Ravenous Fig

Meyer lemons have been popping up at the store with some frequency lately, and I’ve become powerless to stop myself from buying one or two each time I see them. I usually have a sliver of self-control about these things, but Meyer lemons are just too good to pass up. They are these beautiful jewels, something like a cross between a lemon and an orange, and they can be hard to find.

One of my favorite ways to use a Meyer lemon is in cocktails, particularly in a French 75. I made about two dozen of these at a friend’s dinner party the other night, and by the end of the evening had taught a few lessons in how to reproduce it at home. Since the cocktail itself isn’t conducive to memorization, I decided to record it here for anyone who might have “forgotten” it!

It starts with a few basic ingredients: simple syrup, meyer lemon, gin, and champagne.

Plop a few ice cubes into a cocktail shaker and pour over 3/4 ounce simple syrup, 1 ounce lemon juice (if I’m only making one, I use the juice of the whole lemon), and 1 1/4 ounces gin (I use Beefeaters gin, but you can use your favorite gin here). Shake.

Pour the mixture into a champagne glass (I’ve also done this in a martini glass). Top off with champagne or Prosecco and a twist of lemon (this is the best tool for that job) and enjoy responsibly.