Salzburg 75 (Grapefruit Radler French 75 Variation) Recipe

This riff on the French 75 expertly balances tart and sweet, with a pleasantly bitter grapefruit edge.

By
Maggie Hoffman
Maggie Hoffman is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Maggie Hoffman
Maggie Hoffman is a longtime food and drink expert whose recipes and cocktail-making tips can be found on her newsletters What to Drink and The Dinner Plan. She is the author of  The One-Bottle Cocktail and Batch Cocktails, both published by Ten Speed Press.
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Updated May 09, 2025

Why It Works

  • A grapefruit radler replaces the sparkling wine for a refreshing take.
  • Gin, simple syrup, and lemon juice make the drink bracing and balanced.

A spritzy French 75 is a festive classic. Here’s a twist that's a new favorite of mine. Bartender Jeffrey Knott, at Seville Quarter in Pensacola, Florida, dreamed up this perfectly tart and grapefruit-pithy variation while out at brunch in New Orleans.

Two Salzburg 75 cocktails in Champagne flutes. A halved grapefruit lies nearby.

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

There's no sparkling wine here, though; instead, the drink is topped with Stiegl-Radler Grapefruit, an Austrian-made beer-and-grapefruit-soda combination sold in a tall can. While the radler (the German term for a shandy) is eminently refreshing on its own, it's even better when punched up with freshly squeezed lemon and a little gin. This is an ideal drink at any cocktail party where guests might be looking for something light, bright, and fizzy.

Looking for more festive, French 75-adjacent cocktails? Try this blushing pink cranberry-Cava number, a tropical riff fortified with rum and curaçao, or this deep red version that is balanced with fruit and bittersweet notes. 

December 2016

Recipe Details

Salzburg 75 (Grapefruit Radler French 75 Variation) Recipe

Prep 5 mins
Active 2 mins
Total 5 mins
Serves 2 servings
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Ingredients

  • 1 ounce (30 ml) fresh juice from 1 whole lemon

  • 1/2 ounce (15 ml) simple syrup (see note)

  • 3 ounces (90 ml) gin

  • 6 ounces (180 ml) Stiegl-Radler Grapefruit (see note)

Directions

  1. Add lemon, simple syrup, and gin to a cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Shake until well chilled, about 12 seconds. Divide between two Champagne flutes (you'll have about 3 ounces or 90ml per glass).

  2. Top each glass with 3 ounces (90ml) Stiegl-Radler Grapefruit and serve immediately.

Special Equipment

Cocktail shaker and strainer

Notes

To make simple syrup, combine 1 cup water with 1 cup sugar in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Cool before using. Simple syrup will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Stiegl-Radler Grapefruit is a mix of beer and grapefruit soda that's sold in tall cans.

Read More

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
235 Calories
0g Fat
32g Carbs
1g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 235
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 10mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 32g 12%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Total Sugars 23g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 37mg 187%
Calcium 29mg 2%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 182mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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