Name: French 125 (French '75' with cognac)
Total time: 2 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 15 ml Lemon juice; 1 1&frasl;2 barspoon Powdered sugar; 45 ml Cognac (brandy); 75 ml Brut sparkling wine

Ingredients

¹⁄₂ fl oz

Lemon juice (freshly squeezed)

1 ¹⁄₂ barspoon

Powdered sugar (white sugar ground in mortar and pestle) (or use 5ml of 2:1 sugar syrup per spoon)

1 ¹⁄₂ fl oz

Cognac (brandy)

2 ¹⁄₂ fl oz

Brut champagne/sparkling wine

How to make

Glassware

Prepare

Select and pre-chill a FLUTE GLASS.

Prepare garnish of lemon zest twist.

Method

STIR powdered sugar with lemon juice in base of shaker until sugar dissolves.

Add brandy and SHAKE with ice.

FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.

TOP with sparkling wine and briefly stir. (Or pour half the sparling wine into the glass first to help reduce foaming and eliminate need to stir.)

Garnish

EXPRESS lemon zest twist over the cocktail and use as garnish.

Flavour Profile

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

Health & Nutrition

Alcohol content:

We don't have enough information to calculate the alc./vol., but based on known ingredients, this recipe contains at least:

21.3 grams of pure alcohol

Allergens:

Recipe contains the following allergens:

Brut champagne/sparkling wine — Sulphur Dioxide/Sulphites

History

A brandy-based version of the French 75 which was named after the French 75mm field gun used by the French army during the First World War. This cognac version is appropriately named after another gun, the tank mounted Soviet 2A46 (also called D-81T) 125mm/L48 smoothbore cannon.

The first recipe for a French 75 made with cognac rather than gin appears listed under the name French 125 in Jones' Complete Barguide by Stanley M. Jones, published in 1977. Jones' French 125 is served long, over ice in a Collins glass. The flute serve shown here is more modern but has become the normal serve.

Arnaud's French 75 Bar in New Orleans' French Quarter chooses to make its eponymous cocktail with cognac rather than gin, "in honour of the cocktail's French origins."

French 75 history and recipe variations

Review

Brandy makes for a heavier cocktail than a French 75 made with gin, yet this cocktail remains enlivening, refreshing and quaffable.

The use of powdered sugar instead of sugar syrup adds an attractive sherbet note to this cocktail. However, the drink also works well with sugar syrup – use ¼oz/7.5ml sugar syrup in place of the 1½ spoons of powdered sugar.

Comments & Discussion

Please log in to make a comment

Joel Tunnah 2y

I always thought a French 75 had cognac... who knew that was a '125'?
Anyway, I up the cognac and champagne to better balance the lemon, and use maple syrup instead of sugar. It doesn’t taste like maple in the drink, but adds a subtle note.
2 oz cognac, 3 oz champagne, 1/2 oz maple syrup, 1/2 oz lemon juice. Garnish with lemon twist.

C N 2y

I found this to be a bit underwhelming. I might try it again with calvados.

Chris Brislawn 2y

Wanted a retro, old-school version including apple brandy and figured cognac would work better than gin. Used 3/4 oz VSOP cognac, 3/4 oz apple brandy, 1/2 oz lemon juice, 1 tsp powdered sugar, and 1/4 tsp grenadine for a little extra color and sweetness. Shake and strain into a flute, fill with champagne. Excellent!

John Hinojos Premium Member 3y

Outstanding. With the few number of ingredients, it is important to use a quality cognac and champagne. Cognac and champagne go well together. Lemon adds a nice sharp taste. Great with some appetizers on a late summer afternoon.

Ian Fenton 3y

It should’ve been the French 105, although someone has now used that for a French 75 made with limoncello.

To my tastes, and in spite of my fondness for brandy, this is inferior to the 75, which is inferior to the Sabot. Maybe I should try a sabot with cognac, or a champagne sidecar… or maybe champagne and cognac are just not meant to be friends (for me, at least).

J W-S Premium Member 3y

A little underwhelming but drinkable none the less.

Doug Charnock Premium Member 4y

Somehow didn’t ring my chimes. The lemon juice kind of overwhelmed the flavor of the champagne. I’d up the sugar a hair and cut back some more on the lemon. The cognac is fine as is.