Pomegranate French 75

December 30, 2022 by Emily 18 Comments

This Pomegranate French 75 is the perfect celebration cocktail. Make a pomegranate simple syrup, then shake it up with gin and top with champagne!

Two pomegranate French 75s in gilded champagne flutes on a wooden board. One of them is on an antique china plate.

When it comes to fancy-but-simple cocktails, the French 75 is the uncontested king in my book. The classic version is a basic concoction of lemon juice, simple syrup, gin and champagne, usually served out of champagne flutes or coupe glasses with an elegant garnish on top.

Of course, though, I can never leave simple recipes alone, so I like to jazz mine up. And I’ve gotta say, this pomegranate French 75 is even more delicious (and prettier to look at!) than the original. All it takes are a few simple ingredients to create this strong and impressive drink.

And when I say strong, I mean it. It’s got both gin and champagne, after all — it may look pretty, but as they say, this is a drink that’ll put hair on your chest.

Jump to:

Ingredients
Instructions
Substitutions and Variations
Equipment Needed
Make-Ahead Tips
FAQs
Pomegranate French 75

A ruby-red pomegranate, opened to show the juicy seeds inside.

Ingredients

A standard French 75 just calls for a few basic ingredients. We’ll follow that same framework but bring in a few little additions. To make this cocktail, you’ll need…

Gin. There’s some debate about whether French 75s should include gin or cognac, but I’m a gin girlie myself, so that’s what I’m sticking to. Opt for something that’s at least middle shelf, as you will taste the gin in this. Bombay Sapphire is a decent affordable option that’s available at most stores.
Champagne. You can use dry champagne or a sweeter bubbly like Prosecco. Choose your favorite!
Pomegranate juice. We’ll use this to create a sweet and flavorful pomegranate simple syrup.
Sugar. To make our simple syrup! Regular ol’ granulated sugar is perfect.
Lemon juice. As always, fresh is best.
Pomegranate seeds. Optional, but fun and very pretty.
Ice. And plenty of it! Ice is essential not only to chill our cocktail, but also to dilute it properly so it’s balanced and not too strong.

Instructions

This pomegranate French 75 is so easy to make, you’ll feel like a regular bartender. Here’s what you’ll do:

Make the pomegranate simple syrup by combining equal parts pomegranate juice and sugar in a small saucepan. Heat, stirring often, until the sugar is dissolved. That’s how easy it is to make a simple syrup! Make sure it’s completely cooled before assembling your cocktails.
When you’re ready to make your drinks, fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add everything except the champagne and shake for about 30 seconds, or until the cocktail shaker is nice and frosty.
Strain into two champagne flutes, then top each with champagne or Prosecco. Add a few pomegranate seeds for garnish if you want to get extra fancy. Enjoy right away!

Dark, garnet-red pomegranate simple syrup being spooned out of a mason jar.

Substitutions and Variations

With a cocktail this simple, there are infinite possibilities! Try subbing in your favorite juice for both the simple syrup and the cocktail itself. This is also particularly delicious with cranberry juice in place of pomegranate. Feel free to experiment and make it your own!

Equipment Needed

Cocktail shaker
Shot glass or jigger

Make-Ahead Tips

The pomegranate simple syrup keeps well in the fridge for up to two weeks. I like to make it the night before, cool it a bit, then transfer it to a jar and store it in the refrigerator for quick cocktails at a moment’s notice.

This recipe also scales well to serve a crowd, and you can batch it to have it ready to serve when guests arrive. Just combine the simple syrup, gin, pomegranate juice and lemon juice in a large container with a lid, then add lots of ice and shake together. Strain out the ice and store the mixture in an airtight container overnight. When ready to serve, pour about 2 ounces of the mixture into a glass and top with a few ounces of champagne.

Pouring champagne into a pomegranate French 75.

FAQs

I don’t have a cocktail shaker. What else can I use?

No cocktail shaker? No problem! Any container with an airtight lid will work. Mason jars are perfect for this!

Why do I have to shake this cocktail? Can I just stir it?

Shaking this cocktail is essential for a few reasons. It does the best job of combining liquor and fruit juice, and it incorporates more water from the ice into your drink. While that sounds less than ideal, it’s actually a good thing! A bit of dilution is what we’re aiming for to create a balanced flavor. Don’t skip the shake!

More fun and fancy cocktail recipes:
Slow Cooker Mulled Wine
Irish Iced Coffee
Raspberry Bee’s Knees

Did you make this recipe? If you loved it, please leave a ⭐5-star rating⭐ and/or leave a comment below the recipe card! And don’t forget to share a photo and tag me on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok — I love seeing you recreate my recipes.