A fall twist on a classic French 75 cocktail that requires only a few ingredients and is elegant yet simple to make. The combination of gin, champagne, and fresh lemon juice gives this cocktail a tangy and bubbly taste with a hint of botanical notes, and the homemade cinnamon simple syrup provides a slightly sweet, woody finish.

This refreshing sparkling cocktail is festive for a holiday party, offers a boozier kick than a mimosa for brunch, is luxurious for New Year’s celebrations, or perfect for any occasion you’re craving a bubbly drink!

It’s also easy to scale for entertaining making it a great choice for hosting a crowd.

Fun fact: The French 75 is named after the French 75 millimeter field gun, which was commonly utilized in World War I.

French 75 Ingredients

Gin: Use a dry gin. You can also use Cognac, if you prefer.
Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed! Tip: Make your lemon twist garnish first, and juice the rest of the lemon for your cocktail!
Champagne: You can use also use Prosecco or Cava.
Cinnamon Simple Syrup: See instructions below.
Garnish: Lemon twist and/or rosemary sprig. See instructions below for lemon twist.

My Favorite Tools

How to Make a Lemon Twist

I personally find the lemon twist to be the prettiest part of this cocktail. If you’ve never made a lemon twist or lemon curl, it may feel intimidating at first, but I promise it’s easy and will instantly elevate any cocktail. There are several ways to make a lemon twist, including using a peeler, but I find this to be the most simple method:

Halve a fresh lemon and slice a ring from it (about 1/4 inch thick) from the thickest part.
Run a sharp paring knife around the lemon to separate the peel, removing as much of the pith (the bitter white part) as possible. Cut the ring open and you should now have one long thin strip of peel.
Twist the peel into a curly shape with your fingers (or around a pencil, skewer, etc.) and hold for a few seconds until the shape holds.

Cinnamon Simple Syrup

This cinnamon-infused simple syrup is easy to make and really brings the fall vibes to this cocktail.

Ingredients

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
3 cinnamon sticks

To make the syrup: Add 1 cup boiling water to 1 cup sugar and 3 cinnamon sticks and stir continuously until the sugar dissolves completely, then chill until cool. Discard cinnamon sticks. Store syrup in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. HERE is the glass jar I use!

What sort of glass do you serve a French 75 in?

Whatever glass makes you happy! However, the most common glass is a champagne flute! You can also use a coupe or a tall glass.

Fall French 75

Ingredients

1.5 oz Gin
3/4 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Cinnamon Simple Syrup
2-3 oz Champagne
Garnish: Lemon Twist, Rosemary, etc.

Instructions

Make the simple syrup: Add 1 cup boiling water to 1 cup sugar and 3 cinnamon sticks and stir continuously until the sugar dissolves completely, then chill until cool. Discard cinnamon sticks.
Pour gin, lemon juice, and syrup in a cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Shake vigorously for 15 seconds until cold. Strain the liquid into a champagne flute.
Top with champagne and garnish with lemon twist and rosemary.

Notes

How to make a lemon twist:

Halve a fresh lemon and slice a ring from it (about 1/4 inch thick) from the thickest part.
Run a sharp paring knife around the lemon to separate the peel,
removing as much of the pith (the bitter white part) as possible. You
should now have one long thin strip of peel.
Twist the peel into a curly shape with your fingers (or around a
pencil, skewer, etc.) and hold for a few seconds until the shape holds.

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