French 75
A quick and easy guide to making the French 75 cocktail. This wonderfully refreshing classic combines gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup and champagne.
Ingredients
To make the sugar syrup
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú caster sugar
- 50ml/2fl oz water
To make the cocktail
- 2 handfuls ice
- 30ml/1fl oz gin
- 15ml/1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- champagne, to taste
- 1 lemon twist, to garnish (optional)
Method
For the sugar syrup, put the caster sugar in a small non-stick saucepan over a medium heat and pour in the water. Stir and bring to the boil. CAUTION: boiling sugar is extremely hot. Handle very carefully. Use a deep pan to avoid bubbling over.
Once the sugar has dissolved and the liquid is clear, take the pan off the heat and leave to cool.
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour 10ml/2 teaspoons of the cooled sugar syrup over the ice along with the gin and lemon juice. Shake vigorously for 8-10 seconds.
Strain the mixture into a flute using a hawthorne cocktail strainer and a fine mesh strainer. If you don’t have a strainer, any kitchen sieve will work just as well.
Top up with the champagne and stir gently to mix the drink. Garnish the French 75 with a lemon twist if using.
Recipe Tips
Scale up the sugar syrup ingredients with a ratio of 2:1 if you’d like to make more. It’s easier to make in larger batches and keeps for at least 2 weeks in the fridge.
Try using cognac instead of the gin for a little je ne sais quoi!