Winter French 75
A festive French 75 with gin, lemon and a cinnamon-clove syrup, topped with champagne for a celebratory winter sparkler that still drinks dry.
Ingredients
- 30 ml London dry gin
- 15 ml fresh lemon juice
- 10 ml cinnamon-clove syrup — see method
- 90 ml chilled champagne — or dry prosecco
- 1 long lemon twist — to garnish
- 200 ml water — for the syrup
- 200 g caster sugar — for the syrup
- 2 cinnamon sticks — for the syrup
- 4 whole cloves — for the syrup
Method
- Simmer the water, sugar, cinnamon sticks and cloves together for ten minutes, then cool and strain. This makes enough syrup for several rounds.
- Add the gin, lemon juice and cinnamon-clove syrup to a shaker with ice.
- Shake hard for ten seconds until well chilled.
- Double strain into a chilled champagne flute.
- Top slowly with chilled champagne, then drop in a long lemon twist.
How to serve
- Glassware
- Champagne flute
- Serve temperature
- Cold
- Garnish
- Long lemon twist
The French 75 has always been a celebratory drink, equal parts gin sour and champagne cocktail. The Winter French 75 keeps that elegant structure and dresses it for the season. A small measure of cinnamon-clove syrup replaces the usual plain sugar, lending the cocktail a warmer aroma without pushing it towards mulled wine territory. Sip it and you still get a bright, properly dry sparkler; linger a moment longer and the gentle spice arrives on the finish.
It is the kind of drink that suits a glass raised before dinner on a cold evening, or a quiet round once the plates have been cleared.
Tips
Shake the gin, lemon and syrup hard but briefly; over-dilution will make the drink taste thin once the champagne goes in. Pour the wine slowly down the inside of the flute to preserve as much carbonation as possible, and resist any urge to stir vigorously. The lemon twist should be long and thin so the citrus oils lift the aroma without dropping bits of pith into the glass.
A note on Hot Apple Gin
If gin-led winter serves are your thing, this French 75 makes an excellent partner to a hot option on the same menu. Hot Apple Gin brings warm baked-apple comfort to the same spirit, so you can offer guests a sparkling, dry, chilled choice alongside a softer, fragrant, warmed alternative; both built around gin and quietly seasonal in spirit.
Variations
For a deeper, more festive profile, add a single drop of vanilla extract to the syrup as it cools. A teaspoon of orange marmalade shaken with the gin and lemon also works, turning the drink into something closer to a winter breakfast cocktail. A grating of fresh nutmeg over the top is a nice final flourish.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need real champagne?
Not at all. A good dry prosecco or a brut cremant from the Loire or Alsace gives a similar lift at a friendlier price.
How dry should the wine be?
Aim for brut or extra brut. The spiced syrup already adds gentle sweetness, so a demi-sec sparkling wine would tip the drink into dessert territory.
Can I make the syrup ahead?
Yes. The cinnamon-clove syrup keeps in a sealed jar in the fridge for two weeks and improves after a day or two of resting.
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