Drinks named after weapons seem to be a mixed bag. There are worthy classics like the Depth Charge, and respectable newcomers like the Tommy Gun, right alongside a ghastly zoo of multi-colored shooters like the B-52. However, the French 75 is surely the most distinguished of the classics. It is named after France's 75mm field gun, a compact and rapid-firing piece of artillery which was just demonstrating its potency when the drink was invented in 1915.

In Harry Craddock's Savoy Cocktail Book, where most of the recipes are presented without description or elaboration, the French 75 does get one brief note: “Hits with remarkable precision.”