Lavender French 75

This lavender cocktail is a delicious take on the classic French 75. It is a light, floral and refreshing cocktail that is perfect for celebrations of any kind.

What is a French 75?

The French 75 was invented in Paris, France during World War 1. This classic cocktail is made with gin, lemon juice, simple syrup and champagne. It is a tart, bubbly cocktail with botanical flavors and a slight tanginess.

What glass should I use?

I recommend a champagne flute or coupe glass for this recipe.

Why you will love this recipe

• Refreshing
• Floral flavor
• It’s simplicity
• Perfect for entertaining & celebrations

This cocktail is perfect for entertaining. Enjoy it on Valentines Day, Mother’s Day, at your outside party, brunch, NYE or and any other occasion. The French 75 goes perfectly with light appetizers like this vegetarian bruschetta recipe.

The French 75 is a super simple but delicious cocktail. You have the botanical flavor of the gin, the lavender adds floral notes and the lemon juice gives it a complex and tangy taste that fills your mouth followed by bubbles of the champagne.

If you like this floral cocktail you should also try my elderflower gin tonic.

What you need

• Gin: Use a gin with no extra flavoring (ex. no strawberry gin). My favorite is this Roku Gin
• Lemon Juice: This adds a tangy freshness to the cocktail. Make sure no seeds or bigger pieces are in the juice. Straining it helps to completely get rid of them.
• Lavender Syrup: Use a homemade or store-bought syrup. I highly recommend making your own for the best flavor tough. Here is a recipe for lavender simple syrup, it can easily be made ahead of time and be stored in the fridge. If you choose to make the syrup yourself make sure to make it at least a few hours ahead to give it enough time to completely cool.
• Champagne: The classic version is made with champagne. However, you can use any dry sparkling wine like prosecco or cava as an alternative.

As a French 75 is supposed to be served extra cold to get that crisp refreshing sip it is usually made with ice in a cocktail shaker. To keep the assembly of the drink simple you will only have to keep your ingredients in the fridge to assure that they’re cold when being served.

Chefs tip: If you use a lavender syrup that is infused with butterfly pea flowers but has no lemon juice in it then your cocktail will turn purple when you make it which is a fun party trick.

How to make a lavender french 75

First it is important that you chill all your ingredients for a few hours in the fridge, before assembling the drink.

Pour the cold gin, lemon juice and lavender syrup into the glass and give it a quick stir.

(You can also add them all to a cocktail shaker with ice as it is classically done that way.)

Top off with the dry wine.

Garnish (optional) and serve immediately.

I love to sprinkle dried lavender buds into the drink. A lemon peel twist would be the traditional way to garnish this cocktail.

Variations of a French 75

You can create endless variations by changing up the flavor of the simple syrup used for the cocktail.

Since a French 75 is typically made with gin and simple syrup (not flavored) you can give it a simple but unique twist with different gins. Each gin is made with different herbs that completely change its flavor profile.

Have fun and explore with many different bottles and syrups.

Frequently asked questions

Q: Can you make this cocktail ahead of time?

A: everything except champagne, cocktail mixer

Q: How to make a alcohol free French 75?

A: Substitute the champagne with a non-alcoholic sparkling wine. There are more and more options of alcohol free wine out in the market. The gin can be substituted with tonic water.

Q: Do I have to use fresh lemon juice?

A: Yes! I never recommend replacing fresh lemon juice with bottled one in drinks as it tastes much better. Simply buy a lemon and use a citrus press to get the juice out. Then use a sieve to remove any remaining bits and seeds.

Q: What gin to use?

A: This recipe asks for an unflavored gin to let the lavender flavor stand out.

Q: What sparkling wine should I use?

A: Classically you use champagne, which is a dry white sparkling wine. Alternatives like prosecco or cava can be used as well as non-alcoholic sparkling wines,

Q: Where to get lavender simple syrup?

A: You can make it yourself! It is super simple and all you need is sugar, water and lavender buds. Here is a lavender simple syrup recipe you should try.

You can also buy the syrup if you prefer. My favorite store-bought syrup for cocktails is Monin.

More Delicious Cocktails to try:

We love a good cocktail to stay cool on a hot summer day! Make sure to check out my other boozy drinks:

2 Ingredient Passoa Orange Cocktail

Hugo Spritz, a European classic!

Cherry Smash Cocktail