Two Lemony Cocktails

         

The French 75

The French 75 is a classic drink and one of the very first cocktails.  It was first made in 1915 in New York City and was named after the powerful French 75mm field gun because is had quite a “kick”. It was traditionally made with powdered sugar.  Modern recipes call for superfine sugar, but I used simple syrup since that is what I happened to have.  Regular granulated sugar would cause the drink to be grainy.  This drink is tart and bubbly and delicious.

• 2 oz. gin, I used Aviation
• 1 oz. fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 2 t. simple syrup
• 1 oz. champagne
• Orange slice and cherry garnish

Shake the gin, lemon juice, and syrup with ice.  Pour into an ice-filled Collins glass and top with champagne.  Serve with the orange slice, cherry, and a straw.

The BC 75

The BC 75 is a cocktail named after my friend Brennan Christine.  Since she was born in 1975, the name is doubly fitting.  She told me about this awesome lemon simple syrup she made so I had to give it a try.

• Zest of one lemon, peeled off in thin strips with a veggie peeler
• 1 C. sugar
• 1 C. water
• vodka
• champagne

To make the syrup, simply place the lemon peel, sugar, and water in a small pot and bring it to a boil.  Remove it from the heat and let it steep for about one hour.  Strain into a jar and chill.  To make the cocktail, shake 2 oz. vodka and 1 oz. lemon syrup with ice.  Pour into a champagne flute and top with 1 oz. chilled champagne.  Garnish with a twist.