Treat yourself to this festive Raspberry French 75 ... it's a fun and easy French 75 variation that you'll definitely want to add to your cocktail repertoire!
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It's my birthday!
Our move is just days away, so the day will mostly be filled with packing. Yay! I wanted to do something fun though, and of course, I can never resist a great cocktail.
I sipped my first French 75 a few years ago and loved it immediately. The cocktail is made from a combination of gin, Champagne, lemon juice, and sugar ... simple, but wonderful.
My Raspberry French 75 is a simple twist on that classic cocktail. And if you're celebrating a fun occasion, it really doesn't get more festive than this raspberry champagne cocktail!
About the Drink
The French 75 has an interesting story.
It was created in 1915 by Harry MacElhone at the New York Bar in Paris.
As you can imagine, a drink combining gin and champagne is quite potent, and the cocktail was said to have such a kick that it felt like being shelled with the powerful French 75mm field gun.
I can't attest to that, but it is a potent (albeit delicious) drink! And this raspberry, gin, and champagne cocktail is such fun twist on the classic recipe!
How to Make a Raspberry French 75
As I was gathering the ingredients for this cocktail, I spotted a display of beautiful raspberries at my local market and couldn't resist. This Raspberry French 75 variation is the result!
The first step in making this pink French 75 is the raspberry simple syrup. It's simply a matter of heating together sugar, water, and fresh raspberries, so don't let that step dissuade you from making this drink. You can use it for other cocktails, too, like my Spiked Raspberry Lemonade or my Raspberry Bellini.
Once the simple syrup is ready, you'll combine it with gin, lemon juice, and ice in a cocktail shaker and give it a good shake. If you don't have a cocktail shaker, you can use a mason jar ... just be extra careful, since you are working with glass, not a metal shaker.
Strain this mixture into a champagne glass, then top it off with champagne (or another dry sparkling wine, like prosecco), and your Raspberry French 75 is ready to enjoy. Cheers!
More Cocktail Ideas
If you enjoyed this delicious raspberry champagne cocktail, you'll love these drinks, too!
- French Martini
- Kir Impérial (Chambord and Champagne)
- Spiked Raspberry Lemonade
- Mojito
- Cherry Smash Cocktail
- Strawberry Raspberry Frose
- Spicy Paloma Cocktail
- Cranberry Mimosa
- Cranberry Moscow Mule
Raspberry French 75
Ingredients
For Raspberry Simple Syrup:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 6 ounces fresh raspberries (about 1 ½ cups)
For Cocktail:
- lemon
- 1 ½ ounces gin
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon raspberry simple syrup
- dry sparkling wine
- raspberries for garnish
Instructions
Prepare Raspberry Simple Syrup:
- Combine sugar, water, and raspberries in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Bring to a simmer, stirring often, then reduce heat to medium-low. Continue cooking at a low simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Place a fine mesh strainer over a small bowl, then pour in syrup. Press with the back of a spoon, getting as much liquid as possible through strainer.
- Discard seeds, then chill syrup until cool.
Prepare Cocktail:
- Remove rind from lemon in a long strip. Slice rind thinly (keeping it in a long strip), then set aside.
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Add gin, lemon juice (from lemon), and simple syrup to shaker. Shake until chilled.
- Strain mixture into a champagne glass.
- Top off glass with champagne. Garnish with lemon rind and a fresh raspberry.
- Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
What is your favorite cocktail?