After your third French 75 it becomes worryingly evident why the drink was named after a 75-mm field gun. Perhaps it was the explosive and intoxicating effects of Champagne and gin that caused Harry McElhone, the bartender generally credited with the drink’s invention, to name his cocktail after the most deadly weapon of the era.
35 ml/1. fl. oz. G’Vine Floraison gin
10 ml/2 teaspoons lemon juice (pulp removed)
5 ml/1 teaspoon sugar syrup
Champagne
Premix the gin, lemon and sugar then pop it in the fridge for 1–2 hours. This means that no ice is needed, alleviating any dilution of flavour. Once cold, measure the premix into the glass and top up with chilled Champagne.
Moonwalk
It’s just as well that Neil Armstrong hadn’t been sampling this cocktail before being let loose in his rocket. It packs quite a punch! It was created in 1969 by the then head bartender, Joe Gilmore, to celebrate the moon-landing - NASA even sent the savoy a “thank-you” letter from the astronaut himself—and it has attracted admirers ever since. The white sugar cube not only causes the cocktail to change as you drink it, but has an appropriately lunar look.
5 drops orange flower water
5 drops grapefruit bitters
1oz. (30ml) Grand Marnier
3/4 oz. (20ml) Champagne
1 cube white sugar
Champagne (approximately 4oz./100ml), to top up
To garnish: orange twist
Stir all the ingredients (except the Champagne for topping up and the sugar cube) over ice in a mixing jug or shaker. Put the sugar cube into a Champagne flute and strain the mixture over it. Top up with the Champagne. Mist the orange twist over the top, then gently drop it into the cocktail.
Liar’s Champagne
Wouldn’t it be great if we could make something taste like ‘very good’ Champagne for less money than it costs to buy the cheapest of bottles? Keep your party guests satisfied once the clock strikes midnight with Tristan's bubbly-alternative, Liars Champagne.
700 ml/24 fl. oz. Chablis
50 ml/1 2/3 fl. oz. Dry Amontillado Sherry
25 ml/3/4 fl. oz. Bols Genever
5 ml/1 teaspoon Green Chartreuse
Mix the ingredients together, chill, and then carbonate using your preferred method (see pages 55–9). In this instance I would (for once) recommend using a soda syphon, because it’s nice to serve the drink as a sharing cocktail in an ice bucket. Follow the instructions on page 58 and be sure to vent and carbonate at least two times. Real vintage Champagnes tend to be less fizzy than younger Champagnes, so if you’re aiming for a true representation you won’t need crazy levels of fizz in your drink.
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