The French 75: How to Make the Elegant Gin-and-Champagne Cocktail of Summer 2026 (and the 8 Gins That Make It Sing)
Some cocktails whisper and some cocktails celebrate. The French 75 celebrates. Gin, fresh lemon, a little sugar, and a long pour of chilled sparkling wine, served up in a flute with a twist — it is bright, bubbly, and just strong enough to remind you it means business. Named after a fast-firing French field gun from the First World War, it has spent a century as the drink you reach for when the evening deserves a little occasion.
It is also one of the easiest impressive cocktails you will ever make, which is exactly why it has become a summer 2026 favorite on cocktail lists and home bar carts alike. Here is how to build a perfect one, the mistakes that flatten it, and the eight gins (plus the sparkling wine) that make it sing.
The 9 bottles in this guide
What a French 75 actually is
Strip it back and the French 75 is a gin sour lengthened with bubbles: a spirit, citrus, and sweetener shaken cold, then topped with sparkling wine. The classic build is 1 ounce gin, 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice, and 1/2 ounce simple syrup, shaken with ice and strained into a chilled Champagne flute, then topped with about 3 ounces of brut sparkling wine and finished with a long lemon twist. That is the whole recipe — no liqueurs, no fuss.
There is an old argument about whether it should be built on gin or Cognac. The gin version is the brighter, more aromatic original and the one most bars pour today; the Cognac version is richer and rounder. We are firmly in the gin camp here — it is crisper, it lets the citrus and bubbles shine, and it is the one that tastes like summer.
How to make a perfect one
Chill your flute first — a warm glass kills the bubbles. Shake the gin, fresh lemon juice, and simple syrup hard with ice for about ten seconds, then strain into the cold flute. Now top gently with brut sparkling wine, pouring down the side so it does not foam over, and give it the barest stir. Express a lemon twist over the top and drop it in.
Three things make or break it. Fresh lemon, always — bottled juice tastes dull and there is nowhere to hide in a four-ingredient drink. Use a genuinely brut (dry) sparkling wine, because the simple syrup already brings the sweetness; a sweet spumante will tip the whole thing into dessert. And keep everything cold — cold gin, cold wine, cold glass — so it stays crisp and lively from first sip to last. Which brings us to the gin, because in a spirit this simple, the bottle you pour is the flavor you taste.
The 8 gins, from everyday to special
The classic London drys. For the textbook French 75 you want a clean, juniper-forward gin that cuts through the bubbles. Tanqueray Gin London Dry 750Ml ($27.99) is the reliable benchmark — crisp, dry, and unmistakably classic. Bombay Sapphire Gin ($28.09) is a touch brighter and more floral, the bottle you will recognize from every good bar. And Fords Gin ($27.99) is the bartender's value pick, built specifically to shine in cocktails without costing a fortune — a smart choice when you are making a round for the table.
The elevated pours. Step up and the aromatics get more expressive. Tanqueray Gin No. 10 750Ml ($42.99) is made with fresh whole citrus and is arguably the finest gin here for a French 75 — its grapefruit-and-chamomile lift was practically built for lemon and bubbles. The Botanist Gin ($42.99) brings 22 hand-foraged Islay botanicals for a more complex, herbaceous drink, while Hendrick's Gin ($45.99) adds cucumber and rose for a softer, more perfumed take that feels especially elegant up in a flute.
The Italian twist. For a sunnier, more citrus-forward French 75, an Italian gin is a delicious detour. Malfy Gin Con Limone ($37.99) is made with Amalfi lemon peel and amplifies the drink's lemon backbone beautifully, while Malfy Gin Con Original ($37.09) keeps things classic and juniper-clean with a soft Mediterranean roundness. Explore the whole range in our Gin collection.
The sparkling wine matters too
You do not need vintage Champagne for a great French 75 — in fact, a good-value brut is the smart call, since you are mixing it. La Marca Prosecco ($17.99) is a reliable, crowd-pleasing brut with clean green-apple and citrus notes that plays perfectly here and keeps the whole drink affordable. Browse more bubbly in the Wine collection, and if you want to understand the difference between Champagne, Prosecco, and Cava before you buy, our sparkling wine guide breaks down every style.
Where the French 75 fits in your gin lineup
If you have been working through summer's great gin cocktails, the French 75 is the celebratory one. It is dressier than the everyday gin and tonic, more festive than the crisp gimlet, and lighter on its feet than the bittersweet Negroni. Love a long, refreshing gin drink? The Tom Collins is its still-water cousin. And if you are planning a French-themed evening, our three easy French cocktails guide puts the French 75 alongside the Kir Royale and St-Germain Spritz.
Pour one tonight
Chilled gin, fresh lemon, a little sugar, and good brut bubbles — shaken cold and topped in a frosty flute. That is the whole trick, and it turns an ordinary evening into something worth toasting. Pick your gin, grab a bottle of brut, and you are ninety seconds from the most elegant drink in your repertoire. Not sure where to start? The Best Sellers collection shows which gins are moving fastest this week, and the Cordials & Liqueurs collection has everything else your bar cart needs. Shop gin for your French 75 →
