It seems the world of canned cocktails is ripe for collabs. This rather assertively canned French 75 is a partnership between at Willamette Valley’s Chehalem Winery and Freeland Spirits.
Freeland Gin is paired with Chehalem’s Chardonnay, soda water and lemon. In other words— it’s a slight riff on the French 75. Instead of champagne, it’s white wine and bubbles.
Tasting notes
Color: Very pale straw. It’s almost exactly the color you’d expect from your average Chardonnay wine.
Aroma: The grapes and wine are up front on the nose. Subtle citrus and the faintest hints of grapefruit and pink peppercorn are the strongest indications of the underlying gin.
Flavor: Clean and crisp. The carbonation is largely concentrated up front with small, compact, but quick bubbles.
Mid-palate, the Chardonnay pairs nicely with the gin, although I’d say it overpowers it a touch. That being said, I think anyone who has ever had the French 75 with Champagne will quickly pick up on the slightly more tannic, oaky dryness from the wine. Lemon is present, but much more subtle than your usual French 75.
Finish: The light lemon and alternative wine do well to highlight some of the source gin’s unusual botanicals. The pink peppercorn, especially on the finish shines and becomes the brightest star. Long, mildly spicy and sweet— it’s almost the perfect pairing. On the finish it reminds me of Audemus Spirits’ Pink Peppercorn Gin. There’s hints of Tonka Bean that lend it a nice botanical complexity.
Overall, Freeland Spirits French 75
It’s almost unfair to hold Freeland Spirits French 75 to the strictest, most-traditional recipes for the cocktail. But on the other side, it’s almost hard to call it a French 75. Similar to Conniption Rose Gin Spritz, it is it’s own thing. And that’s the double edged sword.
While Freeland Spirits French 75 doesn’t immediately conjure the cocktail the name on the label— it’s pretty damn good. Just go in with the proper expectations and you’ve got a great summer cocktail.
Recommended.