One of my favorite cocktails is the French 75. You know I love a tart beverage, and something with bubbles, so I decided to give the French 75 a little update, and an American twist. Add a little sparkling rosé to your Independence Day celebration with the American 76 cocktail!
The Bubbly
My American 76 uses a California sparkling rosé, instead of champagne. I used Mumm Napa’s Brut Rosé. It is tart and bright, and pairs nicely with the lemon.
The Gin
A typical French 75 also contains gin. I picked up Prairie Organic Gin recently on a whim. It’s from Minnesota, my husband’s home state, and was on sale at our grocery store. As we often say in our household, “I got you something! It was cheap. I thought of you.”
That’s not to say that Prairie gin is one of the least expensive brands, or isn’t a worthy contender for your summer cocktails. We found it to be quite mellow in flavor. If you like a gin with a lot of juniper notes, this gin may not be for you. It’s delicate flavor, however, made it perfect for this particular cocktail. A gin with more bite would have overwhelmed the subtle flavors of the rosé.
- 1/2 oz lemon juice
- 1 oz gin
- Sparkling Rosé
- Ice
- Fill a tumbler or stemless wine glass with ice
- Add 1/2 oz lemon juice
- Add 1 oz gin
- Top with sparkling rosé
- Gently stir to combine
I cut watermelon and pineapple into star shapes, and froze them on patriotic parasol picks. They helped keep the drinks cool on a hot day.
I think George Washington would approve.
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