Last year my husband gifted me two Meyer lemon trees for my 60th birthday. I immediately started singing the Peter, Paul & Mary song Lemon Tree, but Steve had never heard it. He thought I was so creative in making up such great lyrics. LOL. “Lemon tree, very pretty, and the lemon flower is sweet, but the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat.”

Finally, one year and four months later, we have 9 lemons, one of which was ripe. So what to do when life gives you one Meyer lemon? Make a cocktail of course! Since Meyer lemons are sweeter than the grocery store variety, I knew it would make an exceptional cocktail. I love a good French 75 (with gin) or a French 76 (with vodka) and have experimented with several recipes. Here is my favorite.

French 75/76

1 ½ ounces gin (French 75) or vodka (French 76)
¾ ounce simple syrup
¾ ounce lemon juice
1 to 2 ounces champagne
1 lemon twist

Combine gin or vodka, simple syrup and lemon juice in a shaker over ice. Shake, then strain into a champagne flute or martini glass. Top with champagne. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Thank you to my friend Lori Nolen for the super cute Lemon Napkins!

Of course, this would be the perfect cocktail for any book you read about France. Looking for inspiration? Check out my review of All The Flowers In Paris or pull out your old copy of The Hunchback of Notre Dame or sip on while watching a favorite movie like Chocolat!

Cheers Y’all!