Interestingly, the French 75 was named after a weapon of war – the French light field gun of 75 mm calibre from WWI. The original recipe featuring brandy, has evolved over the years (as has the glassware) with the addition of gin, and champagne. Catch the full history of this cocktail here.
“The drink is a tribute to the age of exploration, where lime was prized as a naval cure, sugar travelled the world as liquid wealth, bitters were once sold as medicine, and gin carried the botanicals of distant lands,” says Dwayne D’Mello, bar manager at La Loca Maria, Mumbai.
His recipe, shared below, is finished with Spanish dry vermouth and Spanish sparkling wine Cava.
RECIPE FOR LA LOCA MARIA’S LOCA 75
Ingredients
45 ml Hayman’s Exotic Citrus gin
20 ml fresh lime juice
10 ml herbed-honey syrup
5 ml Spanish dry vermouth
2 dashes aromatic bitters
Spanish Sparkling Wine (Cava Brut)
Rosemary sprig with a green olive, for garnish
Method
Shake gin, lime juice, herbed-honey & aromatic bitters with ice.
Add a touch of vermouth in a chilled flute.
Fine strain the mix into the flute glass.
Top with chilled Cava. Give it a light stir.
Garnish with rosemary sprig with a green olive.
History on the Rocks is a series in partnership with Smitha Menon. Join us as we explore the stories behind our favourite cocktails and how they traveled to us. Each history lesson is followed by a cocktail recipe from some of the country’s top bartenders.