Melange by Ericaluz

Copyright ÂŠ 2016 by Erica Luzaich All rights reserved. bookpress.com No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means including information storage and retrieval systems, permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a view, who may quote short excerpts in a view. Erica Luzaich Visit my website at www..melange.com Printed in the United States of America First Printing: July 2012 Minerva Webworks LLC ISBN-13 978-0-97983

This book is dedicated to Robert Rossini aka Nonno. In memory of his beloved cooked meats and never unconditional love for his family. The world misses your never ending knowledge of all things garden and your sarcastic, stubborn personality. You will forever be in our hearts and we love you forever and always. The world will eternally be grateful for your delicious food you created and passed on to your kids and then some. This book is dedicated to the ones took too soon. rip 2014

m Ã© l a n g e : A Psychedelic Fr ench Cocktail Book

table of contents Equipment // 7 Ingredients // 8 Introduction // 10 18 // L’absinthe 20 // Rose Cocktail 22 // The Age of Absinthe 25 // French 75 Cocktail 26 // Bonjour Paris 28 // Pépa Bonafé Pair Ensemble // 30 French Cocktails // 32 The French Blonde // 35 The French // 38 Connection The Lumiére // 41 The 1920 Flapper // 43 La Grande // 44 Parade de Paris

46 // Liqueur Française 49 // Grand Vin Francais 50 // The Beauty Spot 53 // From Chanel to Givenchy 55 // Tremblement de Terre 56 // The Black Rose 59 // Savor The Sips 62 // Index

m Ã© l a n g e : A Psychedelic Fr ench Cocktail Book

equipment Jigger This is used to measure out the ingredients for a cocktail. It typically consists of two measures, one -larger than other, smaller. Bar Spoon The bar spoon serves several purposes. It’s main use is for stirring drinks like the Manhattan, and to help you with this the stem of the spoon in a twist, which makes it easier to rotate around the glass in your hand. The bar spoon also helps you float any extras in drinks. Strainers Using a fine strainer ensures a smooth drink with no unsightly bits in it. A tea strainer, or similar, works perfectly for this use. Citrus Press You just insert half a fruit, squeeze the handles together, and the juice empties from small holes in the bottom. Much easier to clean, quicker to squeeze.

Pourers Speed pourers are definitely not a “must have” item, but I personally find ‘them very useful and keep them on most of my bottles. Pourers are often used by bars and bartenders so they can “free pour” ingredients in order to save time. Muddler The muddler is an essential tool for drinks like the the Caipirinha which require hand crushed fruit. Ideally a large stick, a muddler is used to crush dow or other fresh ingredients in order to release the juice and nutrients.

mixings f r e s h ly s q u e e z e d l i m e

merlet pĂŞche liqueur

maple syrup

juice

egg white

orange juice

s a lt e d c a p e r j u i c e

lemon juice

bitters

c o i n t r e au

white wine

c h a m pa g n e

m a r a s c h i n o c h e r ry

gomme syrup

kirsch

a g av e s y r u p

a r m ag nac

orange zest

green chartreuse

o l o r o s o s h e r ry

c o g nac

gin french vermouth

lime zest

r a s p b e r ry s y r u p

gin

e l d e r f l ow e r l i qu e u r

m é l a n g e : A Psychedelic Fr ench Cocktail Book

mastering the art of french drinking A brief indroduction by Aaron Ayscough and Bon Appetit.

Finding good cocktails and imaginative mixologists in Paris hasn’t always been easy even though the first cocktails in Paris appeared nearly 200 years ago, and legendary drinkers, like Hemingway, always found their way to a bar that spoke their language. For the most part, Paris was more of a wine and champagne kind of town.But lately, the craft cocktail move-ment, creative concoctors, and the explosion of trendy neighborhood bars make mastering the art of the drink much easier. This mastery was the goal of Girls’ Guide to Paris founder Doni Belau. When approached by American publisher Cider Hill Press to tackle the subject of Paris cocktails, it was an offer she couldn’t refuse.

“They’re going to pay me to drink in Paris?” she said, smiling at her good fortune. “I can’t say no. It’s two things that almost everyone loves—Paris and cocktails.” “The truth is I didn’t consider myself a cocktails expert before I wrote this book,” Doni admits. “I am a Paris expert because of the Girls’ Guide to Paris website (started in 2009) and I love a good martini. But, it wasn’t until I did the research which included going to 55 bars in 6 weeks this past winter in Paris and interviewing many

bartenders and mixolomovement integrates the giststhat I began to best of French food understand how intricate and drink traditions carethis craft has become. fully sourced products, This generation’s barteninventive combinations to ders are much more challenge sophisticated than a guy in a white coat palates, and very artful pouring gin into a and balanced. chilled glass.” A few years ago, we Her research paid off. would never have Paris Cocktails was imagined duck fat washed released in September, a blended whisky; comprehensive rum with cherry tomatoes, and beautifully designed basil, and balsamic guide to cocktails, vinegar; or garnishes of including recipes divulgshiso, ginger, and ed by the best organic rose petals. This mixologists in Paris, rules new breed of passiof French cocktail onate cocktail creators culture, entertainment strives for “art in tips, tidbits of a glass.” cocktail history, and After all her research, helpful descriptDoni does have some ions of the ambiance of favorites. She hesitates to her recommended bars. offer a bar’s highest As a taste tester recommendations, since, in a short period of time, as she says, “Some are Doni learned early fancy, some are dive bars. that she couldn’t down Some are craft, some the whole drink, no are classic. You need a lot matter how tasty it was. of bars to match She adopted a firm the myriad of moods and “two-sip” maximum so long nights.” she could keep to Meredith Mullins her schedule of reviewing three favorite drinks: The two or three bars Bloody Mary created a night (6–9 drinks) and by Valentin at l’Apicius; have notes that the Capri C’est Fini were relatively intelligible created by Nico at Bespthe morning after. oke; and the Chocolate Bespoke cocktail, Martini from Paris Bespoke’s Capri C’ the Royal Monceau. est Fini (rum, cherry tomatoes, basil, balsamic “I admire drinks when they vinegar and more). take unthinkable She also learned quickly combos like rum and that the craft cocktail tomatoes and create a surprisingly delicious effect,” Doni concludes. Five favorite bars: “Harry’s NY Bar is the ultimate classic. Colin

m é l a n g e : A Psychedelic Fr ench Cocktail Book

Field’s special club type atmosphere in the newly revamped Ritz Paris, which reopens in the spring, will be amazing I’m sure. I think Artisan is a gorgeous bar in the 9th and Baton Rouge around the corner, a lot of fun. I love Bespoke because of Nico’s cocktail prowess as well as the incredibly friendly atmosphere. So many choices in this “new golden age of cocktails” . . . and good reason to dedicate ourselves to continued tasting. Santé! Nico, owner of Bespoke, Paris Nico, owner of Bespoke, is a master of the double shake. The scene at Bespoke for the Paris Cocktail Soirée Meredith Mullins Girls Guide to Paris, cocktails Jennifer Sigler and Doni Bellau, partners in the Girls’ Guide apartment rental business. Paris has long had a cocktail past, but almost no present. The city has its share of historic cocktail bars, like

Harry’s New York Bar and the Hemingway Bar at the Ritz Hotel, that served as a refuge for a handful of prominent American bartenders left jobless after the enactment of Prohibition. But even at their peak, Harry’s and the Ritz catered primarily to expats and tourists. Only in the past halfdecade have ambitious cocktail bars appeared in Paris in numbers that testify to widespread native interest in quality cocktails. A Nielson study released in February 2013 found that three out of four French proclaim regular cocktail consumption. Meanwhile, Drinks International’s annual “World’s 50 Best Bars” list—a questionable but effective short hand for this sort of thing—cited no less than five Paris cocktail bars in 2013, with one, Candelaria, in its top 10. “The cocktail scene in Paris has really blossomed in the 2 1/2 short years since we opened Candelaria,” says Joshua Fontaine, an American co-owner of three of Paris’s vanguard cocktail bars. Where two years ago he was often obliged to explain cocktails to clients, “the balance has tipped in the other direction,” he says. “I encounter more guests coming and asking for a Corpse Reviver #2 or an Old Fashioned…”

In the midst of this cocktail renaissance, it’s worth pausing to consider what Parisian drinkers taste when they bring a cocktail to their lips. In cocktails Parisians can taste liberation from wine’s outsize role in French culture in a way that’s hard for Americans to understand, mostly because we have no equivalent historical burden. While cocktail bartending is over a century old, its fugitive history and improvisational nature mean it has largely evaded the French tendency to academicize things. In a nation of degrees, guilds and unions, cocktails remain an invitingly open field. The same can’t be said for the national beverage, wine, which is linked to a regional identity in a way that cocktails aren’t, and whose various forms of study are all mature industries. In cocktails Parisians can taste liberation from wine’s outsize role in French culture in a way that’s hard for Americans to understand, mostly because we have no equivalent historical burden. Cocktail culture— Manhattans and Sazeracs and so on, along with the optional theatrics, from vests to elaborate moustaches that comprises America’s most original contribution to global drinking. America produces fine beer and wine, too, of course. But other nations maintain historical preeminence in those fields. The cocktail remains America’s genesis tale of booze. To

partake in the culture of the cocktail is it might seem strange patriotic. But for all their symbolic import, cocktails remain a niche subject in America. France, for its part, has wine, whose history dwarfs that of cocktails. And wine in France is inescapable. It comprises part of the national patrimoine, or cultural heritage, which is why even French people with no wine experience whatsoever will unhesitatingly recommend it to you. “All French people and not just Parisians think they know everything about wine because they’re French,” says Benoit JoussotDubien, an accredited winemaker who presently works as a wine buyer for the shop Aux Anges in Paris’s 11 ème arrondissement. “They think they have it in their genes, because it’s a facet of the French culture and lifestyle.” In America, which contains comparatively few wine-producing regions, wine knowledge is voluntary and typically aspirational in nature. In France, it is a social obligation. So the average Parisian confronted with a wine list among friends might justifiably feel as though he or she’s about to initiate a discussion of politics. Everyone will duly weigh in, usually to endorse, in imprecise terms, whatever they grew up with. Wine preferences and wine experience reflect regional identity as well as socioe-conomic status in France. Yet wine

m Ã© l a n g e : A Psychedelic Fr ench Cocktail Book

m é l a n g e : A Psychedelic Fr ench Cocktail Book

five schools in France that offer the DNO, or Diplôme National d’Oenologue, a degree in winemaking. These produce, collectively, 120-150 graduates per year, by Joussot-Dubien’s estimate. Of the student body, he says, “About half had family who worked in wine.” He doesn’t, incidentally, and rather than make wine, he sells it. Cocktails in Paris, by comparison, all cost a little over 10. In a nation where youth unemployment has long hovered over 20%, and where the best restaurants serve famous wines mainly to tourists and the aging native elite, cocktails offer younger Parisians a newer, more approachable form of luxury. Meanwhile, the relatively meager academic apparatus surrounding the field

means that if you’re capable and interested, you’re welcome to come aboard. Maxime Potfer, at 22 years old, is probably Paris’s youngest cocktail bartender. “I was fed-up with house parties where you stare at a pile of cheap vodka, pineapple juice and grenadine without knowing what to do, so I bought a recipe book,” he says. Originally from Nice, he wangled a bartending job at a Riviera hotel before moving to Paris to work, first at the Hotel Plaza Atheneum, then at Experimental Cocktail Club, the bar widely recognized as having kick-started Paris’s contemporary cocktail scene when it opened in 2007. Joshua Fontaine, himself an alum of Experimental Cocktail Club, says the most common cocktail experience he encounters on Paris résumés is a “mention barman,” which is a focus on bartending skills within a wider hospitality degree. But hires with a mention barman remain rare, not least because the

traditionalist bent of French hospitality degrees is antithetical to the informal ambience of Paris’s leading cocktail bars. “We definitely still do train up many staff members with close to zero experience,” he says. The cocktail in Paris accordingly functions as a kind of social equalizer. You don’t need to come from a family of barmen to make one. And you don’t need to know a great deal to appreciate one. “It’s always nice to have a client with whom one can share obscure recipes,” says Frederic Le Bordays, owner of 9ème arrondissement cocktail bar Artisan. “But all told, Parisians are curious these days and will willingly try flavors that they aren’t necessarily used to drinking.” Le Bordays’ story is perhaps the best illustration of the freewheeling, almost Wild-Western nature of Paris’s nascent cocktail scene. Originally from the Paris suburbs, he worked for several years as a photographer’s assistant, without much success. Then, while bartending at a nightclub by Bastille

six years ago, he discovered a copy of the 1882 book The New & Improved Bartender’s Manual by legendary bartender Harry Johnson. Le Bordays taught himself the recipes, and started a consulting company. He cultivated corporate clients, and it was at a cocktail soirée he organized for one of them that he met an editor who proposed he publish a book on cocktails, which he duly did—all before opening his own bar, or even working at any of Paris’s more famous establishments.

Absinthe /ab/â&#x20AC;&#x2122;sinTH/ noun a potent green aniseed-f lavoured liqueur, originally made with the shrub wormwood.

m é l a n g e : A Psychedelic Fr ench Cocktail Book

rose cocktail s e rv i n g s 1

2 oz. french vermouth 1 oz. kirsch 1 t s p . r a s p b e r ry s y r u p 1 m a r a s c h i n o c h e r ry

Cocktails taking on the name ‘Rose’ have taken many forms over the years. A brandy base of some sort tends to be a common factor in many of the Rose recipes you will find. A popular cocktail in 1920s Paris and was created by Johnny Mitta, bar man at the Chatham Hotel. This delicate concoction gets its soft pink color from the addition of raspberry syrup, and its floral notes from the use of vermouth and kirsch, a dry cherry brandy. A fruity yet herbal drink by combining French dry vermouth with the cherry flavour found in Bols Kirsch.

Combine vermouth, kirsch, and syrup in a cocktail shaker filled with ice; cover and shake until chilled, about 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled martini glass and add cherry.

m é l a n g e : A Psychedelic Fr ench Cocktail Book

the age of absinthe Absinthe is historically described as a distilled, highly alcoholic. It is an aniseflavoured spirit derived from botanicals, including the flowers and leaves of Artemisia “After the first glass of absinthe absinthium, together with you see things as you wish green anise, sweet they were. After the second fennel, and other mediciyou see them as they are nal and culinary herbs. not. Finally you see things as Absinthe traditionally has they really are, and that is a natural green colour the most horrible thing in the but may also be colourworld. I mean disassociless. It is commonly ated. Take a top hat. You think referred to in historical you see it as it really is. literature as “la But you don’t because you fée verte”. associate it with other Although it is things and ideas. If you had sometimes mistakenly never heard of one before, referred to as a and suddenly saw it alone, you liqueur, absinthe is not would be frightened, or traditionally bottled you’d laugh. That is the effect with added sugar; it is absinthe has, and that therefore classified is why it drives men mad.” as a spirit. Absinthe is – Oscar Wilde traditionally bottled at a high level of alcohol by volume, but it is normally diluted with water prior to being consumed. Absinthe originated in the canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland in the late 18th century. It rose to great popularity as an alcoholic drink in late 19th- and early 20th century France, particularly among Parisians and writers. Owing in part to its association with bohemian age, the consumption of the absinthe was opposed by social conservatives and prohibitionists. Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, Charles Baudelaire, Paul Verlaine, Arthur Rimbaud, Henri de ToulLautrec, Amedeo Modigliani, Pablo Picasso,

Vincent van Gogh, Oscar Wilde, Marcel Proust, Aleister Crowley, Erik Satie, Edgar Allan Poe, Lord Byron and Alfred Jarry were all known absinthe drinkers. Absinthe has often been portrayed as a dangerously addictive psychoactive drug and hallucinogen. The chemical compound thujone, although present in the spirit in only trace amounts, was blamed for its alleged harmful effects. By 1915, absinthe had been banned in the United States and in much of Europe, including France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and Austria-Hungary. But absinthe was vilified, it has not been demonstrated to be any more dangerous than ordinary spirits. Recent studies have shown that absinthe’s psycactive properties have been exaggerated. A revival of absinthe began in the 1990s, following the adoption of modern European Union food and beverage laws that removed longstanding barriers to its production and sale. By the early 21st century, nearly 200 brands of absinthe were being made in a dozen countries, most notably in France, Switzerland, Australia, Spain, and the Czech Rep.

m Ã© l a n g e : A Psychedelic Fr ench Cocktail Book

n IN LA

french 75 cocktail s e rv i n g s 2 6 ounces gin 4 teaspoons sugar 1 lemon juice 16 o u n c e s c h a m pa g n e

lemon slices c o c k ta i l c h e r r i e s

The French 75 was created at the New York Bar in Paris. It’s very similar to the Tom Collins which has club soda instead of the champagne. This cocktail is also known as the “75 Cocktail” or “Soixante Quinze”. Some versions of the French 75 use cognac instead of gin which gives it a warmer flavor but we prefer the gin version. Next time you watch the movie Casablanca keep an eye out for this drink’s cameo. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the gin, sugar, lemon juice and champagne. Gently shake to combine. Strain into champagne flutes and then garnish with lemon slices and add cherries.

m é l a n g e : A Psychedelic Fr ench Cocktail Book

bonjour paris

A few ye ar s a go , we wo u ld n e ve r h ave ima g ine d d u ck fat was h e d blend e d w hisky ; r u m w it h cher r y to mato e s, o r b a s il, a n d b alsamic v inegar ; or g a r n is hes o f shiso , g inge r, an d or g anic ro se pe tals. T h is n ew b re ed o f passio nate c ock t a il c re ato r s str ives for “a r t in a glass” .

Finding good cocktails and imaginative mixologists in Paris hasn’t always been easy even though the first mixed cocktails in Paris appeared nearly 200 years ago, and with legendary drinkers, like Hemingway, always found their way to a bar that had to speak their language. For the most part, Paris was of a wine and champagne kind of town. But lately, the craft cocktail movement, creative concoctors, and the explosion of trendy neighborhood bars make mastering the art of sipping, much more easier. This mastery was the goal of the Girls’ Guide to Paris’ CEO Doni Belau. When she was approached by American publisher Cider Hill Press to tackle the subject of Paris cocktails, it was an offer she couldn’t refuse. “They’re going to pay me to drink in Paris?” she said, smiling at her good fortune. “I can’t say no. It’s two things that almost everyone loves— Paris and cocktails.” “The truth is I didn’t consider myself a cocktails expert before I wrote this book,” Doni admits. “I am a Paris expert because of the Girls’ Guide to Paris website (started in 2009) and I love a good martini. But, it wasn’t until I did the research—which included going to 55 bars in 6 weeks this past winter in Paris and interviewing

many bartenders and mixologists—that I began to understand how intricate this craft has become. This generation’s bartenders are much more than a guy in a white coat pouring gin into a chilled glass.” Her research paid off (with liver intact). Paris Cocktails was released in September, a full and beautifully designed guide to cocktails, also including recipes by the best mixologists in Paris, rules of French cocktail culture, entertainment tips, tidbits of cocktail history, and helpful descriptions of the ambiance of her recommended bars. After all her research, Doni does have some favorites. She hesitates to offer bar suggestions, since, as she says, “Some are fancy, some are dive bars. Some are craft, some are classic. You need a lot of bars to match the myriad of moods and nights.”

m é l a n g e : A Psychedelic Fr ench Cocktail Book

pépa bonafé s e rv i n g s 1

1 o z . d ry v e r m o u t h , 1 o z . c o g nac 1 da s h a n g o s t u r a b i t t e r s 1 o z . vo d k a twist of lemon peel

This cocktail is named for a french starlet from the 1920s. Happens to be one of my favourite eras in history. The Roarin’ Twenties saw prohibition in the US, women gaining the right to vote, the swell of organised crime and the best of fashion, furs and luxurious living. Pépa Bonafé was an icon of the twenties in France with 28 films under her belt and having made quite an impression in her career. In a cocktail shaker filled with cracked ice, stir together vermouth, cognac, vodka, and bitters with a bar spoon until chilled, about 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass; garnish with lemon twist.

Pair p/â&#x20AC;&#x2122;air/ verb two identical, similar, or corresponding things that are matched for use together.

m é l a n g e : A Psychedelic Fr ench Cocktail Book

french cocktails

“I’m talking the Chartreuse, the Bonal, the Dolin, the Byrrh, and artisanal Cognacs and Calvados. Experimental kick-started it because here was a bar using proper products, fresh fruit juices and homemade syrups, proper ice–the were the first to import KoldDraft ice machines from the States–and yet it cost 12 euros and there were D.J. and ever yone could come.”

From the exuberant libations that came out of Paris in the roaring twenties to refined modern drinks such as a cognac sparkler, we’re in love with cocktails inspired by the City of Light. Craft cocktails are cresting the wave in Paris–a meteoric rise since the opening of the Experimental Cocktail Club in 2007. At that time, outside of hotel bars Paris was a cocktail desert where a martini still came premade from a branded bottle that sat gathering dust on the shelf alongside the Campari, Suze, and Dubonnet. Experimental’s speakeasy formula awoke a taste forgotten since Prohibition, when American bartenders brought their skills and their shakers to Paris. In five years xperimental has expanded to four bars in Paris, opened in New York, London, and soon Mexico City, spawned a second generation of barsopened by ex-Experimental bartenders, and caused nothing short of a revolution. And it’s a specifically French revolution, inspired by developments around the world but enacted with Gallic ingredients and Parisian panache. “The French have got so much amazing product that was lying dormant and now it’s just exploding,” says Rob McHardy, formerly of Prescription

and now head barman at David Lynch‘s private club Silencio. Classic French spirits are a significant component of the new cocktail wave. The vermouths (Bonal, Dolin, Byrrh) and gentianflavored drinks like Suze are coming out of retirement, and while hard spirits such as cognac, armagnac, calvados, and other eaux de vie never went out of fashion as such, they are new as a basis for drinks. Romée de Gorianoff says that when he started Experimental, the French only wanted vodka or gin-based drink putting a digestif in a drink was too radical for them.

vi 34

the french blonde s e rv i n g s 2

1 o z . e l d e r f l ow e r l i qu e u r 2 o z . d ry g i n 4 oz. fresh grapefruit 4 oz. lillet blanc a f e w da s h e s b i t t e r s

The French Blonde uses the delicious sweet and tart balance of the grapefruit juice to round out the flavors of White Lillet and dry gin. A delicate splash of Elderflower Liqueur and lemon bitters give it depth. Result, cocktail perfection. In this cocktail, fresh squeezed grapefruit juice rounds out Lil letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inherent bite, creating a sweet, citrusy drink thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perfect for brightening up cold weather. Vigorously shake together all ingredients in an ice-filled cocktail shaker for at least 30 seconds. Strain into a cooled martini glass.

m é l a n g e : A Psychedelic Fr ench Cocktail Book

the french connection s e rv i n g s 3

6 o z . c o g nac 3 oz. fresh lemon juice 3 oz. simple syrup s pa r k l i n g w i n e t o t o p

12 f r e s h r a s p b e r r i e s

Cognac, fresh raspberries, and sparkling wine combine to make this fizzy, romantic cocktail, based on Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris. This recipe was developed by Nitehawk Cinema’s Beverage Director Jen Marshall. The Cognac adds warmth to the chilled drink and the flavor mixes nicely with a nice amaretto liqueur. Drinks as simple as this depend more on high-end spirits than those with more mixers, so do yourself a favor and choose a cocktail worthy Cognac and amaretto.

Combine all ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker, and shake well to break down the raspberries. Strain the mixture through a fine-meshed sieve into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Top with a splash of sparking wine.

geri e

the lumiére s e rv i n g s 2

2 oz. green chartreuse 2 oz. gin 1 o z . e l d e r f l ow e r liqueur, like st. germain

2 oz. fresh lime juice da s h o f o r a n g e b i t t e r s

This recipe, developed by Nitehawk Cinema’s Beverage Director Jen Marshall, was inspired by the Oscar-nominated film Hugo. The magical sophistication of elderflower, citrus, and green chartreuse mirrors Hugo’s and Isabella’s enchanting quest through 1930’s Paris.

Combine all ingredients in a large glass filled with ice. Stir thoroughly and strain the mixture into a coupe. Garnish with a lime twist.

the 1920 flapper

“It was fun to f lirt, … bobbed her hair, …put on her choicest pair of earrings,and a great deal of audacity and rouge and went into battle”.

The 1920s saw the rise of the flapper, a new breed of young women who wore short skirts, and bobbed their hair, danced, and flouted social and sexual norms. Flappers were known for their style and the widespread popularization of new culture trends that accompanied it. They personified the musical and dance movements emerging from the dance clubs playing Jazz and new versions of old music, which had become enormously popular in the 1920s and into the early 1930s. Although the appearance typically associated now with flappers straight waists, short hair and a hemline above the knee did not fully emerge until about 1926, there was an early association in the public mind between unconventional appearance, outrageous behavior and the word “flapper.” Coco Chanel, 1920. Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel was a French designer who was highly influential in the flapper fashion style of the 1920s. The flapper look included short, disheveled hair in boyish styles such as the Bob cut, while finger waving was used as a means of styling. The evolving flapper appearance required “heavy makeup” in comparison to what had previously been

acceptable outside of professional use in the theater. With the invention of the metal lip stick container and compact mirrors, bee stung lips and an emphatic mouth came into vogue. Huge, dark eyes heavily outlined in mascara, especially kohl-rimmed, were in style. Blush came into fashion when it did not become a messy application process. Pale skin was originally considered to be the most attractive, but tanned skin became increasingly popular after Coco Chanel donned a tan after spending too much time in the sun on a holiday. A tan suggested a life of leisure, without the onerous need to work. In this way women aspired to look fit, athletic and healthy. Jewelry usually consisted of art

deco pieces including beaded necklaces and brooches. Hornrimmed glasses were also popular. Despite any scandalous images flappers generated, their look was to became fashionable in a toned-down form of a respectable older women. Significantly, the flappers removed the corset from female fashion, raised skirt and gown hemlines, and popularized short hair for women. Flapper dresses were straight and loose, leaving the arms bare and dropping the waistline to the hips. Silk or rayon stockings were held up by garters. Skirts rose to just below the knee by 1927, allowing flashes of leg to be seen when a girl danced or walked through a breeze. High heels between two and three inches also became popular. Flappers did away with corsets and pantaloons in favor of “step-in” panties and simple bust bodices to keep theirchests in place dancing. They also wore new, softer and suppler corsets that reached to their hips, smoothing the whole frame, giving them a straight, up and down appearance, as opposed to the old corsets that slenderized the waist and accented the hips and bust.

m ĂŠ l a n g e : A Psychedelic Fr ench Cocktail Book

la grande parade de paris s e rv i n g s 1

1 t b s p . ag e d balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. fresh-ground pink peppercorns

1 pink grapefruit 2 oz. fresh-squeezed p o m e g r a n at e j u i c e

Fresh grapefruit and pomegranate juice balance out the rich balsamic reduction in this sophisticated drink. This drink is adapted from a recipe given to us by Grey Goose global brand ambassador Dimi Lezinska. We found that we could easily juice the pomegranate by cutting it into hunks small enough to fit into the cup of a handheld, levered citrus juicer.

2 o z . o r a n g e - f l avo r e d vo d k a , p r e f e r a b ly g r e y goose lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;orange

1 oz. sweet vermouth, 2 niĂ§oise olives

Fill a shaker halfway with ice. Pour the cocktail mixture into the shaker and shake until the cocktail is well-chilled. Pour into a small, stemmed glass, and garnish with olives on a cocktail skewer to serve.

CH el

Liqueur li-k(y)o/or/ noun a strong, sweet alcoholic liquor, usually drunk after a meal.

grand vin français

Though it’s hard to make broad generalizations, you might find that French wines tend to focus less on fruit f lavors than wines from newer growing regions in the New World French wines might be described as earthy or mineral—which means they taste a like dirt, chalk, or mushrooms.

For centuries, French wines have set standards to inspire wine makers around the world. No other country has France’s long history of fine wine production, which has helped define wine styles around the world. How significant is France in the world of wine? The most popular international grape varieties, from Chardonnay, Merlot to Cabernet Sauvignon, are native to France. In many years France produces (and consumes!) more wine than any other country. Its production and export of fine wines is unmatched. The ancient Greeks were the first to take advantage of France’s potential for wine production, as they firmly planted vines in their colonies along the Mediterranean coastline more than 2,500 years ago. After the Romans conquered Gaul in 51 B.C. they took vines and winemaking practices north across the land. In the following centuries, Christian monasteries became the centers for viticulture, and their monks made pioneering advances in both wine making and distilling. By the Middle Ages, the English had already recognized the excellence of wines of France, and while they controlled Bordeaux they expanded the region’s existing vineyards to supply the brand-new export market.

France regions Over the centuries, time and experience dictated which types of French wine fared best in the country’s very different climates and terrain. In the south, the relatively warm Mediterranean climate ripens grapes fully, producing fruit-forward wines. To the north, cooler regions such as Alsace and Champagne are the ideal home for white wines with high acidity. The varied geographies of the Loire, to the west, and Burgundy and the Rhone, to the east, each have their own best styles of wine, defined by unique weather and soil conditions that special combination of elements the French describe as terroir. With this long history, it’s no surprise that the French were the first to codify what wines should be produced in certain areas. The country’s Appelation d’Origine Controlée laws, established in 1935, not only define the country’s appellations – there are more than 450 – but the grape varieties that can be used in a region, the minimum amount of alcohol a wine must contain, the maximum yield of grapes permitted per acre and other principles meant to preserve an area’s winemaking traditions and ensure consumers enjoy an authentic product.

tremblement de terre s e rv i n g s 4

10 o z . c o g n a c 1 oz. absinthe

This intense potion is adapted from one served at parties by the French artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. This recipe first appeared in our April 2014 issue with Kelli Billsteinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s story The Art of the Meal. It is a reference to the fact that the potent mixture creates a tremor within the imbiber. Stir cognac and absinthe in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass; garnish with a lemon twist.

m ĂŠ l a n g e : A Psychedelic Fr ench Cocktail Book

the beauty spot s e rv i n g s 2

1 oz. green chartreuse 4 oz. gin 2 oz. red vermouth

The Beauty Spot, composed of gin, sweet vermouth, and green chartreuse, is classic yet completely original at the same time-much like silent film nominee The Artist itself. This cocktail was developed by Nitehawk Cinemaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Beverage Director Jen Marshall. Combine all ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker or large glass. Stir the mixture thoroughly and strain into a coupe. Garnish with an orange twist.

from chanel to givenchy A big fan of single neutral colors, Chanel was really just pleasing herself with this number. In mourning mode after the death of her lover in 1915 ; Chanels tendency towards black naturally crept in to her designs. Paul Poiret famously asked Chanel once “For whom are you in mourning, Mademoiselle?” Chanels reply? “For you, Monsieur!” It started its journey worldwide with Vogue publishing her creation in 1926 – October 1st to be exact! It simple, calf length, straight line inspired Vogue to call it Chanel’s Ford Dress after the model T. Its flattering silhouette suited many body types and it epitomized the Parisian economy with style which was fast replacing the more exotic looks of the likes of Poiret.

However in the more affluent USA, in the late 1920s, Chanels casual dresses were not particularly popular that were among the Fifth Avenue set of Vogue readers, who eagerly scanned the magazines monthly reviews of the latest ‘ hot’ gowns from the likes of Jeanne Paquin, Madeline Voinnet and Jacques Doucet. It was a small print which appeared in the Vogue issue of that October in 1926. The exact description given by Vogue was as follows: “Chanel’s Ford Dress” the frock that all the world will wear is model 817 of black crepe de chine. The once known bodice blouses slightly at the front and sides and has a tight bolero at the back. Especially chic is the array of tiny tucks which cross in front. Imported by Saks.” That was it, no gushing praise, no trumpets blaring, no ‘Eureka’ moment at all. Note that they did say ‘ all the world will wear’. The dress drew it’s origins of course from the increasingly popular flapper style and it is still debatable if the LBD was in fact ‘invented’ by Chanel. But certainly her penchant for simplicity was hugely influential.

The simplicity of the LBD or ‘Little Black Dress’ reached its pinnacle in this decade and has remained a must have outfit in any woman’s wardrobe ever since.

m é l a n g e : A Psychedelic Fr ench Cocktail Book

the black rose s e rv i n g s 1 f r e s h b l ac k b e r r i e s

3 ounces simple syrup 2 o z d ry r o s é w i n e 3 o u n c e s vo d k a , c h i l l e d 1 lime juice

There is certainly something about the French mystique that’s as dark and alluring as a black rose, so there’s no better name for this blackberry cocktail that’s been a Parisian favorite since the Art Deco era. In this quick and easy punch, rosé wine is the star. A little fresh lime juice, some muddled berries, and vodka are added to the wine, making this a refreshing libation for your next summer soiree. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a punch bowl and strain the mixture into the bowl, discarding the solids. Place a large block of ice in the punch and serve in wine glasses filled with ice. Garnish each drink with a blackberry and a lime.

savor the sips Craft cocktails are cresting Experimental kick-started the wave in Paris it because here was a a meteoric rise since the bar using proper products, opening of the fresh fruit juices and Experimental Cocktail homemade syrups, proper Club in 2007. At ice--they were the that time, outside of hotel first to import Kold-Draft bars Paris was a ice machines from When Experimental started cocktail desert where a the States--and yet it cost with its speakeasy setting martini still came 12 euros and there and back-to-basics approach, premade from a branded were D.J.s and everyone I wondered if it was a bottle that sat gathcould come.” misnomer. But it did truly ering dust on the shelf “It’s also about awaken an advenurous alongside the perfume,” he explains. spirit in the famously conser- Campari, Suze, and “Notes that work in vative French. Dub Onnet. aromas more often than Experimental’s not work in flavor. speakeasy formula awoke Rose and absinthe is a a taste forgotten classic coupling, in since Prohibition, when use since 1910. We use American bartenders essential oils to make brought their skills and our own hydrosols, and their shakers to Paris. look at releasing the In five years Experimental different notes in progrehas expanded to four ssion as a perfume does.” bars in Paris, opened in Classic French New York, London, spirits are a significant and soon Mexico City, component of the spawned a second new cocktail wave. The generation of bars opened vermouths (Bonal, by ex-Experimental Dolin, Byrrh) and gentianbartenders, and caused flavored drinks like nothing short of Suze are coming out of a revolution. And it’s a retirement, and specifically French while hard spirits such revolution, inspired by as cognac, armagnac, developments calvados, and other eaux around the world but de vie never went out enacted with Gallic of fashion as such, they ingredients and Parisian are new as a basis panache buildings. for cocktails. Romée de “The French have got Gorianoff says that so much amazing when he started Experiproduct that was lying mental, the French dormant and now only wanted vodka- or it’s just exploding,” says gin-based cocktails-Rob McHardy, putting a digestif in a formerly of Prescription cocktail was too and now head radical for them. barman at David Lynch‘s Now, however, their private club Silencio. tastes have evolved, so “I’m talking the Chartreuse, much so that de Gorianoff the Bonal, the Dolin, says, “I don’t think the Byrrh, and artisanal there is a specifically PariCognacs and Calvados. sian style or taste in

cocktails, but quite the opposite: because it’s all happened so quickly here there’s been a creative surge that draws its influences from all over the world.” The cross-fertilisation with Japan, for instance, is currently very strong. The Experimental group’s Curious Lounge had the first Nikka whiskey bar in the world outside of Japan and uses Japanese whiskeys in some of its cocktails. As for saké, iconic Frenchman Gérard Dépardieu is crazy about it and recently opened up his Paris town house for a tasting event with restaurateur Issé and Rob McHardy to concoct his Sakura and Bloody Yoshi cocktails.

m é l a n g e : A Psychedelic Fr ench Cocktail Book

the index 2 // Jigger 2 // Bar Spoon 2 // Strainers 2 // Citrus Press 2 // Pourers 2 // Meddler 5 // French Vermouth 6 // Marchino cherry 10 // Rose Cocktail 11 // Patou 12 // Absinthe 14 // Lanvin 15 // French 75 cocktail 15 // Gin 15 // Champagne 16 // Bonjour Paris 18 // Pepá Bonafé 18 // Cognac 18 // Bitters 18 // Vodka 19 // Pioret

20 //Pair Ensemble 22 // French Cocktails 24 // Vionnet 25 // The French Blonde 25 // Elderflower Liquor 25 // Grapefruit Beurre Blanc 28 // The French Connection 28 // Simple Syrup 29 // Lingerie

31 // The Lumiere 33 // Flappers 34// La Grande Parade De Paris 35 // Chanel 46 // French liquor 49 // Grand Vin Français 50 // The Beauty Spot 50 // Green Charteuse 50 // Vermouth 51 // Perugia 52 //From Chanel to Givenchy 54 // Jean Paquin 55 // Tremblement De Terre 56 //The Black Rose 56 // BlackBerrys 56 // Dry Rosé 57 // Dior 59 // Savor The Sips