New Year’s Eve is a time for celebration. We celebrate the old, and ring in the new with a renewed excitement and energy, What could be coming ahead? It’s also a time that we tend to indulge, and a French 75 is perfect for that. Perhaps we indulge a little more than we should, but hey. The new year only comes around once a year, after all.
We’re ringing in the new year with a twist on the classic French 75 cocktail. I was first introduced to this classic drink on a trip to New Orleans. I was totally unfamiliar with the drink, but I quickly understood why it has stood the test of time. While many French 75 recipes call for gin, the original was made with cognac. Cognac adds a much deeper, richer flavor, and, let’s be honest, is a little fancier.
While your friends may not be familiar with a French 75 cocktail, they soon will be. These are so easy to make, and are practically foolproof. Plus Cognac and Champagne? Ooh la la. You so fancy.

Ingredients
- ¾ parts Courvoisier® V.S.O.P Cognac
- 2 dashes Angostura® bitters
- 1 sugar cube
- Champagne
- Lemon peel for garnish
Instructions
- Soak the sugar cube in bitters.
- Drop the soaked sugar cube into a champagne coupe glass.
- Add the cognac.
- Top with champagne, and garnish with the lemon peel.
You can use a good quality champagne, but you don’t need to. A decent quality champagne that you’d be fine with drinking is great, as is a dry sparkling wine. The French 75 champagne cocktail pairs really well with these Warm Roasted Garlic Parmesan Shrimp, too. If you’re new to entertaining, don’t miss our How to Create an Amazing At Home Bar article. It will help you create the perfect bar for flawless get togethers. Well, at least as far as the drinks go.
What do you say? Are you going to try your hand at making a French 75 cocktail? Do let me know!