2 classic French bars, and 3 Aussie bars with a French accent

french-ritz

So much of what the bartending world does takes its cues from the two great cocktailing capitals of the world: New York, and London.

But much of the cocktail world has a French accent: from the old school and crucial cocktail culture of New Orleans (where would we be without the Sazerac?), to the role of Paris in fostering the American bar culture (and the various éminence grise plying their trade behind the stick in the era of Hemingway and the lost generation), not to mention the great French spirits of cognac, absinthe, pastis, and rhum agricole among others, the role of France is hard to overstate.

This month we‘re diving into French spirits, classic French bars, and a look at those Aussie bars that have taken on a French accent.

french-harrys-new-york-bar

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Harry’s New York Bar

The Harry’s story began in 1911 when US jockey Tod Sloan acquired the bar, and with the help of his friend Clancey, a Manhattan bar owner, set about creating a unique American bar in Paris. The duo embarked on a mad-house scheme to dismantle Clancey’s NY bar and rebuild it the French capital. Clancey, it is said, was determined to escape the draconian restrictions that were being forced upon the alcohol industry in the US, and so the pair made good on their dream and relocated some half a world away. The bar’s interior features Cuban wood paneling, and quickly became a ‘headquarters for the local horse racing crowd, and post-WWI, pilots, whisky lovers and cocktail aficionados all crammed in.

Then a Scot named Harry MacElhone was hired to run the bar and when Sloan’s penchant for lavish interiors and decorations finally brought him to financial ruin Harry was there to buy the bar from him in 1923 – and add his name to the title. The venue has had its share of celebrity spottings, all adding to the fame with the likes of Coco Chanel, Humphrey Bogart, the Duke of Windsor and Ernest Hemingway coming down for a regular tipple. It hasn’t just been the faces that have famed this bar either, with a number of classic cocktails being claimed by, or attributed to it including; the Bloody Mary, French 75, Side Car and the Monkey Gland.

french-ritz

Hemingway Bar at the Ritz

The Hemingway Bar at the Ritz in Paris is a legendary bar. Frank Meier was the head bartender at Paris’ The Ritz during the 1920s and 30s, and he also wrote the fine book, The Artistry of Mixing Drinks in 1936.

Meier was German by birth, worked in NYC and was working against the Nazis during their occupation of Paris. He was barman to many of the ‘lost generation’ like Ernest Hemingway and Scott Fitzgerald during their time in Paris, and his book provided the blueprint for many at the time it was published.

There’s also a great story about the bar’s namesake drinker, Ernest Hemingway.

The setting is second world war Paris, 1944 — the Nazis are about to be driven from France. And Hemingway, who spent much time kicking around at The Ritz deacdes earlier, had one wish: ‘I will be the first American at the Ritz.,” he’s been reported as saying. “And I will liberate the Ritz.”

Hemingway arrived in his army Jeep on the 25th, and got down to drining, Papa-style.

3 Aussie bars with French accents

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La Buvette Drinkery

27 Gresham Street, Adelaide
labuvettedrinkery.com.au
How many bars in Australia have you been to lately where you’ve drunk pastis? Probably not many. But you can do that here — in fact, pastis is the first drink listed on the menu — and they’ll prepare it properly with a little chilled water to the side. While you sip on that you can stand at the bar and scoff down some garlicky-as-all -get-out snails, too. The food is done well (they’ve got some great cheese served at just the right temperature too), and the service at the bar professional.

Throw in a casual, upbeat atmosphere (forget about that old idea of French haughtiness), and this is one of the most interesting bars we’ve seen.

french-mistelle

Mistelle

16 Kiaora Rd, Double Bay
mistelledoublebay.com.au

Set up like the cafes of Paris (outside are a number of two-top tables with the chairs facing the street – all the better to take advantage of French labour laws and watch the world go by), the driving force behind Mistelle is Alicia Wadsworth. She knows her wine (there’s not many of you who can say they’ve completed their WSET diploma), and has drawn on a love of all things French for this opening.

The food is designed to be shared and riffs on Mediterranean and French classics — think oysters, steak tartare, croquettes and charcuterie — and the wine list is all killer, no filler, with top drops from France and around the world.

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Restaurant Hubert

15 Bligh Street, Sydney
restauranthubert.com
There’s certain things we’ve come to expect of bars from the Swillhouse group of Jason Scott and Anton Forte: there’s a solid, central idea; the service is warm, smart, and far from stuffy; and each venue — be it Shady Pines, The Baxter Inn, Frankie’s, or their most recent effort, Restaurant Hubert — displays the duo’s mastery of details.
It’s the little things in life that make it worthwhile, and it’s miniatures — the largest collection of miniature booze bottles in the southern hemisphere, we’re told — that greet you when you descend the stairs into Restaurant Hubert.

Here, there’s an American-bar-in-Paris sensibility to the cocktails on offer at the bar, with classics like the Martinez and Manhattan on offer, but the one drink that has bartenders talking is the Pastis Fizz. It’s fucking genius.

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Fine French Bottlings

Gin 1 & 9: Here the French are taking on the English at their own game. Designed in collaboration with bartenders, a couple of the ten botanicals are pretty unique: Jamaican chilli and Chinese ginger. Cerbaco

H by Hine VSOP Cognac: The VSOP expression is floral and vibrant on the nose, yet rich enough to be an admirable cocktail base. Hine Cognacs have a reputation for finesse, complexity and consistency, this release is no exception. island2island

Remy Martin VSOP: Aromas of vanilla, apricot, and baked apple on the nose; ripe fruit and subtle notes of liquorice on the well-balanced and structured palate; it’s a silky texture with complex layers of flavour. Spirits Platform

La Quintinye Vermouth Royal Rouge: Created by the same folks who make G’Vine, this vermouth is a blend of 28 herbs and spices (including vine flower), and made with Pineau des Charentes Rouge and white wine. HMH Beverages

Noilly Prat Dry Vermouth: Using picpoul and clairette grapes grown in the vineyards outside of Marseillan in the south of France, Noilly Prat is based on a recipe created in 1813. Bacardi-Martini

Cointreau: Cointreau is a crystal-clear liqueur made throguh the distillation of sweet and bitter orange peels. It’s one of the most iconic liqueurs around and is called for in any number of classic cocktail recipes. Spirits Platform

Courvoisier VSOP Cognac: Notes of jasmine, almond and peach are presented by this award-winning VSOP Fine Cognac. It’s a rich and generous cognac, well-suited to classics like the Sidecar. Beam Suntory

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