According to some sources, the French 75 is described as the only American classic cocktail born during Prohibition. But dig deeper, and that provenance becomes cloudy; in the mid-1800s Charles Dickens wrote about enjoying a gin and champagne cocktail that sounds suspiciously similar to what we now know as the French 75. Origins aside, the very makeup of this legendary drink is contested; the earliest versions are based on cognac, while gin only entered the picture later. But both are great! As cocktail historian David Wondrich explains, it’s not about who invented the drink but when the name was applied and stuck. When the formula combining gin or cognac, Champagne, lemon, and sugar took on the name of a World War I French army field gun, known for firing as many as 15 rounds a minute, the French 75 took on a life of its own.
Indeed not the simplest tiki classic (pictured with ingredients at left); this is one of a handful of tiki classics with its namesake glassware. I haven’t picked up any Fogg Cutter mugs yet (we don’t have room for much more glassware!), but it sure is lovely.
Add a half handful of crushed ice, shaking until ice is mostly dissolved, then strain into a tiki mug over fresh crushed ice, then fill with fresh crushed ice.
The Elder Fashioned (or Elder Fashion) was created in 2007 by bartender Phil Ward at New York City cocktail bar Death & Co. It revolutionized modern mixology by completely swapping the traditional components of a classic Old Fashioned with modern, floral, and citrus-forward ingredients.
