A Recipe for French 75 from La Loca Maria
History On The Rocks is Goya’s summer cocktail series in partnership with Smitha Menon. Here, we explore the often-unknown origin story behind our favourite classic cocktails. We will also be bringing you a modern take on the classic, from some of our favourite bars in the country. This week, the French 75. The French 75 was named after a weapon of war. World War I, and a French light field gun of 75 mm calibre, to be precise. In 1915, the first reference was made to soixante quinze, a brandy-based drink. The recipe has evolved over the year (as has the glass) with the addition of gin, and champagne. “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, mentioned below, is finished with Spanish dry vermouth and Spanish sparkling wine Cava. Disclaimer: We …
