Class up your celebrations with this Lavender French 75 🥂 Cocktail.
I’m getting ready for our annual Friendsgiving dinner with close friends and I can’t wait to serve them one of my favorite cocktails, the French 75. I love my French 75’s just how it’s prepared, but it’s the holidays and I wanted to add a little something, something. Good thing I recently discovered Empress 1908 Gin because it gave it that pizazz I was looking for!
What is a French 75 Drink?
A French 75 is a refreshing cocktail made with gin, Champagne, lemon juice, and sugar. I first discovered this cocktail during my visit to New Orleans when I asked the bartender to recommend a drink that had Champagne, and that’s when I fell in love with the French 75. Originally, the French 75 goes back to World War I, and it was created in 1915 at a New York Bar by barman Harry MacElhone. Because it’s served with Champagne, it’s recommended to drink this cocktail cold. So chilling the glass is a must. There’s nothing delicious about sipping room temperature bubbly.
Now if you haven’t tried a classic French 75, you should. But if you would like to try something a little more sophisticated, I think you will enjoy this version of a floral French 75. Instead of adding simple syrup, which can be purchased already made or made at home with equal parts of sugar and water, I added a lavender syrup. I didn’t make the lavender syrup at home, I actually purchased it from a lavender farm in Palm Springs and I’ve been dying to try it. Being that the Empress 1908 Gin came in such a beautiful gem-like color, it inspired me to try the lavender syrup for this recipe. I’m glad I did because it turned out delicious!
About Empress 1908 Gin
Empress 1908 Gin is a hand-crafted spirit from Victoria Distillers in British Colombia, Canada, and it was inspired by the renowned tea and cocktails of the iconic Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria. This colorful gin is micro-distilled in small batch copper-pot stills using eight botanicals: juniper, rose, coriander seed, grapefruit peel, ginger root, cinnamon bark, butterfly pea blossoms, and the Fairmont Empress Blend Tea. The butterfly pea blossom imparts subtle earthy notes and an all-natural indigo hue with a stunning secret to reveal: with the addition of citrus or tonic, Empress 1908 transforms from vivid indigo blue to a delicate soft pink.
With Empress 1908, every cocktail you create is unforgettable. Whether you’re a bartender who’s discerning of the moment or just looking to impress a special someone, there’s nothing like presenting a deliciously sophisticated drink that’s also breathtakingly beautiful.
Lavender French 75 Cocktail with Empress 1908 Gin
Ingredients
- 1 tsp of Lavender Syrup
- 1 oz Empress 1908 Gin
- 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
- 2 oz sparkling wine
- Lemon Twist
- Lavender sprig
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine Gin, lemon juice, and lavender syrup.
- Add ice and shake for 20 seconds. Strain into chilled flute and top with sparkling wine.
- Garnish with a lemon twist and lavender sprig.
Notes
If you do not have lavender syrup, you can use simple syrup.