French 75 - Classic Blade Gin Cocktail

If you are a gin cocktail fanatic, you are surely familiar with the classics like a Gin Martini or Gin and Tonic. But many have never heard of one of our favorites called French 75. Since 1920's, French 75 was one of the classic Champagne cocktails, an evolution of a Champagne Cup, a popular cocktail dating back as early as late 19th century.

Although it has been said that French 75 was created by Harry MacElhone at Harry's American Bar in Paris, many prominent mixologists and recipe books like the Savoy Cocktail Book list it as a top gin cocktail. Perhaps our favorite reference is in the 1942 movie with my favorite original stud, Humphrey Bogart, Casablanca. There, Yvonne, girl who is in love with Rick comes in with a German boyfriend who orders a French 75, ironically as those were the cannons that fired at Germans with 75mm shells during WW1

French 75 is simple, refreshing, tart, herbaceous and teasingly effervescent. It is great as an aperitif and a start of a party, to spark up doldrums of a simple champaign.

To a classic recipe, we like to add a 1/4 oz of La Sorciere Bleue Absinthe. Unlike the classic La Sorciere Verte Absinthe Superieure, it adds another dimension and herbal depth to an already awesome cocktail.

Here is how you make it:

Blade Gin French 75

INGREDIENTS:

2 oz Blade Gin

1 oz simple syrup (Make @home 1/2 sugar, 1/2 water)

1 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/4 oz La Sorciere Absinthe

Champagne to top

GLASS:

Champagne Flute

SKILL 2/5

Combine Blade Gin, simple syrup and lemon juice to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake 10 seconds.

Strain into champagne glass, top with champagne. Garnish with lemon peel.

WARNING: This fruity beauty is very smooth and very effective. It has been said that after a few you may feel like you were hit by a French 75 cannon :-) Enjoy responsibly ! Santé !

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