Archive for the ‘Champagne’ tag
French 75 Cocktail
Finished cocktail with mixers
In 1919 an American officer stationed in England concocted the French 75 and named it after a 75mm howitzer gun. Quaint. The cocktail wasn’t made ring-a-ding famous until it appeared at the Stork Club in the 1930’s. And I must say — looks awfully good served in their champagne coupes (pictured left).
The French 75 is a gin-based drink topped off with champagne, and while there are many versions of this cocktail (apologies to the Stork Club) my favorite is based on the one found in The Art of the Bar:
French 75
1 1/2 ounces gin
1/2 ounce simple syrup
1/2 fresh lemon juice
Top off with champagne
Garnish with maraschino cherries & lemon twist
Cocktail Notes:
I recommend using Hendrick’s Gin. It’s a floral tasting gin with hints of cucumber, and doesn’t have the tinny, juniper berry, finish common in lesser gins. Hendrick’s blends easily into classic cocktails without overpowering them.
Shaken or Stirred?
A decision to make before adding champagne, which is carbonated and will do bad things to the pressure inside your Boston shaker….
Shaken:
When you shake a drink a couple of things happen:
*ingredients become thoroughly mixed
*cocktail gets very cold
*ice melts rapidly diluting the drink (it’s little less boozy tasting)
Stirred:
Stirring has a slightly different effect:
*chills drink (not as cold as shaken)
*blends without diluting, spirits shine through
*creates a nice foamy texture
When combining flavored mixers and citrus to a cocktail I lean toward shaking, but experiment and see what you like best.
Slight Variations:
These are mine, and unofficial, but give the drink a little blush color and another hint of flavor.
In addition to the recipe’s simple syrup you can add:
*a touch of pomegranate simple syrup
or
*a little of the marachino cherry juice
