French 125 (French '75' with cognac)

Chill a Champagne flute in advance to ensure your cocktail stays refreshingly cold.

Prepare a lemon zest twist for garnish, setting it aside for later.

In a shaker, stir the powdered sugar with freshly squeezed lemon juice until the sugar fully dissolves.

Add the cognac to the shaker and shake vigorously with ice to achieve a well-blended mixture.

Fine strain the mixture into the pre-chilled Champagne flute to remove any ice shards or undissolved sugar.

Top the cocktail with brut champagne or sparkling wine, pouring gently to preserve the effervescence. You may pour half the sparkling wine first to minimize foaming, then add the remainder without stirring.

Express the lemon zest twist over the cocktail to release its aromatic oils, and place it as a garnish.