Looking for a French cocktail to make for a 2024 Summer Olympics watch party? Here’s a simple French 75 recipe, plus tips on how to perfect the cocktail at home.
Hosting a watch party for the Summer 2024 Olympics? What better way to celebrate than by toasting with a French classic? The French 75, an effervescent cocktail topped with Champagne, is native to Paris and, with a splash of bubbles, it’s a great celebratory cocktail.
Cocktail historians believe that the French 75 was likely first served in 1915 at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris, a bar that opened in 1911 and is still slinging cocktails in the City of Lights today.
Today, gin is a commonly used base spirit for the cocktail, however cocktail historians believe it was originally made with cognac. (Difford’s Guide points out that the first written record of the French 75 recipe called for cognac).
With fresh-squeezed lemon juice, sugar, and a splash of Champagne, the French 75 cocktail was advertised as delivering a kick as strong as the quick-firing French army’s 75 mm field guns during World War 1.
We consulted two bar experts to get their best tips for crafting a French 75 at home. Kate Tagliaferro, is the bar manager at Hank’s Low Country Seafood & Raw Bar in Columbus, Ohio. The French 75 happens to be her mother’s favorite cocktail, so she’s mastered the art of making the classic cocktail at home. We also picked up some tips from Jon Bamonte, lead bartender at Vernick Fish at Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia.
