Bubbles make every occasion special, but this French 77 recipe takes cocktails to a whole new level! Filled with elderflower liqueur, lemon juice, gin, and sparkling wine, this easy cocktail is a light and refreshing alternative to a French 75.
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This French 77 recipe has 3 of my favorite spirits in it: elderflower, gin, and Prosecco. And you know you are in for something special with that combination of alcohol.
But this cocktail is so much more than just bubbles. It's a cocktail for many occasions. You can break it out for a special occasion or just to enjoy it with a few friends. But don't let the frilly presentation fool you, this French 77 packs a punch.
Some might even say it's a strong drink in disguise. But whatever you choose to call it, it's delicious!
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Why you will love a French 77
▶︎ It's fun! Bubbles are always fun to sip on and it's a drink that a lot of people won't make for themselves at home. But once they find out how easy it is to do (and how delicious it tastes) you can bet they will ask for the recipe.
▶︎ It's easy to make a batch. Simply multiply the ingredient amounts by the number of drinks desired and use a large shaker to mix!
▶︎ It's not too sweet. Many brunch cocktails tend to be on the sweet side. The gin and lemon juice in this drink balance out the sweetness of the elderflower liqueur giving it a subtle sweetness that pairs well with many dishes. Serve them with this Easy Frittata or make-ahead Overnight Breakfast Casserole.
Ingredients
It only takes a few ingredients to make this tasty sparkling wine cocktail.
Ingredient Notes:
- Fresh Lemon Juice is a must for this recipe. It truly makes a difference in the taste.
- If you need more drink ideas to finish your bottle of elderflower liqueur, check out all of our elderflower cocktails!
Instructions
Don't worry, this isn't a hard drink to make. Follow these simple steps.
Fill a shaker with ice and add gin, elderflower liqueur and lemon juice.
Shake for 30 seconds and pour into a champagne flute, top with sparkling wine, and serve.
FAQs
A French 77 replaces the simple syrup in a French 75 with elderflower liqueur, other than that the ingredient list is the same. The sweetness of the elderflower liqueur gives the French 77 a delicate floral taste that is delicious!
The liqueur has a delicate floral flavor that is more subtle than you’d expect. Since elderflower liqueur is rather sweet, you can easily use it to replace other sweeteners in your cocktail recipes like simple syrup, agave, and maple syrup.
You might be surprised, but yes you can! Simply combine the gin, elderflower, and lemon juice in a mason jar without ice and refrigerate until ready to serve. When it is time to serve the drinks, transfer the mixture to a shaker filled with ice (or simply add ice to the mason jar), shake for 30 seconds, and pour into flutes. Top each flute with sparkling wine and serve.
Expert Tips for the Best French 77
✘ Don't feel like you need to limit yourself to a French Champagne for this drink. You can also use a quality American sparkling wine, Italian Prosecco, or Spanish Cava. You'll find solid choices anywhere between the $15-20 range.
✘ Make sure your sparkling wine is very dry. The elderflower liqueur adds a bit of sweetness to the drink, so if your wine is already somewhat sweet, your cocktail will be too sweet.
✘ Fresh lemon juice is essential for the recipe. Avoid using bottled juice, if possible, as it contains preservatives that affect flavor.
✘ There are many brands of elderflower liqueur available. St. Germain is probably the most well-known, but we love the flavor (and price tag) of Drillaud Elderflower Liqueur.
More Prosecco Cocktails
Tequila and Prosecco are a match made in heaven with these Mimosa Margaritas or check out all of our Champagne & Prosecco Drinks.
Did you make this recipe? We'd love to hear your thoughts!
Please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Your feedback helps us and your fellow readers!
Recipe
French 77
Ingredients
- 2 ounces Gin
- 1 ounce Elderflower liqueur
- 1 ounce Lemon juice
- 2 ounces Prosecco
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Instructions
- Pour gin, elderflower and lemon juice in a shaker and combine.2 ounces Gin, 1 ounce Elderflower liqueur, 1 ounce Lemon juice
- Strain shaker contents into champagne flutes.
- Top with chilled prosecco.2 ounces Prosecco
- Garnish with a lemon twist.
- Serve immediately
Notes
- Combine the gin, elderflower, and lemon juice in a mason jar without ice and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- When it is time to serve the drinks, transfer the mixture to a shaker filled with ice (or simply add ice to the mason jar), shake for 30 seconds, and pour into flutes.
- Top each flute with sparkling wine and serve.
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Nutrition
Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.
Brenda Wilkins says
Had these for Easter cocktail hour. Everybody loved them they were refreshing did some with gin and some without. I even had time to make lemon curls. This is the 1st time that I have been on your site . Thanks for all of the information it was so very helpful
Hi Brenda! Welcome! I'm so happy the drinks turned out well!
Paula Boutwell says
Can I substitute vodka in place of gin? Gin gives me a headache? I LOVE elderflower!
You sure can! It will taste a little different, but equally delicious! Cheers!
A says
Yes! Used vodka instead of gin and it was delicious