Normande 75

The French 75 is traditionally made with Cognac or gin, lemon, sugar, and Champagne. I favor the Cognac version–which lives on as a New Orleans classic. I thought it would be fun to make a version inspired by Normandy, using Calvados in place of Cognac and, mirroring the grapes-on-grapes dynamic of the original, to pair the French apple brandy with dry cider in place of Champagne.

INGREDIENTS

1½ oz. Calvados
¾ oz. lemon juice
¾ oz. rich honey syrup
4 drops saline
3 oz. dry cider, to top

Garnish: lemon twist

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ABV LEVEL

Combine Calvados, lemon, and honey syrup in a cocktail shaker. Fill two-thirds with ice, seal, and shake vigorously for 15 seconds. Strain into a wine glass and add a few cracked ice cubes. Top with 3 oz. dry cider. Express a lemon twist and garnish the drink with it.

To make a honey-tinged version of a classic French 75, use Cognac or London dry gin in place of Calvados and top with Champagne instead of cider.