French 75 Recipe

Combine 0.5 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice, 0.5 cup granulated sugar, and 0.5 cup water in a small saucepan.

Add 1 tsp Meyer lemon zest if using. Warm gently over medium-low heat, stirring, until the sugar is fully dissolved. Do not boil.

Remove from heat, let cool to room temperature, then strain into a clean jar. Refrigerate. Yields roughly 1 cup; keeps 1–2 weeks.

Chill glass

Place a coupe or flute in the freezer for a few minutes or fill with ice water to chill while you prepare the cocktail.

Add 2 tablespoons (about 1 oz) Monkey 47 gin and 0.75 oz Meyer lemon cordial to a cocktail shaker. If you don't have cordial, use 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice + 0.25 oz simple syrup as an alternative.

Fill the shaker with ice (about 6 cubes). Secure the lid and shake vigorously for 8–12 seconds until the exterior of the shaker is cold and slightly frosted. This chills and dilutes the base properly.

Discard ice or water from the chilled glass if you used it to chill. Strain the shaken gin–cordial mixture through a fine strainer into the chilled coupe or flute, leaving room for sparkling wine.

Top carefully with 3 oz chilled Champagne (or other dry sparkling wine). Pour slowly down the side of the glass to preserve effervescence.

Gently stir once with a bar spoon (just one turn) to integrate the sparkling wine with the gin base — avoid over-stirring to keep bubbles.

Express a lemon twist over the surface to release oils, run it around the rim if desired, and drop it into the drink as a garnish.

Serve immediately. The classic balance is bright citrus, botanical gin, and crisp bubbles — adjust cordial quantity by ±0.25 oz to taste.