The third installment of The Southern Fork Holiday Bites is about getting fancy with a cocktail that will take you through the remainder of the holiday season. It’s the French 75, so for all things French 75, we turn to Chris Hannah, barman extraordinaire of Arnaud’s French 75 Bar in New Orleans, LA. I recorded this chat way back in the summer at BevCon but kept as the perfect sip for Christmas or New Year’s since Chris talks tuxedos, Paris, and cognac, and gives us a deep dive into the origins of this cocktail.

Are you ready to make a French 75? Well, here’s the recipe for one cocktail:

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, then add 1 ½ ounces cognac, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, ¼ tsp. Simple syrup and shake until just chilled. Strain that into a champagne flute, top with a little less than 3 oz. of champagne and garnish with a lemon twist. Cheers!