French 77
A floral, refreshing and bubbly wine & sparkling cocktail ∙ Build ∙ 2 min ∙ 11.7% ABV ∙
The French 77 is a sparkling cocktail of elderflower liqueur and fresh lemon juice topped with dry sparkling wine and served in a flute.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Pour into the chilled glass: Elderflower liqueur 25 mlLemon juice 10 ml
- Top with Dry sparkling wine
- Garnish with a lemon twist
Tips
- Pick a dry, brut sparkling wine; anything sweeter piles onto the 25 ml of elderflower liqueur and makes the drink cloying.
History
The French 77 is a modern variation on the French 75 that replaces both the gin and the sugar with elderflower liqueur, giving the drink a floral sweetness. Some accounts credit the twist to a cocktail writer around 2006, not long after elderflower liqueur reached a wider market, though the drink is more often described simply as a latter-day spin on its parent.
The French 75 itself is generally traced to Paris around 1915, with its exact creator disputed. It took its name from the French 75-millimeter field gun of World War I, a nod to the cocktail's reputed kick.
FAQ
What is the difference between a French 75 and a French 77?
A French 75 is gin (or sometimes cognac), lemon juice, sugar and Champagne. A French 77 swaps the gin and sugar for elderflower liqueur, which brings its own sweetness and a floral note. With no gin, it is lighter: most of the glass is sparkling wine.
Why is it called a French 77?
It is named as a riff on the French 75, swapping that drink's gin and sugar for elderflower liqueur; the name keeps the numbering to signal a variation on the same Champagne-cocktail family.
What is in a French 77?
Elderflower liqueur 25 ml and fresh lemon juice 10 ml, topped with 125 ml of dry sparkling wine. At about 11.7% ABV, it is closer in strength to the wine itself than to a spirit-based cocktail.
