Friday Happy Hour

You never knew that Champagne could kick your rear, did you?

Here's what gave this Champagne Cocktail it's name:

The French 75mm artillery gun is widely thought of as the first modern artillery. It was the first to include a hydro-pneumatic recoil mechanism, which kept the gun's trail and wheels perfectly still during the firing sequence. (It didn't roll backwards) Since it did not need to be re-aimed after each shot, the French 75 could deliver fifteen rounds per minute on its target, either shrapnel or high-explosive, up to about 5 miles (8,500 meters) away. Its firing rate could reach 30 rounds per minute only for a short period of time and with a highly experienced crew. These were rates that rifles of the time could not match.

If you didn't follow all that - trust me, it was a pretty awesome weapon to behold in WWI. On to the drink, which received its name from this field artillery:

Just beware that the particular kind of intoxication that comes from the mystical dovetailing of gin and champagne is not for rookies.

The "French 75"
Instructions:
2 oz gin (Preferably Bombay Sapphire)
1 tsp sugar (powdered if possible)
1/2 oz lemon juice
5 oz Brut champagne

In a cocktail shaker, combine the gin, sugar and lemon juice and shake well with cracked ice. Fill a glass halfway with ice and strain the gin mixture into it. Top off with champagne. Try not to become a casualty of war.