By Ian Rowan

Paris may be first in fashion and food, but when it comes to cocktails, it’s been a second-tier city to New York and London. Now, though, it’s developing a drinks culture all its own—a high-proof take on terroir producing emphatically French libations that incorporate local spirits, liqueurs, and bitters.

It’s rediscovering its history, too. “A century ago, the drinks scene in Paris was incredible,” says Damien Aries, head bartender at the New York outpost of Paris’ groundbreaking Experimental Cocktail Club. Light, apéritif-style proto-cocktails were popular, made with “herbal liqueurs or vermouths mixed with a little crème de cassis, or some wine or soda. Then,” Aries says, “a lot of amazing barmen relocated during American Prohibition,” and the stronger, American-style cocktail prevailed—it’s said that Harry’s New York Bar, dismantled in America in 1911 and reassembled on rue Daunou (where it still stands), introduced the world to the Bloody Mary and the French 75. Things went dark for, oh, about 100 years, but “the cocktail scene in Paris has really exploded recently,” Aries says. “There’s a lot of great new talent over there.”

At Le Syndicat, named one of the top four new international cocktail bars by Tales of the Cocktail’s Spirited Awards in June, Sullivan Doh remixes iconic drinks with a French twist. His version of the New Orleans Vieux Carré, which combines Cognac, rye, vermouth, Benedictine, and two types of bitters, uses Gallic substitutions like French pomace brandy, genever, La Quintinye Vermouth Royal, the herbaceous liqueur Izarra, absinthe, and grape spirit; even the drink’s name, Le Vieil Hexagone, is a nod to France (one of the country’s nicknames is “L’Hexagone“).

Mabel Cocktail Den, meanwhile, specializes in rums from French island territories like Martinique and Guadeloupe. Its Blockbuster Daiquiri is a mix of Chairman’s Reserve rum, house-made Pedro Ximénez cola syrup, grilled-lime juice, and popcorn bitters.

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Like this? Read our story about Remy Martin’s Cognac cocktails

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