The French 75 Cocktail is a classic concoction made with lemon juice, gin (cognac or vodka), simple syrup and pour of French Champagne. A favorite refreshing French drink to enjoy for many occasions, it has a nice boozy kick with a citrus tingle. This Fig French 75 cocktail recipe includes homemade fig simple syrup for a flavorful fall twist.
Why is it called a French 75?
The name French 75 was inspired by the 75 millimeter field gun that was utilized by the French during World War One. This gun had a reputation for giving a powerful kick with accuracy and speed. With the origin of the cocktail still a bit of a mystery it does however live up to its namesake with a jolt of fizz and booze.
When to drink a French 75 Cocktail
Celebrations
Raise a glass and celebrate special occasions with a toast to friends, new beginnings, or achievements. Make sure to clink glasses one at a time wishing to your health while saying “santé” or a happy “chin chin”. My favorite toast with a loved one is to say “a nous”, simply meaning “to us”.
Apéritif
The Apéritif is an alcoholic beverage served before a meal to help stimulate the appetite. All the sparkling champagne bubbles in a French 75 makes it a perfect cocktail to sip before dining.
Brunch
Many people attribute the mimosa as the best cocktail for brunch, but I would have to disagree. The lightness of lemon juice and simple syrup in comparison to so much orange juice is much more delightful for a mid day meal.
Apéro
Apéro is the French tradition of sharing drinks and light snacks before dinner. Also known as Happy Hour in America. Apéro is a lovely opportunity for sipping on a chilled Fig French 75 cocktail while laughing with friends.
What glass do you serve a French 75 in?
Champagne Flute
Historically, the French 75 was served in a highball glass, though today it is most commonly served in a champagne flute. The champagne flute is perfectly shaped with a narrow tulip glass and long stem to give the bubbles a longer path to travel. This narrow shape also works to push the aromas of the champagne directly to your nose when sipping. The fizz of the champagne’s bubbles stay active longer while consuming the cocktail due to the slenderness of the flute glass. Using the flute allows for multiple drinks to be poured and remain bubbly before serving.
Coupe Glass
The Coupe Glass is legend to be modeled and named after the shape of Marie Antoinette’s breasts. A perfect shape to deliver the ultimate drinking pleasure. The coupe (pronounced “coop”) has a wide shallow bowl sitting atop a shorter stem than that of the champagne flute. Due to this shorter bowl the delicate bubbles of the champagne will fizzle out a bit sooner. Many prefer the coupe glass for serving cocktails like the Fig French 75 and the champagne flute for enjoying pure champagne.
What Champagne is best for a French 75?
If you ask a Sommelier what is the best Champagne for a French 75 they will tell you to select a Brut Champagne. Choose a bottle of light, crisp and acidic Brut to blend with the zing of this special cocktail.
Fig Simple Syrup
What sets this cocktail apart is the addition of a Homemade Fig Simple Syrup. Easy to make with simple ingredients of sliced figs, water, sugar, and a little vanilla bean. Make the syrup with either fresh green or black figs that are in season for the best flavor. The simple syrup can be made well ahead of cocktail serving and stored in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Ingredients
Fig Simple Syrup
- 1.5 cups (8-9 whole figs) fresh black or green figs stemmed, and cut into quarters
- 1 cup (250 ml) water
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or a ½ scraped vanilla bean pod
Fig French 75 Cocktail
- 1 ounce gin of choice *may substitute for vodka or cognac
- ½ ounce fresh lemon juice
- ½ ounce fig simple syrup
- 3 ounces French Brut Champagne
- 1 lemon peel for garnish
Instructions
Fig Simple Syrup
- Remove stems and slice the fresh figs into quarters.
- Place figs, sugar and water into a large saucepan. Bring to a boil to dissolve sugar. Reduce the heat and allow mixture to simmer for 10-12 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to mash or break up the figs while at a gentle boil. The fig syrup will thicken just enough to coat the back of the spoon but remain quite fluid.
- Turn off the heat and allow mixture to cool for about 10 minutes.
- Carefully spoon or pour the warm mixture through a wire sieve into a bowl or storage container. This will separate the seeds and figs from the liquid. This step can be done twice to remove any additional seeds.
- Discard the seeds and fig mash.
- Stir the vanilla bean paste or scraped vanilla bean pod into the warm fig syrup.
- Transfer the syrup to a glass or plastic container with a lid and store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Fig French 75 Cocktail
- Add the gin, fresh lemon juice and the fig simple syrup to a shaker with ice. Shake the mixture until well chilled.
- Strain the liquid into a coupe glass or champagne flute.
- Top off the fig French 75 cocktail with a pour of chilled French Brut Champagne.
- Garnish with a lemon peel and enjoy!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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