French 125 (1977 recipe)
Stir; Shake ∙ 4 min ∙ 12.8% ABV ∙
The French 125 is a Cognac-based riff on the French 75, built with lemon, sugar, and dry sparkling wine over ice in a highball glass. Crisp and effervescent, with a warming brandy core that softens into a tart, sugar-rounded finish as the bubbles fade over ice.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- In the base of the shaker, stir: Powdered sugar 3 bsp and Lemon juice 30 ml until the sugar dissolves
- Add Cognac 45 ml
- Shake with ice and strain into the ice-filled glass
- Top with Dry sparkling wine and lightly stir
- Garnish with a lemon twist
Tips
- Dissolve the powdered sugar fully in the lemon juice before adding the Cognac, or it settles gritty at the bottom of the glass.
- Shake hard with ice, then strain into a fresh ice-filled glass so the topped wine doesn't go flat from the shaker's dilution.
- Pour the sparkling wine gently down the side of the glass and stir just once or twice to keep its bubbles.
- Pre-chill the highball glass so the ice holds longer and the drink stays cold as the wine tops it.
History
French 125 is a cognac-based twist on the French 75, first published under that name in Jones' Complete Barguide, a 1977 bar manual by Stanley M. Jones. Where the French 75 calls for gin, Jones's version substitutes cognac for the base spirit while keeping the lemon juice, sugar, and champagne, and the recipe was originally built long over ice rather than served up. The name follows the same joke as its parent: the French 75 was tagged with the caliber of the French 75mm field gun used by the French army in World War I, and the cognac variant was renamed French 125 after another gun, the larger-caliber tank-mounted Soviet 125mm cannon. The French 75 itself took its now-classic form and name in Here's How by Judge Jr. in 1927, listing gin, sugar, lemon juice, and champagne, and that recipe was republished under the same name in Harry Craddock's The Savoy Cocktail Book in 1930, which helped popularize it; the drink's earlier history and exact inventor remain disputed among rival claimants.
FAQ
How do you make a French 125?
Stir powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice in the base of a shaker until the sugar dissolves, add Cognac, then shake with ice and strain into an ice-filled highball glass. Top with dry sparkling wine, stir lightly, and finish with a lemon twist.
What is a French 125?
It is a Cognac-forward variation on the French 75, finished with a sparkling wine top in a highball glass. At about 12.8% ABV, it drinks lighter and more effervescent than a spirit-forward cocktail.
What's in a French 125?
Fresh lemon juice, powdered sugar, Cognac, and dry sparkling wine, built over ice in a highball glass and finished with a lemon twist.
Is a French 125 shaken or stirred?
Both. The base ingredients are shaken with ice to chill the drink and dissolve the sugar, then the sparkling wine is added on top and only stirred lightly so it keeps its fizz.
What glass is a French 125 served in?
A highball glass, built over ice and garnished with a lemon twist.
What's in a traditional French 75?
A traditional French 75 is gin, lemon juice, sugar, and Champagne, shaken or stirred and topped with the sparkling wine. The French 125 follows the same structure but swaps in Cognac as the base spirit.
