • A French 45 uses brandy in place of the gin and a French 95 uses whiskey
  • Use Prosecco or Sparkling Wine
  • Change out the gin for really any spirit you like!
  • Serve it on the rocks
  • Change up your sweetener to use flavored syrups or add some bitters for a negroni-like cocktail.
  • Make a floral tasting French 75 with St. Germain in addition to the other ingredients.

How to make a French 75

  • I love rimming the glass with sugar. It’s simple: just rub a lemon slice around the glass then dip in sugar and the sugar will stick. It adds a nice sweetness to each sip of the cocktail. This is an optional step.
  • Add gin, simple syrup, and lemon juice to a shaker filled with ice. Shake and then strain into glass.
  • Top with a few ounces champagne or sparkling wine. Garnish with a lemon twist.
stemless champagne glass with sugared rim and drink inside and twist of lemon

Tip From Dorothy

Expert Tips

  • You an use up to an ounce of simple syrup but I recommend starting with just 1/4 teaspoon and adding more as needed, unless you like very sweet drinks. You can also omit the sugar completely for a less sweet drink.
  • The only required garnish is some lemon peel or a lemon twist, but I also love adding a maraschino cherry and sugar rim.
  • A cocktail shaker is a must – you want that lemon juice, gin and simple syrup COLD when you add the bubbles.
  • It’s such a beautiful drink it’s perfect for any occasion, holiday, New Year’s Eve or just because you love champagne!

FAQs

What does a French 75 taste like?

This classic drink tastes like sweet lemon champagne – almost like a lemon drop but bubbly.

Is French 75 sweet?

It lends on the sweeter side because champagne is sweeter than most liquors, but the addition of the simple syrup makes this a sweet drink. You can add less simple syrup for a less sweet drink.

French 75 Cocktail

French 75

3.82 from 11 votes
A French 75 is a champagne martini, made with vodka or gin, lemon, and champagne! It’s a classic cocktail recipe that is delicious!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Yield 1 cocktail
Serving Size 1 cocktail

Ingredients
 

  • 1 ounce gin
  • ½ ounce lemon juice
  • ¼ teaspoon simple syrup (or to taste)
  • 2 ounces champagne
  • Sugar, for the rim of the glass optional
  • 1 Maraschino cherry and/or lemon twist, for garnish

Instructions

  • Run a slice of lemon around the rim of a martini or champagne glass. Place sugar in a shallow bowl and turn the glass upside down to coat the rim.
  • Add gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup to a shaker with ice. Cover and shake.
  • Pour vodka mixture into martini glass. Top off with champagne or prosecco. Garnish with a cherry.

Recipe Notes

  • Swap vodka for the gin, or brandy, whiskey, cognac or any spirit you want.
  • You an use up to an ounce of simple syrup but I recommend starting with just 1/4 teaspoon and adding more as needed, unless you like very sweet drinks. You can also omit the sugar completely for a less sweet drink.
  • The only required garnish is some lemon peel or a lemon twist, but I also love adding a maraschino cherry and sugar rim.
  • A cocktail shaker is a must – you want that lemon juice, gin and simple syrup COLD when you add the bubbles.
  • It’s such a beautiful drink it’s perfect for any occasion, holiday, New Year’s Eve or just because you love champagne!

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1cocktail | Calories: 101kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 49mg | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin C: 5.5mg | Iron: 0.2mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Drinks
Cuisine American

Champagne Cocktails

Last Updated on April 27, 2023

Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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2 Comments

  1. Your recipe is delicious. You should also know ,the original French 75 is made with cognac. It is named for a weapon used in WW1. as a field gun in France. The two ingredients available were cognac and champagne. The drink gained early recognition when it was ordered in a bar scene in Rick’s cafe in the movie, Casablanca.

  2. The French 75 was invented during World War I; the story goes that its creator was a member of the Lafayette Escadrille, American flyers who flew for the French even before the U.S. got into the war. It’s named after a French 75mm artillery piece (allegedly in honor of the effect a couple of the drinks can have).
    The writer and radio raconteur Jean Shepherd had a version which he said was the original. It’s simply champagne and cognac. It’s a disputed claim, but you can find his narrative about it from his WOR radio show online ( on YouTube, I think). Some of Shepherd’s stories were combined into the movie “A Christmas Story”, which he narrated (he also had a one-line cameo in it, as a man on the line with his kid to see Santa).