The Perfect Cocktail Pairing For Lemon Desserts Is A Bubbly Classic

We don't believe in restraint when it comes to indulging in dessert. In fact, we believe you should go all out and pair your sweets with delicious cocktails. Margaritas are a perfect partner to coconut cream pies. Flourless chocolate cakes scream for the minty kick of a grasshopper. And there are few combinations as delightful as a peach cobbler with a whiskey sour. We wanted to know what to sip on when eating a sweet, tart lemony dessert so we turned to Lynette Marrero, a mixologist who was recently honored at New York Bartender Week.

"I love to pair desserts like these with a French 75," she says. "The bright citrus notes of the French 75 mirror the tanginess of lemon desserts, while the effervescence of the champagne cuts through the sweetness and buttery crust, providing balance." For those unfamiliar, the French 75 is a bubbly, citrusy, gin-infused cocktail that's easy to make and even easier to put back, especially when enjoying the drink with a light and tart dessert.

When we think of lemon desserts, the first thing that comes to mind is our favorite lemon bar recipe. Lemon bars are such a stellar party dish to have up your sleeve because they are good for sharing, easy to transport, and incredibly delicious. The recipe we linked calls for dried or dehydrated lemon slices, which are a "nice-to-have," but make all the difference for presentation. If you are going through the trouble of adding dried lemon slices, you can also squeeze out more efficiency by using them as a unique garnish for your French 75s.

Another simple, lemony crowd-pleaser is our three-ingredient lemon cake. The beautiful thing about this recipe is it only takes about 30 minutes to make which means you can whip up last-minute for any surprise guests. Combined with a French 75, you'll level up this boxed dessert into a sublime delight. Or, if you want to make a dessert ahead of time, we recommend these lemon-gooey butter cookies. They're not likely to split like the lemon bars or dry out like the cake, but we're certain that once you put them out, these lemon-gooey butter cookies won't last long.