Tale of a Cocktail

The French 75 cocktail has become a staple at swanky bars over the past few decades. Some menus proclaim its components to be 1 ounce of gin, 1/2 ounce simple syrup, 1/2 ounce of lemon juice, 2 ounces of Champagne, and a twist of lemon. Other bars eschew gin and use cognac or calvados, a French apple brandy, as the base spirit. And this is to say nothing of the mixologists who are tossing crème de pêche or elderflower liqueur into the mix.