New annual celebration marks the centennial year of the French 75 recipe published in Here’s How in 1927
September 8, 2026 (Seattle, WA) — International French 75 Day™ will make its debut on May 29, 2027, beginning a new annual celebration dedicated to the history, evolution, people and places connected to one of the world’s most recognizable classic cocktails.
The inaugural celebration comes during the centennial year of the French 75 recipe published in Here’s How, a 1927 cocktail book by Judge Jr. Made with gin, lemon juice, sugar and Champagne, the recipe represents an important point in the evolution of the drink and closely resembles the French 75 recognized today.
International French 75 Day was created by award-winning travel writer, photographer and wine expert Elaine Luxton, founder of Drink In Life, as a way to bring together the many stories that have become part of the French 75 over the past century.
“The more I researched the French 75, the more I realized its story was much larger than a single cocktail,” Luxton said. “There is the history, of course, but there are also the places, people and ingredients that helped shape it. International French 75 Day gives us an opportunity to celebrate those connections while continuing to explore how the drink has evolved.”
The history of the French 75 reaches back beyond the recipe published in 1927. Earlier drinks bearing the name “75” appeared during and after World War I and differed considerably from the combination familiar today. Over time, the recipe evolved, eventually bringing together gin, citrus, sugar and sparkling wine.
That evolution will be an important part of International French 75 Day. While Champagne has a significant place in the cocktail’s history, the celebration will also explore the broader world of sparkling wine and the many ways bartenders, producers and cocktail enthusiasts interpret the French 75 today.
Leading up to May 29, Drink In Life will feature a growing collection of International French 75 Day stories about the cocktail’s history, classic and contemporary recipes, gin and sparkling wine producers, historic bars and hotels, destinations connected to the drink, food pairings, interviews and ideas for celebrating at home and around the world.
The inaugural International French 75 Day is also intended to encourage participation from across the wine, spirits, hospitality and travel industries. Wineries and sparkling wine producers, gin distilleries, bars, restaurants, hotels, tourism organizations and other interested partners will have opportunities to take part as plans continue to develop for 2027.
“Part of what makes the French 75 so interesting is that its story doesn’t belong to just one place,” Luxton said. “It has connections to France, England and the United States, to Champagne and gin, to historic cocktail books and legendary bars, and now to the bartenders and producers who continue to reinterpret it. I want International French 75 Day to leave room for all of those stories.”
International French 75 Day™ is an annual celebration of the history, evolution, ingredients, people and places connected to the French 75 cocktail. Founded by award-winning travel writer, photographer and wine expert Elaine Luxton, the celebration will debut May 29, 2027, during the centennial year of the French 75 recipe published in Here’s How in 1927.
Elaine Luxton is an international award-winning travel writer, photographer and WSET Level 3 wine expert. She is the founder of Drink In Life, where she writes about travel, food, wine and drinks, with a focus on storytelling that brings the people, places and experiences behind them to life. In 2026, Luxton received the Premio Giornalistico del Roero for her coverage of Italy’s Roero wine region.
