Champagne
French 75 With Strawberry & Rosemary
- Prep time 5 minutes
- Cook time 5 minutes
- makes 1 cocktail
Author Notes
Like many classic drinks, the French 75 has a simple formula: gin or cognac, lemon, sugar, and bubbles. It’s a drink that could have emerged simultaneously in any number of bars around the world, but historians place the first mention of the French 75 in the 1927 book titled Here’s How!, then again in Harry Craddock’s seminole 1930 tome, The Savoy Cocktail Book.
While Craddock calls for gin, we’ve swapped in our sponsor, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, for this modern take on a traditional recipe. The vodka is infused with strawberry and rosemary, pairing beautifully with the smooth flavor of Tito’s. The strawberry provides luscious body while the rosemary contributes a lovely herbaceous note to ride along the Champagne. Complemented perfectly by a splash of freshly squeezed lemon juice, this riff will be a crowd pleaser for the next summer get-together.
Make-ahead note: Allow at least 18 hours for your vodka to infuse with the strawberries and rosemary before using. —Harper Fendler
Test Kitchen Notes
This recipe is sponsored by Tito's Handmade Vodka.
*TitosVodka.com* Crafted to be savored responsibly. DISTILLED & BOTTLED BY FIFTH GENERATION INC. AUSTIN, TEXAS 40% ALC./VOL. ©2023 TITO’s HANDMADE VODKA. —The Editors
Ingredients
- For the cocktail:
-
1 1/2 ounces
strawberry-rosemary-infused Tito’s Handmade Vodka
-
1/2 ounce
freshly squeezed lemon juice
-
1/4 ounce
simple syrup (homemade or store-bought)
-
Champagne, for topping
-
Whole strawberry pierced with a rosemary sprig, for garnish
- For the infused Tito’s Handmade Vodka:
-
14 ounces
Tito’s Handmade Vodka (about half of a 750-milliliter bottle)
-
3 to 4 sprigs
fresh rosemary
-
7 ounces
frozen strawberries
Directions
- For the cocktail:
- Add infused Tito’s, lemon juice, and simple syrup to a shaker filled with ice. Shake for 30 seconds, then strain into a Champagne flute or coupe and top with Champagne. Garnish with a rosemary-skewered strawberry.
- For the infused Tito’s Handmade Vodka:
- Freeze rosemary sprigs for at least 2 hours.
- Add Tito’s to an air-tight container, like a large Mason jar. Add strawberries, reseal container, and infuse at room temperature overnight (at least 12 hours).
- After 12 hours, add frozen rosemary and infuse for an additional 6 hours.
- Once properly infused, strain infused vodka (you can save the strawberries to make jam if you’d like!) into a new air-tight container.
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