Quick & Easy

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

  • 100g/3½oz caster sugar
  • 50ml/2fl oz water
  • 2 handfuls ice
  • 30ml/1fl oz gin
  • 15ml/1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • champagne, to taste
  • 1 lemon twist, to garnish (optional)

Directions

  1. 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.
  2. Once the sugar has dissolved and the liquid is clear, take the pan off the heat and leave to cool.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Top up with the champagne and stir gently to mix the drink. Garnish the French 75 with a lemon twist if using.