A Classic Gin Cocktail Gets Gussied Up For the Holidays

Since we’re gin people, we’re making classic cocktails (and riffing off them) with Tanqueray No. TEN. Today, Jeffrey Morgenthaler shares his favorite riff on the French 75, with a little blush.

When I asked Jeffrey Morgenthaler, a Portland-based bar manager and author of The Bar Book, to come up with a holiday cocktail recipe that made people feel celebratory and revelrous, but didn’t scream apple or cranberry or clove, I wasn’t sure what he’d send back. I definitely didn't expect something like the Bowie Knife.

Bright and sparkly, frittering with energy and a look reminiscent of drinks you'd find on a plane in a Mad Men episode circa season 6 or 7, it initially seems like a drink more fitting for a different time of year. But, as Jeffrey explained, it's just a slight riff on a classic cocktail anyone would make for a holiday party, or New Year's Eve.

"It's really just a French 75 made with sparkling rosé. I have always liked the name Bowie Knife and wanted to use it in a cocktail that was crisp and cutting, like a knife," Jeffrey told me. "The rosé has just a little bit more tannin, so it’s nice and crisp. It works so well with food!"

And this drink is just that—pale pink and floaty as a cloud when you sip it, it seems otherworldy when compared to the regular flavors of the season. And as Jeffrey mentions, it's a drink suited well for a big brunch.

More: How to scale your cocktails for a crowd, including shaken ones.

"The Bowie Knife is actually on our brunch menu. I think French 75s are so great with brunch. Just a little bit of gin, but certainly not too much," Jeffrey said. "You can have a couple of these and still carry on with your day." Amen to that, especially during the holidays.

We've partnered with Tanqueray No. TEN to bring classic cocktails (and new interpretations of them) to your home bar. Please enjoy responsibly.