The French 77 Cocktail

French 77 cocktail is sophisticated and bubbly. Perfect for every occasion such as birthday, dinner party, Christmas, New Years Eve, you name it. If your a fan of champagne, gin, lemon, and elderflower this cocktail is right up your alley.

Difference between French 75 and French 77

The major difference is the use of simple syrup. In a French 75, simple syrup is used which is a 1:1 ratio of water and sugar. Instead of simple syrup, elderflower liqueur is used in a French 77.

What is Elderflower?

Elderflower is a small white flower that grows on elderberry bushes. In this recipe, elderflower liqueur is used. The most well known maker of this liqueur is St. Germain. This particular liqueur can normally be found at local liquor stores, online shops, and Total Wine. The taste/flavor of St. Germain is sweet, bright, floral/fragrant. Besides a cocktail, St. Germain has numerous other uses. Such as a cake soak, Italian ice, relish, etc. One example of its uses would be from the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Their wedding cake was made by Violet Cakes (aka Claire Ptak). Violet Cakes made a lemon elderflower cake. Although the elderflower used in their recipe is similar to a sparkling water.

To use St. Germain as a cake soak, simply pour some in a shallow measuring cup. Then, using a pastry brush in a single circular motion add the St. Germain to a layer of cake before frosting. It’s important to only add the liquid in a single layer. Because if the cake is over soaked, it will fall a part due to excessive liquid. Please note, in order for the cake to soak up the liqueur the dome of the cake needs to be removed first.

The Additional Ingredients

In addition to the St. Germain, the other ingredients in this recipe include: champagne, lemon juice, and gin. Let’s talk about the bubbles. Champagne is used in a French 75/77 because of its origin. The first French 75, was seen around in World War I at a bar in Paris, France called Harry’s New York Bar. Great champagne companies to use would include: Veuve Clicquot, Perrier Jouet, Moet & Chandon, and De Margerie Grand just to name a few. Lemon juice is added for a little citrus hint and to provide a bright note.

Lastly, lets talk gin. The gin in this cocktail serves as a smooth component to the bubbles and citrus. Gin is produce by a re-distillation of high-proof spirit (malt or grain) with juniper berries and other flavors. In numerous cocktails gin is mainly used because of its herbal (botanical) taste. Meaning when gin is added to a complex drink (cocktail) it comes alive.