We've compiled a collection of cocktail recipes from some of Paris' top mixologists and establishments: Matthias Giroud, Nicholas Usselmann, and The Bar at the InterContinental Hotel Le Grand.
If you're looking for more inspiration from overseas, be sure to check out my article on how Paris establishments are adapting to industry challenges to continue to serve up quality food & beverage and guest experience.
Recipes from Matthias Giroud, L’Alchimiste, Paris, France
Soft Tonic
Ingredients:
1 ¾ oz Seedlip Groove 42 (a non-alcoholic gin-style beverage)
2 teaspoons lemon juice infused with homemade juniper berries
2 teaspoons timur berry cordial (from the Monin-Paragon brand)
3 oz tonic
4 to 6 large ice cubes
Directions:
Fill the glass with ice cubes. Pour the lemon juice with juniper berries. Add the timur berry cordial and tonic. Mix, garnish, and serve.
Strawberry Experience
Matthias Giroud/L’Alchimiste for client Andros Chef
Ingredients:
1/3 oz Strawberry syrup
5 ml Yuzu puree
1 oz Premium vodka of choice
2 oz Champagne
Directions:
Combine strawberry syrup, yuzu puree, and vodka. Shake in a Boston shaker with ice. Pour mixture into a coupe glass. Top off with champagne. Optional: Finish the cocktail with strawberry-infused whipped cream and garnish with a couple of slices of fresh strawberry.
A Walk in the Palmère
(mocktail)
Ingredients:
5 oz fresh squeezed orange juice
1/3 oz peppermint hydrosol
3 large ice cubes
5 oz pomegranate kombucha
Directions:
Pour the orange juice and the peppermint hydrosol into the glass. Fill the glass with ice cubes and add the kombucha. Finish with your favorite garnish of choice. Bartender tip: This is an excellent pairing with breakfast.
Ceres Brothers
(mocktail)
Ingredients:
½ oz homemade mastiha syrup (see below)
2 oz Greek mountain tea infusion (from Kalios)
3 oz grapefruit juice
1/3 oz lemon juice
5 large ice cubes
Mastiha syrup:
100 ml mineral water
100 g powdered white sugar
5 g mastiha powder
Directions:
For the mastiha syrup, bring the water to a boil in a saucepan and add the sugar. Let it boil until you get a syrup. Remove the pan from the heat and add the mastiha powder. Mix with a whisk to homogenize well and let cool. Store at room temperature for up to two weeks. For the cocktail, pour all the ingredients into a tall glass. Stir. Finish with the decoration.
Travel Break
(mocktail)
Ingredients:
6 to 8 large ice cubes
1¾ oz apricot nectar
½ oz homemade rooibos-vanilla syrup
1 tbsp. teaspoon orange blossom hydrosol
3 oz ginger kombucha
Rooibos-vanilla syrup:
100 g powdered white sugar
100 ml mineral water
3 g rooibos tea
Directions:
For the rooibos-vanilla syrup, mix the sugar with the water in a saucepan and bring to the boil until you obtain a syrup. Remove the pan from the heat and add the rooibos. Cover and let infuse for 2 hours at room temperature. Filter before use. Store at room temperature for approximately two weeks. For the cocktail, place a few ice cubes in the glass and add all the ingredients except the kombucha, then stir. Stir in the kombucha and add the rest of the ice cubes. Finish with a garnish of choice.
Apertivo des Îles
Ingredients:
2¾ oz prosecco
2 oz homemade passion fruit soda
1¾ oz homemade dried mango infused Aperol
1 slice of grapefruit
4 to 6 large ice cubes
Passion fruit soda:
2¼ cups mineral water
1½ oz passion fruit pulp
Aperol infused with dried mango:
6¾ oz Aperol
6¾ oz fresh mango, sliced
Directions:
For the passion fruit soda, place the water and passion fruit in a carafe, and mix. Leave to infuse for 24 hours in the refrigerator. Filter and carbonate the preparation with a soda siphon. Store in the fridge for up to one week.
For the infused aperol, peel the mango and cut it into slices. Place them in the Aperol. Let steep at room temperature for 24 hours, then strain. Store at room temperature; unlimited shelf life.
For the cocktail, pour all the ingredients into the glass with a few ice cubes. Mix gently before adding the rest of the ice cubes. Finish with your tropical fruit garnish of choice.
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Ingredients:
1 oz vine peach cream
5 ml rosemary hydrosol
3 oz extra brut champagne
1 1/3 oz verjuice
House champagne mousse:
8 oz champagne (approx)
5 oz whole milk
3 1/3 oz full liquid cream
Directions:
For the champagne mousse, open a bottle of champagne, and pour 8 oz into a glass. Evacuate the gas by stirring vigorously with a spoon. Add the milk and cream, then pour the preparation into a siphon. Use 1 gas cartridge to obtain a delicate foam. Store in the fridge for up to three days.
For the cocktail, pour the peach cream and rosemary hydrosol into a mixing glass and strain into the glass. Add the champagne, the verjuice, and a little mousse. Garnish.
The following cocktails are by Nicholas Usselmann, Lead Bartender, Le Drugstore Paris
Hiver 58
Ingredients:
St Germain Liqueur
Pear juice
lime juice
egg white, whipped
Champagne
Combine St. Germain Liqueur and juices in a mixing glass. Pour mixture into flute or martini glass. Top with champagne. Whip up the egg white to a dessert-like texture. Garnish with edible flowers or thin pear wedges.
Maple Julep
Ingredients:
2 oz Cognac
½ oz maple syrup
mint leaves
crushed ice
icing sugar for rim or top of cocktail
Directions:
Rim a julep cup with icing sugar. Combine all of the liquid ingredients in a mixing glass. Pour over crushed ice in a julep cup. Top with mint leaves and serve.
Flower Power
Ingredients:
1½ oz Vodka
½ oz Chartreuse
½ oz St Germain Liqueur
½ oz fresh lemon juice
ginger beer
2-3 drops orange bitters
Directions:
Combine spirits and lemon juice in a mixing glass. Shake with ice. Pour into rocks glass. Top with ginger beer and finish with orange bitters.
Recipe courtesy of The Bar at the InterContinental Hotel Le Grand Paris
Old Cuban
Ingredients:
Ice
1½ oz rum
⅔ oz lime juice
1 oz sugar syrup
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
9 mint leaves
2 oz Champagne to top off drink
Directions:
Mix all ingredients except Champagne directly in a cocktail shaker. Shake. Pour into a Martini glass. Top with Champagne. Garnish with mint leaves. Tip: Additional dashes of Angostura Bitters bring about a more complex flavor.
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