French 76
Easy
Spirits palpable
3 Minutes
Cocktail Glass
Ingredients
The French 76 is a vodka cocktail and a twist on the beloved gin cocktail, the French 75.
An elegant, fizzy and slightly sweet cocktail that works perfectly in the summer or when you simply want to add some elegance to your next gathering.
How To Make a FRENCH 76 COCKTAIL
Bar tools you’ll need
Fine Strainer
Jigger
Boston Shaker
Hawthorne Strainer
How to Mix
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Cut a Lemon in half and use a Citrus Elbow to juice it directly into the Jigger.
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Measure and pour the Lemon Juice into a Cocktail Shaker.
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Measure and pour Simple Syrup into the Shaker.
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Measure and pour Absolut Vodka into the Shaker.
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Fill the Shaker with Ice Cubes and shake vigorously until chilled.
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Double strain by placing a Hawthorne Strainer over the Shaker, then pour the cocktail through a Fine Mesh Strainer directly into a Coupe Glass.
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Top up the glass with Champagne.
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Take a Peeler and peel a Lemon strip, then squeeze it over the drink to release the oils before discarding.
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Drop a single Maraschino Cherry directly into the glass to garnish.
Rico shows how to make both a French 75 and French 76 cocktail:
What is a French 76 Drink?
The French 76 is a vodka cocktail and a variation of the French 75. Aside from swapping gin for vodka, the French 76 is also garnished with a maraschino cherry and a lemon twist, whereas a traditional French 75 is garnished only with a lemon twist.
What Does a French 76 Drink Taste Like?
Ricardo ‘Rico’ Dynan – Bartender and Absolut Global Brand Ambassador shares: “The French 76 is just as crisp and just as refreshing tasting (as The French 75). You do lose that little Juniper hint but it’s still a delicious cocktail as the Absolut Vodka really elevates all the ingredients in there and the nice little sweetness coming through from the cherry.”
The History of The French 76
“From 1915 to where we are today, the French 75 has gone through very different variations and at some point in the 1990s, the French 76 was invented,” explains Rico. The rest, as they say, is history.
Tips for Making The Perfect French 76
- Add the aroma of Fresh Lemon
Rico presses a Lemon Peel over his drink to release the oils from the peel before discarding it. The aroma of Fresh Lemon cannot be overstated and is a highly recommended tip if you want to elevate your overall drinking experience.
- Use the cheapest ingredients first
When making any cocktail, Rico always suggests starting with the cheapest ingredient first. Why? If you make a mistake, it’s better that you waste the cheaper ingredients than the expensive ingredients. So, in this case of The French 76, you’ll see that Rico uses the Lemon Juice first.
Variations of a French 76 Cocktail
- The French 75
When it comes to variations of the French 76, of course, the original has to be included. The French 76 is now over a century old and an indisputable classic cocktail. Both drinks have the same recipe except a French 75 uses Gin instead of Vodka. Discover how to make The French 75. - Tom Collins
If you talk about a French 75 or French 76, you have to mention the Tom Collins. Tom Collins is a classic Gin-based cocktail that inspired The French 75 but uses Soda Water instead of Champagne. Nonetheless, if you like The French 76, we recommend that you take a look at our Tom Collins recipe
Serving and Garnish Ideas for a French 76
- Serve it in a Coupe Glass
Most places serve the French 76 in a Champagne Flute. However, Rico prefers serving his in a Coupe Glass because he likes to experience all the aromas as he sips his drink.
- Garnish with a Maraschino Cherry
Although the French 75 is often garnished with a Lemon Twist, Rico likes to garnish the French 76 with a single Maraschino Cherry, dropped directly into the glass. A simple but elegant touch.
French 76 FAQ
The French 75 uses Gin, whereas the French 76 uses Vodka. The rest is the same.
No problems, you can make your own Simple Syrup in just minutes. All you need is Boiling Water and Sugar Check out this article to learn how to make Simple Syrup.
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