Translated by Bethszabee Garner

The phenomenon is recent and has grown incredibly in a few years. This does not change the function, but bar keepers have become bartenders before being mixologists, a speciality that is now part of the greatest courses, such as at Glion and its Institute of Higher Studies or at the École hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL), the two international references based in Switzerland. And in the process, all the spirits brands have regained their place in bars in France and elsewhere, in cocktail menus without moderation. We sometimes lose our way, but not our art of living.

And as the expertise of French liqueur makers has just been officially included in the Inventory of France's Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Ministry of Culture, we have not finished discovering new ones. Naturally, bars have also specialized, even those in large hotels that have put this speciality on the menu by creating dedicated spaces combining conviviality, music and decor, as if to rediscover those magical places that created a bond, even if these contemporary versions no longer have anything to do with the friendly modesty of our ‘fudge shops’. The bar has become chic!

Variations on numerous themes

The famous cocktails remain at the top of the rankings of their kind, even though I didn't know the one who is apparently the most popular, the Old Fashioned, based on whisky (there are four pages in the magazine, but the original recipe ‘requires’ a bourbon or rye whisky (rye, like ‘Sir Davis’ for example, launched by Beyoncé, in homage to her great-grandfather, with Moët Hennessy in a very pretty bottle to give or keep, €89) + sugar syrup and Angostura bitters, a famous brand that is celebrating its 200th anniversary with a limited edition (€45).

There is even a dedicated glass that bears its name! Whisky can also be found in many cocktails such as the Manhattan (+ red vermouth, sugar, Angostura bitters), one of the world's greatest classics, the Whisky Sour (+ lemon juice, sugar syrup), introduced in 1862 by Jerry Thomas, or the unmissable Irish Coffee served hot, with Irish whisky of course (+ coffee, sugar syrup, whipped cream).

Most of the ingredients are well known, but distilleries are competing to create numerous products based on the great classics such as rum, gin (there was even a ‘gin day’ last October), vodka, cognac, tequila, Grand Marnier and Cointreau, not to mention all the special creations such as St-Germain liqueur and Maison Sarah Lavoine, which is unveiling an exclusive box that was set for the end of the year 2024 (limited edition of 400 copies: €79); like Marc de Moutonne Monopole Hors d'âge from the Long-Depaquit estate (€380) signed Albert Bichot, such as Williamine (€62) or Abricotine (€79.90) from the Morand distillery, such as Blanche Armagnac Cobra Fire, just to prepare Le French Fire (+ pear cream, Grande Chartreuse herbal elixir (3 drops!), blue curaçao, egg white)...We will finish with the Liqueur royale from Pegasus, a recent distillery (2021), founded by Maxime Girardin, in Meursault, Burgundy, with an eco-responsible approach to creating exceptional products.

Gin is doing well

You are probably familiar with the Gin Fizz (lemon juice, cane sugar syrup, sparkling water), the Gin and Tonic (tonic water, lime) which was said to have medicinal properties in the 18th century (tonic water to prevent malaria, lemon against scurvy, alcohol to preserve vitamin C!), the Dry Martini (+ white vermouth) to imitate James Bond (don't forget the olive!), the Negroni (+ Campari, red vermouth, orange slice), named after Count Camillo Negroni... there is no shortage of varieties.

We have lost count of the number of gins that have appeared in recent years. There are gins with thyme, basil and lemon, such as the Mediterranean Gin Mare (€50.30) from Spain, or Cap Gin (€59), created on the French Riviera by three British friends, ‘their’ Promenade is not far away! The winter gin L'Étoile (€56), rich and spicy, produced by the Arbre sec distillery, located in the heart of Paris, will allow you to make Gin Tatin (+ egg white, honey, lemon juice, Frangelico, a hazelnut liqueur). Fords gin (€34.90), created in London in 2012, will be the basis of the Fords French 75 (+ lemon juice, sugar syrup, champagne), while the Gin Tonic Cacao (with Le Parfumeur gin, €43.50) celebrates the art of perfumery and distillation (+ tonic and cocoa beans).

Grand Cabaret Royale with Hendrick's gin (+ cranberry juice, lime juice, sugar syrup, champagne, 3 slices of cucumber), the only gin infused with cucumber essences and rose petals, crafted in Scotland by master distiller Lesley Gracie. Mr Gaston Pink Gin (€34.90) offers a fruity tasting experience thanks to its notes of sweet juniper, rosemary and strawberries, while Normindia orange (€34) produced in Normandy reveals the fruitiness of citrus fruits blending with the freshness of juniper and spices (€34). With Akin gin (€42), inspired by winegrowers and created by Alex Cosculluela, you can make a Spritz Saint Germain, a sort of revisited ‘Hugo’ (+ elderberry liqueur, lime juice, Crémant de Bordeaux, half a slice of lemon, mint sprig), etc.

A special mention for the superb and gigantic ‘Fresh Touch’ end-of-year gift set (€34.95) of Bombay Sapphire gin with the artist Thomas Lelu, including two dedicated glasses, two bottles of Fever Tree Mediterranean Tonic and a bottle of gin (€39.99). We finish with the alcohol-free gin Botaniest for a Sakura-style mocktail (+ ginger and yuzu, jasmine tea, organic elderflower water (of course!) to be infused for 1 hour before filtering and adding an edible flower... We'll have seen and drunk it all!

Rum: White? Amber? Arranged?

Like gin, rum comes in many varieties. It has to be said that it inspires many cocktails, such as the famous Mojito, the classic Cuban drink made with white rum… from the Baie des Trésors in Martinique (+ lime juice, soda or sparkling water, white cane sugar, not forgetting mint leaves).

And since we are talking about Cuba, the Daiquiri (+ lime, sugar), named after a beach in Cuba, is a fitting choice, perhaps also the Cuba Libre (+ cola, lime), the Hemingway Special (+ lime juice, maraschino, grapefruit juice) still served in the bar in Havana that he frequented in the late 1930s. We cannot forget the Planter's Punch (+ pineapple juice, lemon juice, grenadine syrup) dating from the beginning of the 20th century; obviously the Ti Punch (+ lime, sugar), the Maï-Taï which brings together white rum (such as La Belle Heure, an AOC Martinique HSE in collaboration with the artist and navigator Titouan Lamazou) and amber rum (+ white curaçao, orgeat syrup, lime juice), and the list is far from exhaustive. A Piña Colada (+ coconut cream, pineapple juice, pineapple slice) to finish?

There are several rums and the choice is wide: the Maison du rhum and its XO (€44): of French, Spanish and English tradition; Saint James with its box set + two glasses (from €41.90), the Single Estate vintage of Mount Gay rum from Barbados presented in its eco-designed box, with a recycled glass bottle (€390), the Santa Teresa 1796 Arabica coffee cask finish (€60) from Venezuela is a benchmark, but the Ultra Añejo Blend (€500) is best enjoyed on its own! The Don Papa Gayuma from the Philippines comes in a beautiful limited edition (€62).

With Diplomatico rums: Reserva Exclusiva (€39.90), Mantuano (€29.90), Planas (€35), we will make El Momento cocktails, especially Passion (+ passion fruit juice, lime juice, cane sugar syrup, dash of bitters, chilli or tabasco). Gift idea: Brugal 1888, which comes to us from the Dominican Republic, is presented at the end of the year 2024 with a ‘lantern box’ in which to place a candle (€49.90); there is also Brugal Visionaria 02, a new limited edition, smoked with coffee beans (€90) and the Maestro Reserva, a perfect marriage of wood and fire (€185). We will also travel with the Zacapa brand in Guatemala to discover the latest vintages of Lorena Vásquez, the Solera Gran Reserva (€56.50) and Edición Negra (€72), or the superb XO versions (€120)...

Great classics for great products

The Margarita, the Bloody Mary, the Cosmopolitan... You may know how to make them, but if not, there are many books devoted to them, starting with the one by Emanuele Balestra, the head bartender at the Majestic in Cannes. All the trendy cocktail bars will be happy to give you the unchanging recipe. If you want to delve deeper into the subject, there are now private consultants who can organize a ‘cocktail’ workshop for you, your friends or your company.

The one we attended, led by Thomas Bencze, was very enjoyable. His company, Studio Givré in Megève, was aptly named, in the best sense of the word. By chance of our learning, we learnt how to make the famous Margarita, the tequila classic, either with Don Julio, available in three bottles: Don Julio Blanco, 100% blue agave: €49, Reposado, the distillery's first aged tequila: €64.90, and the sublime Don Julio 1942 (€249.50), or with the premium tequila Espolòn, straight from the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico, not forgetting of course an orange liqueur, with Cointreau or Grand Marnier vying for favor.

Cointreau offers rightly an exclusive kit comprising of a bottle of Cointreau, L'Unique, and a cocktail measurer: 20 € (+ fresh lime juice), before moving on to an Afternoon Tea based on cognac (+ dry vermouth + tea syrup + orange bitters + orange zest), with Frappin 1998 (25 years old, 190 €), or Louis Royer XO, 159 €). Le Baroudeur, also based on cognac (VSOP from Jules Gautret, €27.90) + amaretto, cinnamon syrup, Angostura Bitters and chocolate sprinkles on the glass.

On a different note, Grand Marnier, in collaboration with the Georges earthenware company, offers a sensory experience based on the salt rim (fill a plate with fine salt, rub the quarter of a lime on the rim of the glass and then dip the moistened part in the salt to form a band 2-3 mm wide) in a box set (€95) containing three numbered plates, three salts: one smoked with orange, one fruity with bergamot and one with orange blossom, developed by Garnish Lab, plus a bottle of Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge (35 cl). You can also learn about armagnac with the Delord wooden box containing three 20 cl bottles, 10, 20 and 30 years old (€60).

While an infinite variety of cocktails awaited us, vodka-based ones stood out from the crowd, starting with the Vodka Martini, whose name is unsurprising in terms of its composition. For the Cosmopolitan, Cointreau again, vodka always (+ lemon juice + cranberry juice). The Blue Lagoon (+ blue curaçao + lemon juice) and the Bloody Mary (+ lemon juice + tomato juice + Worcestershire sauce + Tabasco) are other ideas. We used X Muse vodka (a blended barley vodka inspired by Scottish traditions (€60). As for the new Grey Goose, la Poire (€42.90), it has its own cocktail: the Poire Frenchy (+ pineapple juice + 1 drop of cranberry juice).

We also noticed the Le Philtre vodka capsule collection, designed by Delphine Delafon, a Franco-American designer based in Paris, who used only unsold stocks from luxury houses and eco-labelled leathers around her 35 cl bottle, Le Petit Philtre (€39). A few inspired enthusiasts have also created products dedicated to cocktails, such as Olivier Marmet, who has developed a range of eight alcoholic mousses, Smoos. The Savoyard barman Jean-Michel Crone created a raspberry cocktail (vanilla vodka, black raspberry liqueur (Chambord), raspberry syrup, cream and fresh raspberries) with Gin foam. All these cocktails, and many others, have their five-star addresses.