Vintage glassware and French 75's

My mother started collecting things for her "hope chest" before she was even a teenager. For those of you who don't know what a hope chest it's a chest that girls would put household items in for the time when hopefully they get married and need to run their own home. This practice might be a bit dated but I think it's cute. Now we generally go to college or live on our own before we get married so we end up with those items one way or another. Back when this practice was common people went from living at mom and dad's straight to being married with a place of their own. My mom started a collection of red "Moon and Star" pattern glassware as part of her hope chest and since it wasn't easy to find the collection grew slowly. This past weekend I made champagne cocktails for some of my favorite girls and I wanted something a little more special than my daily glassware to serve them. My mom said she had just the thing and she let me borrow these gorgeous glasses. I love the story behind them and the red glass makes everything seem so special and vintage. I think I might slowly have to start pilfering the rest of my mom's collection but I think she's ok with it.



 I wanted to make a cocktail with a vintage feel and when I came across this French 75 recipe I thought it was perfect. The French 75 was born in 1915 at Harry's New York bar in Paris. It is said that the drink has such a kick it feels like you are being shelled with a French artillery piece, the 75mm howitzer. Seriously, it is as powerful as it is delicious and much like your slutty friend they go down entirely too easy. The lemon juice cuts all the bite out of the gin and you are left with a seriously drinkable and highly alcoholic cocktail.

The recipe:

2 ounces dry Gin

1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon sugar (powered preferably)

5 ounces champagne

Shake the gin, lemon juice and sugar and then top it with the champagne once in the glass. Make sure to call a cab ahead of time and enjoy.