Are you looking for a festive and delicious cocktail to serve at your next gathering? Look no further than the Blood Orange French 75 - it's sure to make everyone raise their glasses in delight!
From its virtually pink-hued color, delightful taste, and amazing effervescence, this drink is perfect for any special occasion. And with only four simple ingredients and just five minutes of prep time, it's surprisingly easy to whip up once you have the best blood oranges around.
So grab those blood oranges, pull out your shaker, and get ready – let me show you how I turn them into an unforgettable sip that will be cherished by all!

This Blood Orange French 75 recipe brings a refreshing twist to a beloved classic; a festive, effervescent sip to celebrate the holidays with family and friends! Enter my favorite citrus of the winter season, the blood orange, mixed with gin, simple syrup, and topped with sparkling wine.
I love to ring in the holidays with a sparkly, bubbly sip such as the traditional French 75. I found several juicy blood oranges at the market and replaced the lemon juice in this classic cocktail with fresh blood orange juice. Enter, the Blood Orange French 75!
This Blood Orange French 75 features Empress 1908 Gin which gives it a beautiful soft pink color as well as a wonderful flavor.
If you like a bubbly cocktail, you will love this Meyer Lemon French 75, which this recipe is a variation of. Be sure to try my Plum Ginger Gin Sour, Lavender Elderflower Gin Sour, Strawberry Lemon Gin Granita, or Strawberry Elderflower Gin Fizz.
I can't get enough blood orange recipes this time of year. This Blood Orange French 75 recipe was inspired by my Blood Orange Margarita recipe and pairs well with these Cranberry Cream Cheese Bites. If you have a lot of blood oranges, try this vegan Chocolate Blood Orange Cake!
You can include this cocktail as part of a brunch menu along with this JUST Egg Quiche, Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Egg Cups, and Easy Vegan Banana Oat Pancakes.
Jump to:
What is a French 75?
A French 75 is typically made of sparkling wine, gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup. This version with blood orange has a touch of sweetness and a gorgeous pink hue from the blood orange juice combined with my indigo-hued gin.
The recipe resembles the Tom Collins, swapping out the carbonated water with champagne. If cognac is used instead of gin, you have French 125.
The French 75 originated during World War I, and an early variation of the French 75 was created in 1915 at the New York Bar in Paris by Harry MacElhone. The drink is said to have a kick similar to the powerful French 75mm field gun. The New York Bar in Paris later became Harry's New York Bar.
Ingredients
The final color of this bubbly cocktail depends on the color of your gin, the color of the blood oranges, and the color of your sparkling wine (blush versus regular).
Add more blood orange juice if you want a more pinkish-red tint to your cocktail.
Here's what you'll need to make this Blood Orange French 75 cocktail:
- Your favorite gin - I used Empress 1908 Gin. It has a lovely all-natural indigo hue and an earthy, delicious flavor. It's also gluten-free and vegan-friendly. Be sure to check out Empress 1908 Gin near you!
- Your favorite sparkling wine - this does not need to be a fancy or expensive champagne, which is better enjoyed by itself. Prosecco, Cremant, Espumante, or Cava are great choices. I chose a vegan-friendly and affordable sparkling wine that I enjoy drinking.
- Fresh blood oranges - you will need to strain the juice.
- Simple syrup
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to make simple syrup
I make my own simple syrup by bringing to a gentle boil one part water and one part organic cane sugar (for example, ½ cup of each). Once the sugar has dissolved, I take it off the heat, let it cool, and refrigerate it in a sealed glass container.
How to make a Blood Orange French 75 Cocktail
- Add the gin, strained blood orange juice, simple syrup, and ice to a cocktail shaker.
- Shake and pour into two champagne flutes.
- Top with sparkling wine. Garnish with an orange twist. Enjoy!
Hint: If making orange twists, start making them 30 to 60 minutes ahead. In the meantime, you can chill the champagne flutes if you like.
How to make an orange twist
- Cut into the orange rind with a swivel peeler or vegetable peeler, going around the entire orange.
- Cut a rectangle approximately 5 to 6 inches long and an inch wide. Remove any excess pith.
- Cut a narrow strip, approximately 5 mm wide (less than a quarter-inch). Wind it around something narrow like a cocktail stick and let it rest on a damp towel with something to lightly hold it in place, like a pinch bowl. After 15 minutes or so, your orange twist should be good to go.
Substitutions and Variations
- Blood Orange - instead of blood orange, you can use Cara Cara or Valencia oranges. Strain the juice. Or you can use lemon juice instead and make a French 75, or a Meyer Lemon French 75.
- Gin - if you don't care for gin, or don't have any, leave it out. You can try cognac, vodka, elderflower liqueur, triple sec, or Grand Marnier. I would start with a small amount and adjust to taste.
- Sparkling wine - you can replace it with flavored sparkling water.
Equipment
You'll need a cocktail shaker, and champagne flutes.
Here's a swivel peeler or vegetable peeler for making the garnish.
I love these elegant champagne flutes for the holidays!
Storage
Make ahead: You can store the ingredients separately in the fridge ahead of time for up to 1 to 2 days.
I don't recommend mixing this Blood Orange French 75 ahead of time to maximize the freshness and appearance of the bubbles.
This cocktail is best enjoyed right away! This is a festive alternative to mimosas at brunch!
Expert tips
- Make your citrus twists fifteen to thirty minutes before you make your cocktail. This gives the twists time to set to hold their shape!
- Strain the blood orange juice before adding it to the Blood Orange French 75 cocktail. This gives the cocktail a smooth and elegant appearance.
More Gin Cocktails
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did! If you make this recipe, please take a moment to ★★★★★ star-rate it and leave a comment below. Follow me on Instagram and Facebook, and share your creation with me! Tag me @resplendentkitchen and hashtag #resplendentkitchenrecipes.
Recipe
Blood Orange French 75
Equipment
- Champagne flutes
Ingredients
- 3 oz gin
- ½ oz fresh blood orange juice strained
- 1 oz simple syrup
- Ice
- Sparkling wine
- 2 Blood orange twists for garnish
Instructions
- Add gin, strained blood orange juice, simple syrup, and ice to a cocktail shaker.
- Shake and pour into two champagne flutes.
- Top with sparkling wine. Garnish with a blood orange twist. Enjoy!
Notes
- I make vegan simple syrup by bringing to a gentle boil in a small saucepan, one part water, and one part organic cane sugar (for example, ½ cup of each). Once the sugar has dissolved, I take it off the heat, let it cool, and refrigerate it in a sealed glass container for up to 1 month.
- Make the citrus twists 15 - 30 minutes before you make the cocktail so they have time to set.
Nutrition
Resplendent Kitchen offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site as a courtesy. Although resplendentkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information from online calculators, these figures are estimates.
Jamie
The blood orange juice gives this such a beautiful color! It's perfect for brunch with my friends!
Emily
Thank you so much, Jamie, for taking the time to leave a review!
Colleen
Ooh, this drink sounds delicious and it's so pretty. These are on my Christmas brunch menu! Thanks for sharing!
Emily
Thanks so much, Colleen! I hope you enjoy!
Tara
Such a fantastic drink for the holidays! I love the flavor from the blood orange and that color. Yum!
Emily
Thank you so much for your review, Tara! I'm glad to hear that you enjoy it!
Adrianne
Anything with gin and I am in!! This cocktail looks positively slurp worthy. The presentation is super pretty also! I can't wait to try this.
Emily
Adrianne, thank you so much for taking the time to review this recipe! I love gin and I'm happy to see that this cocktail sounds like a winner for you too!
Jacqueline
I was wondering what to make for Christmas day. I think this is it!
Emily
Jacqueline, thank you for visiting my blog! I'm so excited to hear that I may have helped you find the perfect cocktail recipe for Christmas day!
Jacqui
I love gin and am always looking for drink recipes with it. This one is absolutely fantastic!!
Emily
Jacqui, thank you for your review. I'm so glad that the recipe was a hit and it sounds like you're a gin lover too!
Nancy
Such a classy cocktail!
Emily
Thanks for the review, Nancy!
Marinela
This bubbly blood orange french 75 cocktail is brilliant! Super flavorful and so refreshing. Thank you for this simple recipe.
Emily
Thanks for your review, Marinela, I'm so glad you enjoyed this cocktail!
Kayla
Yum! This was so festive and delicious! The perfect date night drink!
Emily
Thank you for your review Kayla! I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed the recipe.
Shilpa
This sounds perfect for the holidays. And that colour!! So so pretty!
Emily
Thanks for your feedback, Shilpa, I'm glad you like the recipe!
Sam
This is so delicious!! Love the orange!
Emily
Hi Sam, thanks for the review. I'm glad you liked this recipe!
Michelle
Such a simple drink recipe to enjoy with friends! It was a perfect combination and such a gorgeous color. Definitely going to make this more often!
Emily
Michelle, thank you for taking the time to review this recipe. I am so glad this was easy and fun to make!
Nancy
Back here to let you know that all the guests loved this cocktail!
Emily
Thank you Nancy! I'm so glad to hear that everyone enjoyed this cocktail!
Emily
Hi Lauren, thank you for your question. You will find alternatives for gin under "Substitutions" in my post. You can use whatever you like instead of gin - I suggested vodka, cognac, or elderflower liquer. You can try triple sec or Grand Marnier also.
Ardella
Exceptional recipe!
Emily
Thank you, Ardella!