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Champagne is great on New Year’s Eve, but have you ever had a French 77? This floral and festive elderflower cocktail had more effervescence and pizazz than regular bubbly. If you love floral cocktails, you’re going to love the French 77.
This four-ingredient cocktail is floral forward but balanced with the lemon and gin. As a bonus, you can make a large batch ahead of time, pour in the sparkling wine, and serve a glass to all of your friends right before the ball drops. Top it with a twist of lemon to finish it off!
You have to try this elderflower french 75 variation with these Pear and Goat Cheese Tarts at your next celebration or to sip on at brunch next to a Strawberry Fruit Salad.
What is the difference between the French 75 and the French 77?
French 75 variations, such as the 76 and 77, all contain bubbly. However, there are always a few key differences between the recipes. A classic French 75 cocktail is made with gin or cognac, lemon juice, champagne, and simple syrup. A 76 is similar but replaces the gin with vodka.
What makes the 77 so unique is the use of elderflower liqueur. The drink gets its sweetness from the floral St. Germain liqueur, meaning there’s no need for simple syrup. This recipe is more floral and smooth than its other varieties.
What goes in a French 77?
Just think of this as the floral version of a French 75 cocktail. The ingredients list is short but guaranteed to stand out among other cocktail recipes:
Elderflower liqueur
St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur is floral, sweet, and just delicious. It adds a nice floral note when added to a glass of champagne or club soda, or can be chilled and enjoyed on its own.
St. Germain is quite common in most liquor stores, but if you can’t find it, look for brands such as St. Elder, Drillaud, or Bertina instead.
A non-alcoholic elderflower cordial is great to keep around the house when you want to emulate the same great taste but leave out the booze.
Pro Tip!
- Elderflower liqueur goes bad about 6 months after opening a bottle and can be pricy!
- If you don't plan to go through an entire bottle within that timeframe, purchase a smaller bottle.
- St. Germain comes in multiple sizes and if you find a 200mL bottle that will give you enough of this delightful liqueur to make this French 77 recipe twice.
Gin
I like to use The Botanist gin, but feel free to use your favorite There is no wrong choice! You could even replace it with vodka if that’s all you have at home.
If you like your cocktails on the dramatic side, I recommend using Empress gin. Its citrus and floral notes will complement the elderflower liqueur, plus its purple color will make your French 77 really stand out!
Sparkling wine
Finish your cocktail with some fizz by either using your favorite sparkling wine, sparkling water, or champagne if you’re feeling fancy.
Prosecco, Champagne, and Cava are all great options for this elderflower Prosecco cocktail. Just make sure what you use isn’t super sweet, otherwise, the drink will be unbalanced.
How to make a French 77 cocktail
Fancier than a mimosa, whip this classic French 75 variation up when you need something quick and sweet to enjoy with brunch. Here’s how you make it:
Step 1: Combine the elderflower liqueur, gin, and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker.
Fill with ice and shake vigorously for 30 seconds.
Step 2: Strain into chilled cocktail glasses.
Step 3: Top each cocktail with sparkling wine.
Step 4: Garnish with a lemon twist and enjoy!
Helpful tips
This French 75 with elderflower is best served chilled and in vintage glassware, just like my Kirsch Rose Cocktail. These tips will help you serve up a beautiful fizzy cocktail every time:
Equipment
You need a cocktail shaker. I like to use a Boston shaker, but any style will work! If you don’t own a shaker, a jar or mug with a lid will do.
You can serve your elderflower gin cocktail in any glassware, but I recommend using a 6-ounce coupe glass, champagne flutes, or a glass with a stem. A stemmed glass ensures your cocktail stays chilled and isn’t warmed up by your hands.
How to serve
Before you serve a French 77, place your serving glassware into the freezer. A frosted cocktail glass will help keep your drink chilled for longer than without chilling the glassware.
Make it ahead of time
It’s quite easy to make a big batch of the elderflower liqueur, gin, and lemon mixture before serving. Place the three in a large glass bottle and chill in the fridge.
When you’re ready to party, shake 2.5 ounces per serving with ice, pour in a coupe glass, and then top with 2 ounces of sparkling wine!
Recipe variations
There are a few ways to make this French 77 recipe your own. Follow the suggestions below to fit your taste buds:
Is it too strong?
This is a strong cocktail in disguise. If it’s too strong for your taste, feel free to leave out the gin or replace the elderflower liqueur with an elderflower cordial.
No need for simple syrup!
Even though the French 75 and 76 recipes have simple syrup added, it isn’t needed in this recipe. The drink gets its sweetness from the elderflower liqueur.
Are fruity and citrus cocktails your thing?
There’s room to add a few more fun additions! Top your French 77 cocktail with a dash or two of orange bitters and garnish with a maraschino cherry. Try not to make this recipe with any added juices (like orange) or else it could turn out overly sweet and off-tasting.
🎉 It's time to cook! 🎉
Alright, friend! It's your turn to make this delish recipe for your next get-together.
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When you do, please leave a comment and star rating below so we can hear what you think!
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Recipe
5 Minute French 77 Cocktail
Equipment
- cocktail shaker
- coupe glass
- cocktail strainer
Ingredients
- 3 ounces elderflower liqueur
- 1 ounce gin
- 1 ounce fresh lemon juice
- 4 ounces sparkling wine
Instructions
- Combine the elderflower liqueur liquor, gin and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker.
- Fill with ice and shake vigorously for 30 seconds.
- Strain into two chilled 6-ounce cocktail glasses.
- Top each glass with 2-ounces sparkling wine, garnish with a lemon twist and enjoy!
Notes
Ingredient Notes
- Use whichever type of sparkling wine you like best. Cava, Champagne or Prosecco are all great options.
Recipe Notes
- To make your cocktail nice and cold, make sure that your sparkling wine is chilled before using it to top off the drink!
- If you have the space, pop your Champagne flutes or coupes into the refrigerator or freezer at least 30 minutes before serving. This will also help keep your drinks nice and cold.
- Learn how to make this cocktail for a crowd in my guide for making big batch cocktails for parties.
Hillie says
How do I make a frozen French 77 ?
I had it before and loved it, am partial to Elderberry liqueur. I like to try and make it at home. are proportions the same and how much ice do I use
Michelle Weiner says
Hi Hillie!
Oooh, a frozen French 77 sounds delish! I've never made one, but I think that this could work:
- Freeze the sparkling wine in ice cube trays, once frozen pop them into the blender with the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.
I would triple the recipe and use two split sized bottles of sparkling wine (the mini/splits are about 12 ounces, so that should work for the recipe)!
Let me know how it goes and if you have any other questions!