I am going to attempt three things with this post: First, I am trying to keep on schedule with the Dale/David project after yesterday's unfortunate lapse. Second, I found a couple more drinks (the French 75 and Cafe Brulot) that I think belong in this quick wrap-up of New Orleans cocktails that I have been working on in the context of Dale's book. Third, I discovered that this month's Mixology Monday theme is New Orleans cocktails--cocktails from New Orleans, cocktails inspired by New Orleans, or even cocktails that you quaffed in New Orleans. I will be touching on all of these facets in this post, which, for the record, and in typical form, is taking me so long that I hope I don't get denied participation privileges by the MxMo moderator. It is after midnight, I know, but it is also still Monday night in that I am still awake from Monday...does that count? Assuming for the moment that it does, here goes my first attempted participation in Mixology Monday, the world's foremost online monthly cocktail party!
The French 75: Conflict, Conundrum, Compromise
The French 75 does not necessarily originate in New Orleans but seems tied there because of the French 75 Bar at Arnaud's, which has a long association with this drink. Some legends tell that the drink was invented by Arnaud himself; regardless of who invented it, the drink was named after the French 75 cannon which was used extensively during WW I.
In The New Orleans Restaurant Cookbook (1967) Deirdre Stanforth specifies this recipe:
Arnaud's French 75
Dash lemon juice
1 oz gin
1/2 oz Cointreau
Champagne
Lemon peel
Shake lemon juice, gin, and cointreau with ice, strain into a champagne glass, and top with champagne and a twist of lemon peel
Anyone who has stopped by that bar in recent years may be surprised to see gin make an appearance. Just recently during Tales of the Cocktail my friend Paula was at the bar and ordered a French 75 "the traditional way", meaning with gin. She was admonished by the barman who told her something to the effect of "we cannot put English gin in our French Champagne." When we went there the next day, a different bartender told us that he didn't like to talk about drinks, he just liked to make them, and would make whatever the customer wanted. We had it the way they serve it, with Cognac and I believe some type of orange liqueur.
Gary Regan writes in Joy of Mixology that the French 75 invites controversy over not just the brandy/gin base but also whether to use lemon or lime juice. I have not found a recipe yet that suggests lime. His recipe calls for gin and lemon juice, over crushed ice, which begs another question--whether to serve the drink up or on ice.
Regan cites Harry Cradock's Savoy (1930) as the earliest printed reference to this drink. Cradock outlines a traditional version with gin and lemon juice, served over cracked ice, and notes that the drink, like its namesake, I suppose, "Hits with precision." Regan attributes the Cognac version to David Embry, whose Fine Art of Mixing Drinks is finally being reprinted by Mud Puddle Books.
According to Ted "Dr. Cocktail" Haigh, the French 75 is made with gin, served up in a Champagne flute. The Cognac version is called a French 125. I have read that a vodka version is the French 76, though I don't recall where. Chris McMillan, in his series on New Orleans cocktails, makes the French 75 with gin and strains it into a Champagne flute.
Since this is the Dale/David project, I should discuss DDG's version: Brandy, lemon juice, simple syrup, and Champagne; shaken and strained over ice. In the book Dale doesn't discuss this drink as he does others, so one can only speculate as to the reasoning behind his choosing brandy over gin. I made this version and then made several other of the more traditional variety (what else was I supposed to do with this open bottle of Champagne?) Dale's version is a tasty cocktail but he seems to be outnumbered by his colleagues who favor a gin-based drink.
Taking all of this into consideration, I decided that I would do my meager part to settle the score, and created this cocktail of compromise:
The French Détente
1 oz. Cognac
1 oz. Gin
1 oz. Lemon juice
3/4 oz. Simple syrup
Shake all with ice and strain into a chilled Champagne flute; top with Champagne.
Comments (7)
My guess on this has always been that this started as a gin drink; given the presence of American and (esp) British soldiers in France durning WWI, and given that British officers were issued gin rations, I can easily see them trying to stretch the ration with locally available bubbly.
Still, you've got me thinking, what about Genever in this? The malty quality of the spirit should marry pretty well with the toasty notes of the Champagne. I may have to try it.
Posted by Bill | July 29, 2008 10:42 AM
Posted on July 29, 2008 10:42
Put me down for the Gin camp, for what that's worth.
I love this cocktail for two reasons.
1) It is delicious.
2) It makes it much easier to drink champagne around the house. We never finish a bottle if it is just the two of us. With the French 75 on the menu, I just clamp down on the mouth of the bottle and make 75s at cocktail hour until the rest is gone. The champagne stopper usually gives me just enough time to use up the rest.
Posted by Doug Winship | July 29, 2008 12:38 PM
Posted on July 29, 2008 12:38
An excellent and deceptively dangerous drink (part of the appeal, eh?).
My first real experience with the drink occurred in New Orleans, during Jazzfest 2001, at the Monteleone Hotel. At the Carousel Bar no less. When I say it was a dizzy night, there is pun intended. I still bring out this drink occasionally tho' it is not for the faint of heart. Thanks for connecting it back to the Crescent City for me!
Posted by keith evans | July 29, 2008 8:36 PM
Posted on July 29, 2008 20:36
Bill--thanks for the historical context. It is mildly comforting to think that the men in uniform at least had something like French champagne to "stretch" their gin ration with. It's better than the chicory they were using to stretch their coffee (am I thinking about the right war here?)
Doug--I would like to see the cocktail hour at your house! I agree that this cocktail is a great way to use up a bottle of bubbly. Unless it is the real high dollar stuff that is generally out of my budget, we usually stock something in the $10-15 range (unless a bunch of people are coming over, then it's Cristalino time!) and I am only good for a glass or two of the stuff straight.
Keith--it is interesting that you refer to the drink as "dangerously deceptive". I noticed that yesterday when I had several variations while doing research (!) for my post. I felt like I'd drank the whole bottle when I'd really only had three cocktails. I wonder what makes this so--we need to get a Cocktail Physiologist on this one...
Posted by Tex | July 30, 2008 12:27 AM
Posted on July 30, 2008 00:27
Hmmm. Perhaps I didn't write that very clearly. I meant I'd mix one, maybe two, a day until the rest of the champagne was gone.
Oh, and I use more champers and less "spice" in mine than in the recipes you show, so it goes in a day or so anyway.
Posted by Doug Winship | July 30, 2008 12:36 PM
Posted on July 30, 2008 12:36
So, I made one up using the Boomsma Oude Genever and it was tasty. Not as crisp as the Gin version, which I've always liked best, but interesting and a nice complexity. I finished it with a bit of orange peel in place of the lemon, just for giggles.
Posted by Bill | July 31, 2008 11:50 AM
Posted on July 31, 2008 11:50
I have the Boomsma, I'll have to try this. This drink has such a basic structure it seems that the possible variations are endless.
Posted by Tex | July 31, 2008 7:20 PM
Posted on July 31, 2008 19:20