the Gin is IN

Gin and Champagne, the absolute pinnacle of luxury. Am I right?

The French 75 cocktail was first created in New York. The New York Bar in Paris, France to be precise. Its name comes from what history would later call “A bad World War I joke.” The drink was supposedly so strong that one drinker said that drinking this drink was akin to being shelled by a 75 mm field gun. History again has judged this statement harshly since these days ordering a drink which is over 50% champagne by volume is grounds for questioning one’s masculinity in some places.  My theory is that someone drank one too many French 75s and woke up the next morning with a headache which felt like gunfire. My current theory is that French 75 is one drink whose name serves as a built in warning as to what happens if you drink one too many.

About the Cocktail
Overwhelmingly, simple syrup is preferred. But I think David Wondrich is really onto something. You’re going to shake everything but the champagne anyway, so why dilute it? Go for superfine sugar if you have it.

Emeril recommends a splash of absinthe? I heartily disagree. I think this cocktail is essentially a bubbly Tom Collins. Make a Tom Collins, add champagne. But the absinthe? It has a very strong point of view, and tends to overpower any notes that the gin might be bringing to the party. A good dry champagne is going to be all of the bitterness that this drink needs. Spare the Absinthe.

The ratio of gin to lemon is somewhere between the 2:1 and 4:1 ratio. If you want a lemon champagne, go closer to 2:1. If you want to taste the gin go 4:1.

The amount of Champagne is wildly disparate. I like the simplicity of the No. 209 Gin cocktail guide’s approach: “just fill the glass.” The French 75 cocktail excels at being a more potent take on champagne, while still being squarely acceptable at breakfast time.

Yep, I said it. Go forth and order one at your next Brunch. Tell them that the Gin is In said it was okay. 

The Gin is In’s French 75 Cocktail.
4 parts gin (if you want a volume measurement, I’d say go 2 ounces)
1 part lemon juice
1 teaspoon of superfine sugar
Shake well with ice. Make sure all sugar is dissolved.

Strain and Pour into a champagne flute. Fill 1/2 with the  lemon and gin mixture.

Fill the rest of the glass with champagne. The dryer, the better. But your mileage may vary.

Sources:
Source #1:  David Wondrich in Esquire Magazine
Source #2: No. 209 Gin Cocktail Guide
Source #3: Imbibe Magazine
Source #4: Emerils.com