Blackberry French 75

The French 75 has always been one of my favorite classic cocktails. It’s an elegant and delicious cocktail that is made with gin, lemon juice and champagne. The bubbles make it perfect for a celebration, but the short ingredient list means that it is easy to make any time you have a bottle of champagne in your refrigerator. This version is made with creme de meure, a blackberry liqueur that brings not only a beautiful purple color, but a deliciously sweet berry note to the drink.

While this isn’t an overly sweet cocktail, it is a bit sweeter than the original French 75, which only uses a touch of sugar. A little more sugar is necessary to bring out that berry flavor and help it blend with the gin and lemon juice. Plymouth Gin, with its silky mouthfeel, is my favorite gin to use in this cocktail, though other gins can be used, depending on what you have in the bar. Old Tom gin, with its natural sweetness, is another solid option here.

Since the fruit flavors dominate the champagne in this French 75 variant, you don’t need to use expensive bubbly to make this. In fact, an inexpensive mini bottle of champagne or sparkling wine is all you need to make two or three, so I recommend keeping one in the fridge so that you’re prepared when the need for a toast arises.

Glassware: Champagne Flute or Coupe
Method: Shake, Build

Ingredients
1 1/2 oz Plymouth Gin
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Creme de Mure (or blackberry liqueur)
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
Chilled Champagne

Combine gin, creme de mure and simple syrup in a mixing glass. Fill with ice and shake vigorously, then strain into a coupe or champagne flute. Top with chilled champagne and garnish with a blackberry.