French 76 is a delicious champagne and vodka cocktail that you will fall in love with. It is simple, elegant, and tasty.
One of my very favorite cocktails is the French 75. Whenever I go out on a fancy night out with my husband, it is my drink of choice. But it is made with gin, and I know not everyone is the gin lover that I am. In that case, let me introduce you to the French 76. It is the perfect champagne cocktail made with vodka.
How to Make a French 76
This is a brief overview of how to make this delicious cocktail. For the full recipe with all of the measurements, see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Combine the first three ingredients in a shaker. In a metal shaker filled with ice, combine the vodka, lemon juice, and simple syrup.
- Pour the contents of the shaker into a champagne glass garnished with a cherry.
- Top with champagne.
French 76 vs. 75
The French 75, another of my favorite cocktails, is made with gin. This version of it is made with vodka. That is the only difference between these two amazing cocktails.
Simple Syrup or Sour Mix
Sour Mix is essentially simple syrup combined with lemon and lime juices. In this recipe we are using simple syrup and lemon juice. If you happen to have sour mix on hand, you could use it in place of those two ingredients here for a delicious cocktail. Replace the simple syrup and lemon juice with 1 1/2 ounces sour mix. Both simple syrup and sour mix are very easy to make at home and delicious and many different cocktails.
Simple Syrup
What Vodka to Use
When it comes to vodka, we have a few different recommendations depending on price point.
- Top shelf vodka recommendations are Grey Goose and Belvedere.
- Middle shelf vodka recommendations is Titos.
- Bottom shelf vodka recommendations are Smirnoff and Kirkland brand.
Rumor has it that Kirkland is actually just Grey Goose bottled under the Kirkland label. We don’t know if that is true, but we do know that it has won in blind taste tests against top shelf vodkas.
What Champagne to Use
Our suggestion is to use a champagne that you would enjoy drinking on it’s own in this recipe. You could also use Prosecco or a different sparkling wine. This recipe would also be fun to try with a sparkling Rose.
How to Garnish
While a French 75 is typically garnished with a lemon twist, a French 76 is garnished with a maraschino cherry at the bottom of the glass. I love the sweet simple way that these two garnishes can distinguish these two great drinks.
Three More Champagne Cocktails
Here are three more delicious champagne cocktails for you to try, though you can find all my drink recipes here: Cocktail Recipes.
If you make this cocktail recipe, leave me a comment and let me know what you think!
French 76
Ingredients
- 2 ounces vodka
- 3/4 ounce lemon juice
- 1/2 ounce simple syrup
- 2 ounces champagne
Instructions
- Mix the vodka, lemon juice, and simple syrup together in a cocktail shaker with ice until very cold. Pour into a champagne flute that is garnished with a cherry at the bottom.
- Top with champagne. This is a personal choice, but I like to give the cocktail just the slightest stir once it is in the champagne flute.
KAY says
We use gin but otherwise same ingredients. Very smooth drink.
Yes! That is the French 75! I love that one too.
Lynda says
***** It wouldn’t allow me to rate 5 stars, or I would have…Yummy drink…Add a small piece of pinched mint with the cherry is a perfect little add on.
I’m so glad you enjoy this drink as much as I do!