This fabulous French 75 cocktail is so delicious and classic that you will feel classier than you do already when you drink it!

I wanted to use one of my new boards that I painted myself. I picked the one that reminds me of an abstract watercolor painting. I like how it looks with this drink. It’s sort of fancy free and fun. Just like this delicious French 75 cocktail!

What do you think?

This History of the French 75 cocktail

A form of this cocktail was first made in the early 1900’s. It became popular during World War I. They say that it’s a form of the Tom Collins. It just replaces soda water with another (some might say, better) form of carbonation: champagne.

It was named the French 75 because it is known to pack such a punch that when you imbibe it, it feels like being hit by the French 75mm field gun! Wow!

The Depression Era

Of course, I wasn’t alive when the Great Depression was going on. (I’m not that old.)

But my grandparents and parents were. Well, my mom was technically just a wee baby, but she was alive. So even though the Depression was over in 1939, it was carried on in the way my family lived.

Mostly.

Proof in the Pudding (supplies)

Let me talk first about my grandmother, Bena.

I have written before about our outings to the movie theater, stopping first at a restaurant to have some lunch. After the waitress dropped off our check, Nana would look around to see that no one was looking. Then she would empty almost all of the sugar packets out of their receptacle, sweeping them into her purse. I think food items like sugar was very hard to come by back during the Depression.

I never saw her use those packets. Now I wonder, did she empty all those sugar packets into her sugar canister?

Now, for my folks.

When there was a sale for something like sugar or coffee, my mom used to send three of us girls, Robyn, Nancy and me, to the store. We would pretend we didn’t come together, each of us would get the limit of whatever was on sale, and we would go through the checkout line separately. Then we’d all walk home together.

This was how my folks ‘stocked up’.

My mother had stores of food even up to the time she passed away. When we were divvying up her ‘stores’, we all marveled at the amount of food she kept in her pantries.

When we were helping my sister Robyn move house in July of this year, she pointed to a big 5 gallon container and quizzed me, “What do you think is in there?”

I said, “I have no idea.”

She said, “That’s mom’s dry mustard.” It was still almost full.

I thought it was so funny, because my mom has been gone for 12 years!

On to the recipe!

The Ingredients for the Fabulous French 75 cocktail and the Mixing

We have champagne, gin, lemon juice and simple syrup.

Let’s begin.

I get my shaker out, now you don’t have to use a shaker but I like to. I fill it halfway with ice and add 1 ounce of gin, 3/4 ounce lemon juice and 1 teaspoon simple syrup.

I cover my shaker and shake it at least 20 times. I grab one of my champagne flutes and strain the contents into it.

Time for the champagne. Depending on the size of your champagne flute, you add 2 – 3 ounces of the bubbly.

I cut a lemon twist and place it into the French 75 cocktail.

Let’s look at the vertical view.

Doesn’t that look good?

I hope you enjoyed this recipe. It’s rather refreshing.

Please feel free to leave me a comment! I love to read them and I answer each and every one! (Unless for some reason I miss it!) Also you can Yum the recipe to Yummly and Pin any photo to Pinterest.

And as always, may all your dishes/drinks be delish!