The French 75’s powerful kick was named after an artillery gun used in World War I, but the drink had been around in some form before this.
The cocktail combines robust gin with citrus and sugar, topped with champagne. The resulting drink is bubbly, a little sweet, and strong.
Finding the right spirit to accompany the over-a-century-old recipe can be challenging. Check out these options for gin for French 75.
Each of these pairings brings something special to the cocktail!
Empress Gin
Not only does this gin for French 75 provide a flavorful palate for pairing with the cocktail, but Empress Gin also has a distinct blue color. In addition to other botanicals, the brand produces its spirit with butterfly pea blossom, creating warm herbal notes with earthy undertones.
Nikka Coffey Gin
The mellow aftertaste of this Japanese gin makes it an excellent match for the French 75 cocktails. A natural sweetness in the spirit complements the slight peppery and subtle citrus notes. These highlight the lemon juice used in the cocktail, creating a rendition with bright flavors that perfectly match the drink's effervescence.
Plymouth Gin
The award-winning spirit uses a mix of botanicals to coax out the flavor in this gin. These notes are first noticeable in the nose, with hints of juniper, coriander, and cardamom.
Plymouth Gin’s full-bodied yet creamy mouthfeel makes it an excellent choice for cocktails. The gin’s character holds up to the other ingredients, ensuring the spirit shines.
Tanqueray Sevilla Orange Gin
Introduce additional citrus flavors into a French 75 with this spirit. Tanqueray’s orange-flavored gin uses Seville oranges, creating a bittersweet taste. Unlike other flavored spirits, the additional orange doesn’t overwhelm the complexity of the gin, allowing the citrus to shine alongside other botanical notes. Bubbly champagne in the cocktail highlights these flavors.
Hendrick’s Midsummer Solstice Gin
Hendrick’s makes this spirit in small batches, ensuring each bottle shares the same high quality.
The unique floral blend reminiscent of warm summer days makes this an excellent gin for French 75 cocktails. The crisp character brings a satisfying and flavorful finish to the drink without overshadowing other notes.
Bluecoat Barrel-Finished Gin
Unlike other gins, the barrel aging process imparts a pleasant amber color to this spirit. The gin shares many qualities with whiskey, like caramel and woody undertones.
Bluecoat doesn’t let these notes outshine the gin, allowing them to highlight the mellow character of the spirit. Try this gin for a French 75 unlike any other.
Revivalist Summertide Expression Gin
Revivalist draws inspiration from the warmest season, creating a spirit with floral notes like rose, lavender, and honeysuckle.
The award winner presents softly on the palate, with citrus appearing in the first sip. In a French 75, these tones pair perfectly, creating a flavorful cocktail with an expressive nose with the scent of flowers.
Whitley Neill Raspberry Gin
Another flavored gin for French 75 cocktails, Whitley adds Scottish raspberries to its spirit, resulting in an eye-catching bright red color.
Tart notes from the berries contrast with the bittersweet, botanical taste of the gin. This gin leaves a fruity and citrusy taste in drinks, creating refreshing, flavorful cocktails.
Aviation Gin
Aviation starts with a blend of botanicals in formulated quantities, producing a consistently flavorful spirit expressing spice and citrus notes. Highlights of the blend include sarsaparilla and anise seed.
These notes don’t overwhelm the clean, crisp character of the gin, making it an excellent option for classic tasting French 75 cocktails.
J.J. Whitley Elderflower Gin
J.J. Whitley provides another gin highlighting floral flavors. In this spirit, elderflower creates the predominant taste, bringing floral as well as subtle tropical notes.
Mild tones of cinnamon also add a slight spiciness to the gin, making it a complex option for pairing in cocktails. It works particularly well with champagne cocktails.
Damrak Gin
This gin hails from the Netherlands’ capital city, providing another excellent option with robust citrus notes.
Other botanical notes are present in the spirit, though Damrak adds fewer juniper berries than other brands to help the citrus shine. The brand also provides an alcohol-free variety if you want to add gin flavor without extra alcohol to a French 75.
Cheers!
From unique flavored varieties to classic spirits with complex tastes, any of these options make a perfect gin for French 75 cocktails.
They pair well with the champagne while highlighting the citrus flavors of the drink.
Did we miss your favorite gin for mixing? Let us know your favorite options in the comments below.
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