Winter time means it’s the season for blood oranges, and this blood orange French 75 is a great cocktail recipe for showcasing their sweet flavor and vibrant color. Fresh orange juice is combined with gin and champagne for a drink that’s perfect for winter and Valentine’s Day!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This blood orange French 75 cocktail recipe is fizzy, refreshing, and the perfect balance of tart and sweet. It’s a variation on the classic drink recipe consisting of gin, champagne, lemon juice, and sugar, but here I’m adding blood orange juice for a vibrant twist.
Blood orange season is usually the winter months, so you can enjoy this cocktail as a pick me up during those cold, bleak days.
Since it’s a champagne based cocktail, it’s also great for New Years and sure to impress your guests, but the vibrant pinkish red color makes it a perfect drink for Valentine’s Day as well!
Plus, like most drink recipes, there are a number of ways you can tweak and tailor this drink to your personal tastes or for any occasion.
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Ingredients List
- 1 ounce gin
- 1 ounce fresh blood orange juice
- ½ ounce lemon juice
- ½ ounce simple syrup (optional)
- 3 ounces chilled champagne (or prosecco)
Ingredient Tips and Substitutions
- Any type of gin is fine (choose your favorite). For extra flavor, use an orange-flavored gin such as Beefeater blood orange gin. You can use up to 2 ounces to adjust the strength of your drink. If you dislike gin, substitute vodka instead!
- If you cannot find blood oranges, you can use a blood orange syrup like Torani (omit the simple syrup though). You can also use regular oranges, but the color and taste will be different as a result
- Adjust the sweetness to your liking by adding more or less lemon juice and simple syrup (more lemon and less sugar for tart, less lemon and more syrup for sweeter)!
- Blood oranges will vary in natural sweetness (as well as your preference), which is why the use of sweeter is optional. I use a prepared simple syrup, but you can also make your own simple syrup by heating equal parts water and sugar in a small saucepan until dissolved, then cool and use. Feel free to substitute honey or agave as well if preferred!
- I use prosecco since it’s slightly sweeter, but champagne is classic for this recipe
- Garnishes are optional, but you can use a slice of blood orange, a twist of orange or lemon peel, or a sprig of fresh herbs, like mint, sage, or rosemary
Step By Step Instructions
- Combine gin, blood orange juice, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a champagne flute, and stir to mix
- Top with chilled champagne (pour slowly so as to over overflow the glass)
- Garnish with a wedge of blood orange if desired, and enjoy!
Pairing Suggestions
Appetizers
- Smoked salmon canapés
- Bruschetta with fresh tomato and basil
- Crab cakes
- Oysters on the half shell
- Goat cheese and fig crostini
Try my Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Dates with goat cheese, or some Phillips Frozen Crab Cakes in the Air Fryer for the perfect apps!
Main Course
- Grilled shrimp skewers
- Lemon garlic roasted chicken
- Seared scallops with citrus glaze
- Roast pork tenderloin with a fruit-based sauce
- Grilled salmon with a tangy sauce
Air Fryer Shrimp Scampi, Air Fryer Lemon Chicken Breasts, or Air Fryer Frozen Scallops in a garlic butter sauce are some great choices!
Cheese
- Brie or Camembert with fruit preserves
- Aged cheddar or Gouda
- Goat cheese salad with citrus vinaigrette
- Blue cheese with honey or nuts
My crispy Air Fryer Goat Cheese Balls or Air Fryer Camembert make for perfect pairings (especially with an orange marmalade accompaniment)!
Desserts
- Lemon tart
- Fruit sorbet
- Vanilla or citrus-flavored cakes
- Dark chocolate mousse
- Key lime pie
Try my quick Microwave Lemon Mug Cake or Air Fryer Vanilla Cake for a sweet finish!
Recipe FAQs
Can I Make a Mocktail Version?
Yes, you can make a mocktail version by substituting gin and champagne with non-alcoholic versions.
Sparkling apple juice, blood orange sparkling water, and blood orange ginger beer are all good options to swap in to preserve fizziness and amplify flavor.
How Strong is a Blood Orange French 75?
Like most cocktails, the strength depends on the amount of alcohol used.
Typically, this cocktail has a moderate alcohol content due to the presence of both gin and champagne.
What’s the History Behind the Blood Orange French 75 Cocktail?
The French 75 cocktail originated during World War I. The addition of blood orange juice is a modern twist on the classic recipe.
It adds depth and a citrusy note to the drink. However, there are many other variations as well if oranges are not your preference.
Tips For the Best Blood Orange French 75
- Glassware. This recipe assumes the use of a 6-8 ounce champagne flute. For larger (10 ounce) flutes, use 1.5-2x the ingredients (other than champagne) to keep proportions correct. If you don’t have champagne flutes, a champagne coupe, Collins glass, or white wine glass are other good options
- Blood oranges naturally vary in color as you can see from my photos. If your drink isn’t the color you want, add more juice before adding the champagne to adjust the hue (remember it will lighten when the champagne is added as well)
- For a more chilled beverage, you can shake the ingredients excluding the champagne in a shaker with ice. However, I realize not everyone owns a shaker so I try to keep things simple whenever possible!
Storage and Serving
- This recipe scales well for a party or brunch! Combine everything except the champagne in a pitcher and store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours
- To serve, fill a champagne flute about ½ full of the blood orange mixture, then top with chilled champagne
- Leftovers may be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container, but note that the champagne continually loses fizziness, so enjoy fresh for the best flavor and fizz!
- Pomegranate French 75
- Strawberry French 75
- Raspberry French 75
Final Thoughts
This blood orange French 75 is a simple yet delicious twist on a classic cocktail. It’s fizzy, fresh, and features the sweet and tart notes of beautiful blood oranges.
Since these particular oranges are only available in the winter, it’s a great cocktail for the snowy season. With the champagne in this drink, though, it’s also great for New Year’s, while the color makes it perfect for Valentine’s Day as well.
Whichever occasion you choose to enjoy this festive drink is up to you, but it’s going to be delicious for sure! Make sure to check out all of my Blood Orange Cocktails for more delicious options for your winter citrus.
Blood Orange French 75 Recipe
Equipment
- Champagne flute (or similar)
Ingredients
- 1 ounce gin
- 1 ounce fresh blood orange juice
- ½ ounce lemon juice (fresh is best)
- ½ ounce simple syrup
- 3 ounces chilled champagne (or prosecco)
Instructions
- Combine gin, blood orange juice, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a champagne flute, and stir to mix1 ounce gin, 1 ounce fresh blood orange juice, ½ ounce lemon juice, ½ ounce simple syrup
- Top with chilled champagne (pour slowly so as to over overflow the glass)3 ounces chilled champagne
- Garnish with a wedge of blood orange if desired, and enjoy!
Notes
- Any type of gin is fine (choose your favorite). For extra flavor, use an orange-flavored gin such as Beefeater blood orange gin. You can use up to 2 ounces to adjust the strength of your drink. If you dislike gin, substitute vodka instead!
- If you cannot find blood oranges, you can use bottled juice, or a blood orange syrup like Torani (omit the simple syrup in this case). You can also use regular oranges, but the color will be completely different
- I use prosecco since it’s slightly sweeter, but champagne is classic for this recipe
- This recipe assumes the use of a 6-8 ounce champagne flute. For larger (10 ounce) flutes, use 1.5-2x the base ingredients (other than champagne) to keep proportions correct
- Blood oranges naturally vary in color. If your drink isn’t the color desired, add more juice before adding the champagne to adjust the hue (note it will lighten when the champagne is added as well)
- Exact nutritional values will vary based on brand and flavor of ingredients, any swaps, additions, or garnishes added, and size of glasses, so please consider this a guideline only
Nutrition
