French 75s
IDK about y’all but I’m ready for a fucking drink.
It’s NYE bay-beeee!
I was actually starting to look forward to 2022 until approximately December 18 when I started seeing : “Omicron This” & “Omicron That” EVERYWHERE. I’m vaxxed & I’m boosted – but I’m sure as hell not perfect. However, I do try my very best to be careful & conscious of others…..but fuuuuuuck, I’m so over COVID-19.
I know, I know we all are. Trust. I’m sorry if you came here like, “umm, shit, girl I just wanted to learn how to make a new drink” – well you came to the right place, I promise. But please just wash your hands, mind your business, & give some sort of shit about other people :) I’m not here to preach about getting vaxxed or any of the sort – just try to be a clean, decent, aware human.
ANYWAY.
Onto the drank that will change your life & rock your world! WHEEEE!
la-la-la-lavender
simple syrup
Don’t you dare tell me you don’t know what simple syrup is. Please. The world is too small & too many alcoholic beverages require it for you to not know what it is.
SUGA & WATA – that’s it. Well, EQUAL PARTS of sugar & water.
OR until you grow organic lavender & then that changes the whole game – eeeeowwww!
In the height of Quarantine, like June 2020 (ahhh remember that time? Everyone was baking bread, doing conference calls in their underpants & becoming alcoholics?....no? shit, OKAY) I was obviously *bored as hell* and wanted to come up with something ELSE to do – instead of trying to find something on Pinterest for the umpteenth time or subscribing to @NYTimesCooking….I decided I would try to steep my own homegrown lavender to make a simple syrup.
And I tell you what, girl, I did it.
Ingredients
· 1 Cup White Sugar
· 1 Cup Filtered Water
· 7-10 dried Lavender Sprigs, thoroughly cleaned & blotted dry
Instructions
· In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, slowly stir and combine your sugar & water together. When the combo becomes thinner & less grainy, add in your sprigs of lavender.
· Stir gently as to not break the lavender buds. Once your mixture has become completely clear and the sugar has dissolved – turn off your heat and allow the lavender to steep for another 10-15 minutes.
· Have a mason jar ready (big enough for 2 cups of liquid) and a small hand-held strainer. Remove your lavender sprigs & discard.
· Empty your potion into the mason jar thru the strainer & allow to cool completely before storing in the fridge. Good for 6 months!
My favorite use of lavender simple syrup is in a French 75 – duh, its included below. I wouldn’t leave you hangin’ like that. What good is simple syrup if I don’t give you a cocktail recipe to put it in?!
HOWEVER — the classic French 75 uses plain simple syrup….so if you’ve paid attention a lick, you’ll realize that the plain simple syrup recipe is the same, just WITHOUT lavender sprigs…..carry on.
Classic French 75
This flirty little drink came to first be known in 1927 – at the height of prohibition! A French 75 tastes sexy & looks classy -- a floral punch of Gin, the tickle of Brut Prosecco, the zing of fresh lemon juice & your show-off addition of lavender simple syrup (the star of this damn show) make this drink one to be beat! & just to toot your own horn, tell everyone you make this drink for, that it was Al Capone’s cocktail of choice! ;)
((if you REALLY want to kick it up a lavender-y notch, use Empress 1908, a butterfly pea blossom addition to this superb gin, that has a lovely purple color!))
INGREDIENTS / UTENSILS – this recipe makes 2 cocktails
· Cocktail shaker filled ½ with ice
· peeler
· 2 Champagne flutes
· Juice of 1 lemon, 2 ribbon peels of rind, curled
· 3 oz Gin (of your choice, plain, lavender or otherwise)
· 3-6 ounces prosecco or champagne (or to the brim of your flute)
· 1 oz simple syrup (plain, lavender or otherwise)
INSTRUCTIONS
· In your cocktail shaker : add gin, lemon juice & simple syrup.
· *SHAKE YA ASS* (but watch yaself) – shake that cocktail shaker for a count of 15
· Gently pour your liquid into your champagne flutes
· Take your ribboned rinds of lemon, circle around the rim, drop ‘em in
· Slowly fill your flute to the top with bubbles of your choice
Cheers to 2022 —
Letssss be honest : y’all probably know by now that I was chicken-shit & *thought* about writing a blog for almost 2 years….I wrote this blog entry back in September of 2020 & I knew I had to save it for something special. I’m determined that thru all the shit that’s been going on, 2022 can still be special. Champagne / Prosecco are my true alcohols of choice. I just always feel so damn h a p p y whenever I drink it. I mean seriously, you can’t be sad when you’re drinking bubbles.
I now realize we are now looking down the barrel of yet another variant & life looks like it might suck for just a bit longer – I am genuinely sad & sorry for everyone who has struggled & might still be struggling. I’m here for you. I’m not pushing alcohol onto anyone, but this fizzy little number might just bring a small smile to your face. Hang in there, friends. Cheers to 2022 – may we have the slightest bit of optimism, no matter what form it is, and hold onto that feeling in your heart.
I sincerely hope this drink gives you a buzz & changes your life – if it didn’t, then make another one & reevaluate. If you loved this, let me know! If you didn’t, then same.
Thanks for stopping by!
I appreciate you stopping by! If you loved it, I’d love to hear from you.
If you hated it, then same.
Have a great day & look for my next entry!
© 2021 Cookin’ & Cussin’
