French 75

Welcome to Simple Syrup, where I’ll be documenting my attempts to create and appreciate fine cocktails. Truthfully, I am a beer and wine girl, and for a while the only cocktail I could stand was an Amaretto Sour (which I will be featuring on this blog, thank you very much). I started enjoying cocktails in Houston at places like Anvil Bar & Refuge and benjy’s, and I want to emulate their craft cocktails in my own kitchen. I’ll be using both contemporary and tried-and-true recipes, as well as deferring to expert mixologists as I explore the cocktail scene in Austin.

I made my first cocktail while I was at my parents’ house in St. Louis this week. We had a small celebration for my upcoming birthday, and I decided that instead of cake, I would make a wish on a delicious drink. I chose the French 75, a mixture of gin, lemon juice, and sugar, topped with champagne. (Drinks should probably always be topped with champagne…yum!) This cocktail is light, refreshing, and not too boozy. It was the perfect drink for a summertime celebration, and a delightful twist on champagne.

Here’s the recipe:
2 oz. gin
1 oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp sugar
Champagne
Lemon peel or a cocktail cherry for garnish

First, shake the gin, lemon juice, and sugar in an ice-filled cocktail shaker for about 15 seconds, or until your hands are unbearably cold. Shake vigorously, but not too vigorously, or the top of your cocktail shaker will fly off and you will be serving your first French 75 to the kitchen floor.

After shaking, strain the drink into a champagne flute and top with champagne — not too much, or you won’t taste the gin. We added some expertly curled lemon peel to each glass for garnish. Et voilà!