French 75 for 6
9 oz. | Cognac | |
4-1/2 oz. | lemon juice (fresh squeezed) | |
3 oz. | Cointreau | |
1 - 750 ml. bottle | Champagne | |
6 thin strips | lemon peel | (yellow part only) |
Shake cognac (or brandy), Cointreau, and lemon juice with ice. Divide among 6 champagne glasses. Add 1 curled lemon peel garnish to each glass. Fill with champagne. Makes 6 servings.
This intoxicating champagne cocktail was named after a French 75-millimeter gun used in World War I. [This drink should not be confused with the infamous German 88.] Many American bartenders claimed to have invented the drink. One recipe, from 1919, called for absinthe, Calvados and gin, but no champagne. Supposedly, the champagne version was introduced at Harry's New York Bar in Paris in 1925. Or the cocktail might have originated with American soldiers in Paris, who added gin and liqueur to champagne to crank up its potency.