Flying French 75

There’s something undeniably charming about sipping a cocktail mid-flight — a little luxury in a pressurized tin can. On a recent trip, I decided to put my mixology skills to the test and craft the best French 75 I could using only airplane ingredients.

Here’s what I had to work with:

• 1 mini bottle of gin

• A glass of ice

• An empty glass

• Sparkling wine (prosecco or champagne — whatever the flight attendant could spare)

• A splash of Sprite

• A lemon wedge

I started by stirring the gin with ice to chill it — no shaker needed. Then I topped the gin with sparkling wine, giving it that signature French 75 sparkle. Since a proper French 75 calls for simple syrup and lemon juice — and I wasn’t about to ask the flight crew for a bar cart — I improvised with a splash of Sprite. It added just enough sweetness and citrusy fizz to balance the drink. Finally, I squeezed in a lemon wedge to brighten everything up.

Was it traditional? Not exactly. Was it delicious? Absolutely!

The result was light, zesty, and refreshingly close to the real thing — proof that with a little creativity, good cocktails can happen anywhere, even 30,000 feet in the air.