Wow your friends and family with your bartending knowledge when you serve a French 76 at your next party. This elegant sparkling wine drink is made with vodka and garnished with a Luxardo Cherry. But don't worry, this fancy drink can be made in less than 5 minutes and is great for a group!
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Contrary to what people believe, cocktails don't need to have long ingredient lists to make them fancy and this French 76 is the perfect example. It only uses 4 ingredients and makes every brunch menu complete, but don't forget the Luxardo cherry; it is the perfect finishing touch that will be sure to impress your friends.
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Why you will love a French 76 cocktail
- You can easily make one or make a batch! If you are making them one at a time use the mini bottles of sparkling wine. If you are serving a group, it's best to use a full-size bottle.
- It's easy to drink. The vodka, lemon juice, and simple syrup cut the dryness of the Prosecco and make it a smooth sipper.
- The Luxardo cherry elevates any cocktail. These dark, sour cherries are expensive, but believe me, they are worth every single penny and the jar lasts for a long time.
Need more ways to use the cherries? Garnish a Perfect Manhattan Cocktail, the Best Old Fashioned, or make a Man O' War Bourbon cocktail.
Ingredients
The ingredient list is short and sweet!
Ingredient Notes
- Fresh lemon juice is a must for this easy champagne cocktail. The bottled stuff contains preservatives for longer shelf life. Skip it for this drink.
- You can purchase simple syrup at the store but it is easy to make your own simple syrup at home!
Instructions
It only takes a few minutes to shake up this delicious sparkling wine cocktail!
- Step 1: Fill a shaker with ice and add vodka, simple syrup, and lemon juice.
- Step 2: Shake vigorously for 30 seconds.
- Step 3: Strain contents into a champagne flute.
- Step 4: Top with sparkling wine, garnish with a Luxardo Cherry and lemon twist, and serve.
FAQs
They sound crazy similar, right? They do have some common ingredients, which means there is the perfect sparkling wine cocktail for everyone!
➤ A French 75 is made with gin, simple syrup, lemon juice, and sparkling wine.
➤ A French 76 uses vodka instead of gin.
➤ A French 77 uses gin, elderflower liqueur, lemon juice, and bubbles.
Yes! Simply combine the vodka, simple syrup, and lemon juice in a mason jar without ice and refrigerate until ready to serve.
When it's 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, garnish with a Luxardo cherry and serve!
A Luxardo Cherry is the original maraschino cherry but it is a deep red color because it doesn't contain any artificial coloring like the bright red maraschino cherries you see on ice cream sundaes. They are more expensive than the bright red cherries, but that is because they are packed with real fruit flavor instead of additives. They are worth every penny and give your craft cocktail the high-end garnish it deserves.
Expert Tips
- Get creative with the kind of bubbles you add to this drink! You can use American sparkling wine, Italian Prosecco, or Spanish Cava. You'll find solid choices anywhere between the $15-20 range.
- The key is to make sure your sparkling wine is very dry. The simple syrup 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, please do not use bottled juice.
- Use a moderately-priced vodka for this drink. You don't need the quality that you would use in a martini, since you are mixing it with other ingredients, but don't use rail vodka, either. Your head will thank you tomorrow. Our favorites are Absolut, Titos, or Grey Duck Vodkas.
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Recipe
French 76
Ingredients
- 2 ounces vodka
- 1 ounce simple syrup
- 1 ounce fresh lemon juice
- 2 ounces sparkling wine
- 1 Luxardo Cherry
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Enter your email below & we'll send it straight to your inbox.
Instructions
- Fill a shaker with ice and add vodka, simple syrup and lemon juice. Shake for 30 seconds or until well chilled.2 ounces vodka, 1 ounce simple syrup, 1 ounce fresh lemon juice
- Strain contents into a champagne flute and top with sparkling wine.2 ounces sparkling wine
- Garnish with a Luxardo Cherry and serve.1 Luxardo Cherry
Notes
VIDEO
Nutrition
Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.
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