Whisky Cocktail Adventures: Grant's Popup Bar

Grant's Afterworks
58 avenue Philippe Auguste
75011 Paris

Change is good. Shaking things up from time to time keeps you from rusting in place and freshens up your perspective on life. So, as someone who knocks back a bit of gin, when I got an invite for the Grant's whisky Afterworks launch party I figured a bit of diverging from my usual course was in order. Plus I never turn down a party invite.

For the next two weeks Grant's is sponsoring an early evening, reservations only, (free!) ephemeral bar. So I dragged along a +1, past the eye candy at the entrance and into a space that was actually even better than I had anticipated after seeing the press packet and Facebook page. Lively guests were partaking in tastings, billiards and cocktails while photogs snapped pics. The space is large and open, but the copious comfortable chairs and sofas lend a surprisingly relaxed air and allow for somewhat intimate groupings.

We headed to the busy bar to choose from the five featured cocktails. I started with the Old Fashioned (Grant's whiskey, angostura, orange bitters, simple syrup) and Luke took the Grant's Sour (whisky, lime juice, honey, simple syrup). Judging by the orders, the sour seems to be a popular choice and also a good option for those who are not die hard whisky fans. The barboys are doing a nice job of it and seemed to be - if not speedy - conscientious about what they were mixing and shaking.

We bumped into lovely Sion (of Paris (im)Perfect) and joined her and Ericka on their sofa while the first act of the evening began. A comedian and then a band hit center stage. After a bit of couch-time, we had a visit with the pleasant Ludovic, who was overseeing the degustations for the night. (henceforth, it will be Raphael heading up the tastings) He gave an interesting and concise rundown on Grant's whisky and took us through a sampling of the Family Reserve, Sherry Cask and 12 year. While the 12 year was a crowd pleaser, I preferred the Sherry Cask. The 12 year is a drink with a good smokey, woody touch. But for me, personally, when it comes to scotch, I prefer some serious smoke over a little tease.

We finished the evening with a bit more meandering, a few nibbles from the passing waiters and a final stop at the bar. I ended with the Grant's Jazz Club (Grant's, creme de cacao and a vanilla bean). On leaving we got a swag bag with 3 sample bottles and a whisky glass in the triangular shape for which Grant's has been known since they introduced it for their bottles in the 50's.

Sound fun? Well, you've got until 30 April to experience it for yourself. Reserve via their Facebook page and go play a bit of foozball with a whisky cocktail in hand. And, report back! I'm curious to hear about the scene and crowd on regular nights.

I've been known to be a bit snarky about heavily brand sponsored events. But, I do think that if you believe in your product, the best advertisement is to give people a taste of it. If it's as good as you say, they'll come back for more. So, kudos to Grant's for sharing their spirits in a fun, informative environment. In short, I like the people and products at Grant's (especially their Hendricks gin - you know I couldn't go a whole blog post without mentioning it!) But taking a tastebud detour for an evening was definitely a nice change of pace.

Wednesday Cocktail Adventure: Delaville Cafe

Delaville Cafe
34 boulevard de Bonne Nouvelle
75010 Paris
Tel: +33 (0)1 48 24 48 09

It's probably my admittedly perverse bent, but I like venues that have been transformed from spaces of unusual and different purpose - especially if their original purpose is a bit seedy and sordid. So, Delaville, with its naughty brothel past, was sure to pique my curiosity. The extremely large, basic outdoor terrace of this multi-room, multi level cafe, bar and restaurant belies the funky interior combination of faded 19th century grandeur and modern artsy design.

Past the terrace is the veranda, which in summer opens up to offer even more breezy seating during warmer months. Beyond the veranda, bar area beckons with its old school mosaics, high ceilings and over-sized mirrors. To the side is a restaurant with distressed touches and warm lighting. And, finally in the back you can chill out in the thoroughly modern, red vinyl lounge with kitschy animal heads mounted on the wall while listening to guest dj's from Thurs - Saturday. Fancy staircase fans shouldn't miss the beautiful one tucked between the restaurant and lounge, which unfortunately due to the layout of the restaurant doesn't really get showcased.

This week I met up with just Jodie first, who I hadn't seen since she had left for an extended Australian holiday four months ago. (welcome back, jod!). So, we sat up at the modern metal bar for a bit of girlie cocktail catching up. Their menu consists of basic spirits disguised with bright fruit juices and syrups and really just made up too heavily...perhaps like the ladies that worked this space in days gone by. Drink names like Full Moon Party, Acid Punch, and Midori Illussion recall something one might drop at a rave a opposed to something swanky one might sip. Prices range from 8 to 9 Euros. I asked if they could do a dry martini and was told yes and then served a Bombay Sapphire (the only gin in the house) and sweet vermouth mix. At least the glass was chilled. I asked if they had dry vermouth and then got a better Bombay/Noilly Prat martini, shaken into a chilled glass with an olive garnish. Jodie went for one of the fruity ones. A large glass of marinated olives came with our orders.

As Jodie was leaving, Matt arrived. He ordered a sidecar, which the barman asked me how to make. I tried the Chinese Lily (tequila, litchi liqueur, citrus & orgeat). I had hoped the tequila/litchi might be an interesting combination, but the whole drink was completely overwhelmed by litchi flavor with no real alcohol kick or tequila taste. I don't even remember the second drink that Matt got off the fruity menu: it was orange and tasted vaguely of apple.

During the day, I'd guess this place brings in a wide age range of patrons. In the evening, my guess is that the prices, pseudo grungy oldschool glamor, alcohol flavor masking drinks & weekend dj's, guarantee a mainly twenty-something crowd. i didn't test it, but their site says they have free wifi which is also a nice bonus. And, it's just across from the Rex making it a decent stop for a beer before or after shows there - especially if that falls within 18h00 to 20h00 when draft pints are served for the price of demis.

While I wasn't wowed by the libations, Delaville has some good things going for it. If the charcuterie plates or the burgers listed on the menu are any good, this seems like it would be a fun summer stop with ample terrace seating for a quick bite and a simple drink. But, despite its racy past, it's not making any sexy cocktails.

Mini-shout down: Novotel Bercy

Novotel Bercy
85, de Bercy
75012 Paris
Tel: 01 43 42 30 00

Forest fact: I have a soft spot for average, bog standard, budget chain hotels you find scattered along the freeways of middle America. You know the ones I mean: they always have sufficient strip mall & General Dollar Store action close by, there's all you can eat breakfast buffets and a fine selection of Bigelow teas on tap all day long in reception. I totally get into it and use all the amenities possible. I'm the one who actually uses the 3 machines in the empty fitness center & skips down the nappy, brown carpeted hallway to visit the hot tub room. And, the ice machines...ah, the ice machines, don't even get me started.

So, the Novotel Bercy, while a slight step up from a Holiday Inn and with no strip malls in site, reminds me of the cheesy, brightly lit, average businessman's hotel. But, for as much as I love these places, the Novotel Bercy: not so much. I've been sitting on this post for several weeks with a bit of a 'why bother' attitude. But I've decided it merits a little shout-down to prevent others from following in my footsteps. Back in January, Kate come up from Geneva and took me to a concert at Bercy for my birthday (thanks, Kate!) The concert fell on a Wednesday, so tried to squeeze in a quickie cocktail adventure prior to the show. I didn't have any ideas for around Bercy & the few I came up with didn't work (temporary closures, etc.) So I thought a hotel bar is always a semi-safe bet.

I was wrong. Although Gin and Tonic is the first featured cocktail on their list of 6 cocktails at 6.95, there's no gin in the house. There's actually not much at all to choose from in the house. I took a cuba libre. Unusual for Paris: the barman was very heavy handed with his pour. The general vibe is a bit depressing even if the barman was friendly enough. So it was a great concert, but crap cocktails. And, I'm still on the lookout for cocktail spots in the area...so share if you've had better cocktail luck around Bercy!

Wednesday Cocktail Adventure: Le Marlusse et Lapin

Le Marlusse et Lapin 
14 rue Germain Pillon
75018  Paris

I'll admit it: I can be a control freak sometimes. But, I've been a busy girl lately so this week I decided to abdicate responsibility and let Mr Matt choose our cocktail bar.

He sent me a link for le Marlusse and Lapin, which has a big cozy looking bed in the backroom for lounging. Cute gimmick. But, the fact that it was just a few minutes' walk from home sealed the deal. I figured if the cocktails were good, I could stay awhile and easily toddle right home after. I figured if the cocktails were bad, I could blame it all on Matt (and still easily toddle home). win/win!

I arrived at 7pm to find a busy little bar banging with Montmartre youngsters. The bed was piled high with bodies so I took a stool at the bar. The 7 Euros cocktail menu featured 11 drinks, 8 of which were vodka based. I'm not even sure if they stock gin because the bartender looked at me like I was crazy and shook her head suspiciously when I explained what I wanted. Instead, I took the "Jacky in Love" (Jack Daniels, Amaretto & Cranberry Juice) which turned out to be predominately cranberry juice.

While the kids congregated at the back, the stools next to me were occupied by a smattering of older artsy/character types holding forth and having loud pseudo intellectual debates in Frenglish with each other and then no one in particular - and even in a one-sided fashion with me. While this could be annoying to some, I actually thought it was very appropriate for a bar on this famous butte.

Matt and Lindsey both took drinks on the sweet side. Matt's Lapin was a sugary swamp with a bit of creamy whipped fluff on top (some combination of baileys, cream and possibly amaretto). Lindsey followed suit with a Lapin as well. For Matt's second he took a chocolatta , which was similar but with chocolate smeared on the inside of the glass. They weren't unhappy with their drinks, but they weren't for me.

I was hard-pressed to choose a second from the un-Forest-friendly menu, and then something caught my eye: an absinthe fountain. Problem solved.

The bartender filled a glass with a good measure of Libertine Absinthe and proceeded with the process, and now I shall nitpick. The three things I didn't like about her method:

1. She didn't put only fresh water in the fountain. There were dregs left over from a prior session (which could have been weeks ago for all I knew). She left it there and just threw in a bit more water and ice.

2. She lit the sugar cube on fire. (yeah, I get it. It's fun. But sorry, fire-lovers, I'm in the no flame camp)

3. She louched it too quickly.

Admittedly, I'm not an Absinthe professional. But I do like ritual. And, with my control freak tendancies that means ritual done right, i.e. MY way! (don't mind me, Readers, I'm feeling a bit saucy today, we'll be back to your regularly scheduled Pleasant Forest after the holidays.)

However, I do have to give this lady props. She was handling an onslaught of pushy customers ordering beer after beer and she probably thought "Who's' this pretentious git wanting the whole absinthe show at a time like this?" But, she did it anyway, and she was very sweet about it.

The boisterous crowds just kept coming - to the point of being uncomfortable. And, that's when I realized that almost every drink being served behind the bar was a pint of beer in a plastic cup. It was Happy Hour with 2.60 pints until 8pm. Ah ha. There was a time when this might have been a draw for me. But, I'm just getting too old and picky to put up with being jostled, jolted and groped for a pint of cheap Pelforths. So, with a wave of tipsy toppling kiddies, we made our way for the door and called our cocktail night to a close.

Random Cocktal Adventure: the Bottle Shop

The Bottle Shop

5, Rue Trousseau
75011 Paris
Tel: 01 43 14 28 04

I'm eating take-out Chinese for lunch right now. Take out Chinese is definitely not my favorite lunch, but occasionally it fits the bill: convenient, quick, cheap & filling. So while I wouldn't recommend this place to my culinarily-demanding foodie friends as a must-stop destination, sometimes it's exactly what I need at the moment. Which brings me to my blog (a bit of a reach, but I'm getting there...)

Some 52 Martinis readers have been sending mails asking why I don't hold a higher opinion of their favorite bars. And, here's the skinny: 52 martinis is about cocktail bars in Paris. Even if I don't rate the cocktails highly doesn't necessarily mean I don't like the bar, the bar staff or the clientele. I try to keep it positive and note if there are other aspects of the bar that would draw in friendly folks. As a result, I'm sometimes hesitant to rate popular and long-standing drinkeries like the Bottle Shop because I'll likely get a few more disappointed emails. So, let's try some preventative spin here: While I wouldn't send my cocktailian friends to the Bottle Shop for drinks, sometimes it, too, fits the bill.

A few weeks ago, I made my first visit to this lively little place. But, I'm very familiar with Stolly's & the Lizard Lounge, which along with the Bottle Shop form the CheapBLONDE trinity – a veritable Paris ex-pat institution. I've had many fun nights at these two busy spots filled with Anglos and Anglo-friendly clientele. All three have cracking personalities and a fair number of drinks on offer. The staff is lively and friendly & I'm a big fan of the club sandwich at the Lizard Lounge for a chilled out Saturday afternoon bar-food lunch.

At the Bottle Shop, I ordered a martini from the cute and friendly barman, Joe. He mentioned that he liked his martinis with a few drops of bitters in them. I, too, like this. "Do you have bitters?" I asked. "This is a serious bar!" he replied. (Ah, Joe, you had me at 'bitters') So, I ordered Wendy and myself each a martini and had him throw in a couple drops of Angostura. The finished product was two very pink martinis as a result of a bit more bitters action than I would have used myself. But, in general, they were decent martinis, in cold glasses, served with a smile. Cocktails go for 7 to 8 Euros, with a 4.80 Euros happy hour running from 17h00 to 20h00.

These boys are good fun behind the bar. They chill up the glasses with a bit of ice and build some decent drinks. Overall, I consider places like the Bottle Shop to be part of my “Category I” of cocktail bars. These are bars where you will leave neither overly impressed nor depressed by the drinks. While the menu doesn't feature anything truly inspired, I'm always pleasantly surprised to find mixed drinks that are above Parisian standards. I wouldn't make a special trip to tipple here. But, on the other hand I wouldn't be averse to stopping in for a drink with a good portion of fun on the side. In fact, the evening Wendy, Nicky & I were there, we stopped back in to cause some more mayhem after our dinner at a nearby restaurant.

So, just as Chinese take out's not my favorite haut gastronomy experience, sometimes for other reasons, it hits the mark. So, it is with the Bottle Shop.

Wednesday Cocktail Adventures: Panic Room

Panic Room
101, Rue Amelot
75011 Paris
Tel: 01 58 30 93 43

We entered through a dingy front entrance that recalls the backdoor of a rockin' music club rather than a sleek sophisticated cocktail venue. But, no matter we are on the hunt for great mixed drinks, not necessarily upscale fancy decor.

Once inside the empty bar, the music blared at an almost uncomfortable level as we ordered our first round. While the Panic Room seems to have a fair number of bottles on their shelves, there was no dry vermouth, meaning a martini was out of the question.

I ordered a Fraislic (gin, fresh strawberries & basil) off their reasonably priced 8 Euros cocktail menu. Matt, Violaine & Wendy also ordered off the house menu, which comprises about 10 special creations. On the classics side, you'll find such standards as ti punch, cosmo, mojito (no surprise there) and long island ice tea. The general consensus was that the drinks were okay. Most were overly sweet for our taste and there was a sigh of relief when we found out we were getting happy hour prices of 5 Euros a drink.

The Panic Room offers up a few twists, that might make one think they've stumbled into a cocktail bar with more potential. They feature Hendrick's as well as Kubler Absinthe (which I personally am a fan of). The cute, young barman shows lots of spunk and confidence, and perhaps with a few more year's training might turn some of his cocksure attitude into serious cocktail savvy. The 2nd in command behind the bar was practicing rounds of free-pours with a water filled vodka bottle. It's one of these places that clearly caters to a "cocktail" crowd - just not exactly the level of cocktails I'm looking for.

So, while I personally won't head back here for cocktails, a young, boisterous crowd seeking sippables with a kick at nice happy hour prices will probably enjoy the vibe here.

Wednesday Cocktail Adventures: Baron Samedi

Le Baron Samedi
12, Rue des Goncourt
75011 Paris

I've been having a little motivation problem for the last few weeks. I can't seem to get on top of a growing list of things to do and could really use a swift kick in my, um, shaker to get on with things. But, it's hard to motivate when last Wednesday's cocktails were so thoroughly uninspiring.

Spotted by Locals, tells me that the Baron Samedi likes to compare itself to "‘a Louisiana cemetery where you drink spiced rum whilst dancing to Desmond Dekker‘, but in reality it is a chilled venue where you feel instantly at home, especially during happy hour when the music is low and you can relax on the Chesterfields." Sounds cool, n'est-ce pas?

I arrived at this "chilled venue" and found a warm and dingey bar with a welcoming bartendrice and a list of 15 or so cocktails up on the blackboard. The intentionally grungy flyer and newspaper-covered walls give the impression that this place has been here for decades rather than just a year or so. The two tables in the back were covered with green felt cloths and clearly ready for several folks to sit down to a bit of poker. A few large and comfy sofas grouped around a low table in the front looked like the spot for us to congregate.

There is no dry vermouth in the house, so I went for a Planters Punch and Matt ordered a Pina Colada. And, that was the end of cocktail sampling in this friendly little spot. Both were watery and completely uninteresting. Usually we might try for a second round, just in case. But, this time neither of us ordered a second and the rest of the people joining all stuck with wine on our recommendation. The wine was fine - drinkable, but nothing I'd drink given any other choice. Drink prices hover around 5 Euros here, a bit more during non-happy hours.

While I've been known to try my hand at a few rounds of poker, I'm not an avid player. However, the people playing were engrossed in their games & I really like it when bars offer something more in the way of things to do while drinking. Those interested in joining in a hand need to sign up online and play is for prizes not cash. And I like that it encourages interaction with the other clientele and provides a bit more entertainment than just standing around the bar knocking back sub-par drinks. And, indeed, there was a lot of friendly interaction with the patrons and it seems like the Baron Samedi brings in a good number of young regulars. I give them kudos for great activity planning, I just can't get rave about the drink choices.

If you're happy to stick with beer and are looking for a place to practice your game, head on down. But, for cocktails....totally unmotivating. I can't even be inspired to come up with a bad poker pun to end this on!

Special Edition: Sublim Eiffel

Sublim Eiffel
94 Boulevard Garibaldi
75015 Paris
Tel. +33 1 40 65 95 95

Black toilet paper kind of freaks me out. Okay, now that we have that out of the way....

It's August in Paris. And, no one works during August in Paris. However, I seem to be working like a maniac these days, so I'm taking a well deserved week off in the south of France right now. I'm far away from any note-worthy cocktail bars and looking at several days of lounging by the pool, reading some good reads and drinking tasty local wine. That means no Wednesday Cocktail Adventures this week. But, for the entertainment those of you who are not poolside right now, I'm posting on a non-Wednesday visit I made before heading down here. [although I'm fully aware that a 52 martinis post is in no way equivalent to a vacation...if you are working right now, my sincere sympathies because we all need to be MIA from time to time!]

I'm diverging and rambling as only someone in a holiday frame of mind can, so onto the matter at hand: cocktail visits. Last week, I met up with Tara for a quick apero at the Sublim Eiffel. Being on one of my regular routes, I have passed the Sublim's black awning - proclaiming cocktails! - many times and often thought about making a pit stop there. Something about the cheesy neon splashes of their logo against the black canvas backdrop of the awning recall for me the packaging of cheap, glitzy makeup I might have (okay, did) buy as a teen.

Taking a look at their website, the Sublim Eiffel is a "saucy and sophisticated" full service hotel with spa and lounge. Beyond the tacky black awning, the lounge inside is more interesting. It's a small, funky, metallic space with an almost retro-modern feel. Rather than bad makeup, it conjures up memories of late night loft parties in industrial art spaces where the 'cool' people live. Chain mail curtains, neon lights and whimsical metal furniture make for a fun and, yes, in fact I might agree "saucy" look. I particularly enjoyed the table tops covered in multiple square mirrors. After only 1/2 a drink, the barman probably thought Tara and I were both sauced up ourselves as we attempted to capture our dozens of tiny distorted faces reflected on the surface, leaning very close and taking pictures with our noses practically against the table top.

Their hot pink menu features a range of "avants" "pendants" and "apres" (before, during, and afters) for around 4 to 10 Euros. There was nothing really of note here: some typical french aperatifs and digestives and a list of cocktails including the usual caipis, cosmos and vodka based drinks. I asked the nice hot pink tie adorned man behind the bar if he could make me a martini.

After staring blankly for a few moments, he asked me to come up to the bar and show him how to make it. No problem. I explained what I wanted and he seemed suspicious, as if I was just randomly pointing at bottles and asking him to mix them together. Then he realized "Ah! It's the James Bond drink." He poured the Hendricks and Martini into the shaker in my requested proportions, gave the shaker a few swirls and then asked what to do next. I told him to strain it into the martini glass. The glass wasn't chilled and he let the drink sit for about ten minutes while making Tara's americano. So by the time I got it, even with the nice proportions, it was a bit too warm to be super sippable.

Tara's americano was below par. The taste was okay, but there were two dismally small ice cubes bobbing at the top. I looked at it and told her "There's nothing sadder than a cocktail who's lonely little ice cubes are just weeping away into the drink" Those things were gone in minutes leaving her with a warmish and watery Americano.

However, I can't bring myself to be too harsh with our sweet little bar boy ingenue. I don't feel like it's his fault that he doesn't know what he's doing on a serious cocktail level. Clearly, this place is hyper-designed. The proprietors have put a lot of thought into the presentation of the physical space and had a solid idea in designing the bar concept. They just fall short when it came to designing their cocktail concept.

So, their strong point - which has nothing to do with the drinks - is that they have gone out of their way for a really slicked up showfront that still falls within a reasonable budget. (rooms run around 120 - 140 Euros) Lights, mirrors, murals and unconventional touches are all employed to bring you the most eye popping of modern sleeping spaces. The bar bathrooms, not forgotten in this design frenzy, are worth a visit. Unless you have a problem with black toilet paper. I don't know. Is this hip and edgy? Or is it just weird to dry your delicates with something that looks like it should be in Marilyn Manson's house?

If I were the neighboring bar, I'd be looking over at Sublim, snapping my fingers, giving a hip wiggle, cockily shaking my hair and saying "Work it, girl! You work that deco! But, honey, you have got to do something about those cocktails!" Apparently, in my mind, the neighboring bar would be a campy drag queen. And the Sublim is the pretty small town girl who's moved to the big city, put on a cheap and racy, sexy pink dress and still doesn't know quite how to get her makeup right.

Notwithstanding sub-par cocktails, they'll do just fine in Paris if the space alone is enough to please the night-crawling public. There are not a lot of seriously demanding cocktail drinkers, so most people will probably stumble across this offbeat little bar and be perfectly happy with their pretty pink potions. While I won't go back for cocktails, I did find myself strangely partial to it, so I'd possibly drop in for something else.