No matter the occasion, you want your drink to pack at least a little punch. I’m not saying you want to end a brunch accompanied by Bloody Marys dancing on a table with a lampshade on your head. But you do at least want to know you’re drinking alcohol. Otherwise you’d be casually sipping at your umbrella-ed mocktail, right?

And what better way to indulge your boozy craving for a powerful drink than a cocktail named for a gun? I mean, it’s bound to have a little kick, don’t you think? The French 75, named after the 75-millimeter M1897 artillery piece used by the French during World War I, is a potent tipple composed of champagne, gin, lemon juice, and sugar. It’s tasty, springy, bubbly, and just a little bit glam. What more could you ask for?

Hayley Daen is a sophomore at the University of St Andrews, where she lives in a dinky apartment right across from Tesco, which makes throwing impromptu tea parties a snap.

**Recipe**

French 75
Serves 2

Ingredients
2 ounces gin
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Champagne

Mix together gin, lemon juice, and powdered sugar. Divide between two champagne flutes. Top up with champagne.