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Home Recipes by Type Beverages Cocktails

Cherry French 75 – sweet tart perfection!

5
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5 mins
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By: Rachel GurkPosted: 12/30/2020Updated: 10/17/2022

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Light red drink garnished with lemon and a cherry. Text overlay reads, "cherry french 75 cocktail, rachelcooks.com"
Light red drink garnished with lemon and a cherry. Text overlay reads, "cherry french 75 cocktail, rachelcooks.com"
Light red drink garnished with lemon and a cherry. Text overlay reads, "cherry french 75 cocktail, rachelcooks.com"
Light red drink garnished with lemon and a cherry. Text overlay reads, "cherry french 75, rachelcooks.com"

Sparkling and festive, a cherry French 75 is the perfect cocktail to celebrate a special occasion, whether it’s toasting the New Year or an intimate Valentine’s Day dinner. 

Two champagne flutes with a light red drink garnished with cherries and lemon.
Table of Contents
open
  • 1 About this Cocktail
  • 2 What’s in a Cherry French 75?
  • 3 FAQs
  • 4 Make It Your Own
  • 5 Make-Ahead Ideas
  • 6 More Festive Cocktails
  • 7 Get the Recipe: Cherry French 75

Refreshing, sparkling, tart … it’s hard to describe this champagne gin cocktail. Gin brings juniper and a certain spiciness, lemon juice adds bright tartness, maraschino cherries a unique sweet almond flavor, and the bubbly dry wine adds … well, bubbles. Shaken and served icy cold, this gin cocktail is just absolutely a party in a chilled glass. 

Garnished with a lemon twist and pretty red cherry, with a bright tutti-frutti color, isn’t it a pretty cocktail? Or maybe I shouldn’t say “pretty cocktail” and scare off you guys who only drink manly drinks. Let’s just go with “full-bodied punch,” okay?

Serve cherry French 75 cocktails with nibblers such as smoky roasted almonds, seasoned oyster crackers, creamy kale bruschetta, or sausage pinwheels with apple, sage, and Gruyère.

This sparkly gin cocktail would also be perfect with a cheese board or charcuterie, or baked Brie. 

Overhead view of a champagne glass full of a cherry flavored french 75.

About this Cocktail

A French 75 is a cocktail made with gin, lemon juice, simple syrup and sparkling wine. To make a cherry French 75, the simple syrup is replaced by the syrup found in a jar of maraschino cherries, turning the cocktail a beautiful shade of pink and giving it a cherry/almond flavor. You’ll find that a cherry French 75 not an overly sweet drink.

Use London dry gin, such as Beefeater or Tanqueray. Freshly squeezed lemon juice is a must. Choose your favorite brand of prosecco, champagne, asti spumanti, or whatever you like best.

The recipe is easy. You’ll need ice and a cocktail shaker, and champagne flutes, preferably chilled. Simply add ice, gin, lemon juice and a dash of maraschino cherry syrup to the shaker. 

Cherry juice being poured into a cocktail shaker.

Shake vigorously for 15 seconds – this part is fun!

Cocktail shaker full of light red liquid.

Pour into a glass and top with champagne.

Champagne being poured into a champagne glass already partially full of light red liquid.

Add a festive cherry garnish and lemon twist, and serve immediately.

Cherry french 75 garnished with cherry and lemon peel.

What’s in a Cherry French 75?

  • Ice: The cocktail is shaken with ice and served chilled.
  • London Dry Gin: Some brands to look for are Bombay Sapphire, Tanqueray, Beefeater, etc.
  • Lemon Juice: Make sure you have plenty of freshly squeezed lemon juice on hand. Use the peels to make the festive lemon twists for a garnish. Hint: remove the strips of peel before you juice the lemons.
  • Maraschino Cherries: Look for a good brand of cherries. You’ll use the juice/syrup from the jar and the cherries.
  • Prosecco: Any dry sparkling wine is fine, including brut champagne.
Festive scene with two champagne glasses, lemons, cherries, and gold garland.

FAQs

Why is it called a French 75?

So interesting! This drink dates back to World War I and was created in Paris, reportedly named for artillery, the powerful French 75mm field gun. Why the name? The combination of the original ingredients “was said to have such a kick that it felt like being shelled” with the French 75. (Thanks, Wikipedia!) 

So have a “blast” with this cocktail but please drink responsibly, as always, and don’t get “bombed”. (Sorry, couldn’t resist!)

Close up overhead view of a cherry cocktail.

Make It Your Own

  • If you prefer, substitute Luxardo cherries for the maraschino cherries. Click here for an interesting article about the history of maraschino cherries and the original dark burgundy Luxardo cherries.
  • Make a “French 76” using vodka instead of gin. Omit the cherry juice and use simple syrup instead. Garnish with one maraschino cherry.
  • Like a sweeter cocktail? Increase the amount of maraschino cherry syrup. 
  • To make a stronger drink, increase the amount of gin.
  • To make a less potent drink, increase the amount of prosecco to 6 oz. 
  • Try a traditional French 75, made without the cherry.
A champagne toast with light red liquid in champagne glasses.

Make-Ahead Ideas

This sparkling cocktail is best served immediately. Make sure you have lots of ice and chill the cherries and prosecco. Make your lemon twist garnishes, squeeze the lemons and chill the juice. Learn how to make a lemon twist.

More Festive Cocktails

Sparkling Pomegranate Punch – party perfection!

Love Potion Cocktail

Blood Orange Gin Fizz with Elderflower

Bay Breeze Recipe

Browse All
Two champagne glasses full of cherry french 75 cocktail.

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Overhead view of a light red cocktail garnished with lemon and a maraschino cherry.
Recipe

Get the Recipe: Cherry French 75

5 from 1 vote
Prep Time: 5 mins
Total Time: 5 mins
1 cocktail
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Sparkling and festive, a cherry French 75 is the perfect cocktail to celebrate a special occasion, whether it's toasting the New Year or an intimate Valentine's Day dinner. 

Ingredients

  • Ice
  • 1 ½ ounces London dry gin, such as Tanqueray or Beefeaters
  • ½ ounce lemon juice
  • ½ ounce maraschino cherry syrup/juice
  • 3 ounces prosecco, chilled
  • Maraschino cherry, for garnish
  • Lemon twist, for garnish

Instructions

  • Add gin, lemon juice, and cherry syrup to a cocktail shaker filled with ice; shake vigorously for 15 seconds.
  • Strain into a fluted cocktail glass and top with prosecco. Garnish with a maraschino cherry and lemon rind twist.

Notes

  • If you prefer a sweeter drink and deeper maraschino cherry taste, increase the cherry syrup to 1 ounce.
  • Use less gin and more champagne for a drink that has less alcohol. 
  • Try a “French 76” using vodka instead of gin. Omit the cherry juice and use simple syrup instead. Garnish with one maraschino cherry.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1cocktail, Calories: 186kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 7mg, Potassium: 90mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 1IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 9mg, Iron: 1mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Author: Rachel Gurk

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