Happy New Year!
The end of 2010 is finally here, so let’s bring in the new year with a bang (literally) by whipping up a French 75 Number 1. Named after a powerful but reputedly smooth French 75 millimeter cannon that was said to have helped win World War I, this glamorous drink could be used as a weapon of war—or love. Ti and Lally, the cocktail divas and proprietors of the legendary New Orleans restaurant Commander’s Palace, share the memory of their first introduction to this drink and the recipe in their book In the Land of Cocktails.
French 75 Number 1
Makes 1 cocktail
1 ounce Cognac
¾ ounce Simple Syrup*
½ ounce fresh lemon juice
½ to 1 ounce Champagne
Fill a Champagne glass with ice and set aside. In a cocktail shaker, combine the Cognac, simple syrup, and lemon juice and shake vigorously. Discard the ice from the glass, strain the mixture into the prepared glass, and fill to the top with Champagne. Serve immediately.
*Simple Syrup
Simple syrup is nothing more than a combination of sugar and water, usually boiled until the sugar dissolves. Instead of boiling hers, Lu adds hot tap water to the sugar. It dissolves just the same. Keep a jar in the fridge and use it for making lemonade, sweetening iced tea, and, of course, in cocktails.
Makes 2 cups
2 cups sugar
2 cups boiling water
Place the sugar in a heatproof container, add the boiling water, and stir until dissolved. Let cool to room temperature. The cooled syrup will keep, refrigerated, in a jar or container for up to a month.
