How to Make a Holiday French 75 Cocktail

The Holiday 75 is a sparkling cocktail made with orange juice, gin, Aperol, lemon juice, simple syrup, and dry sparkling wine. This drink is served in a wine glass filled with ice and is garnished with a slice of fresh orange.

Bartender and cocktail content creator Kaitlyn Stewart was inspired by classic brunch drinks when developing this recipe. In the Holiday 75, Stewart combines the ingredients and flavor profiles of three different drinks: an Aperol Spritz, a Mimosa, and a French 75. The result is a delightfully bright and citrusy drink with a touch of effervescence. 

The Holiday 75 can be partially batched in advance for a crowd. To make 8 servings, combine 1 cup orange juice, 3/4 cups gin, and 1/2 cup each Aperol, lemon juice, and simple syrup in an airtight container. Omitting the sparkling wine when chilling the drink in the fridge will help preserve the wine’s bubbles and keep its flavors and aromas fresh. Add sparkling wine directly to each glass when ready to serve. 

This cocktail just begs to be paired with a fluffy stack of pancakes, crispy bacon, or creamy scrambled eggs for a decadent holiday brunch. 

Why the Holiday 75 works

The Holiday 75 has a bright and fresh flavor profile that is built by combining citrusy, acidic ingredients in balance. Aperol adds bitterness that cuts through sparkling wine and simple syrup; lemon and orange juices bring mouthwatering acidity and an ultra-fresh edge, and a citrusy gin like Tanqueray provides a boozy backbone. 

This drink features all the ingredients of a French 75 — gin, lemon juice, sparkling wine, and a sugar-based sweetener — and is modified with Aperol and fresh orange juice. The result is a drink whose flavor is like an extra-citrusy French 75, but offering a slightly a lower ABV.