I am happy to have Forest Collins, the mistress of the drink and creator of the popular cocktail blog 52 Martinis as my Parisian of the Month.
Where were you born and where did you grow up?
I always feel a little confused and confusing when I explain my geographic history. I was born in the tiny town of Sweetwater, Texas, but didn’t stay for long as we moved to England shortly after that. A few years later and we were back to the States, covering ground from north to south and coast-to-coast. We hit Seattle when I was 11 and that’s where I spent most of my formative years - with the exception of a three-year stint in Hawaii. At some point in time I spent several months living and working in Prague. And, eventually, I left Seattle to move to Annecy and then to Geneva. Somehow all of that led to finally living Paris.
When and why did you move to Paris?
I came to Paris over a decade ago because… what American doesn’t want to live in Paris?
At what age did you have your first cocktail, what was it, and what did you think of it?
Younger than I want to admit and with a palette not yet mature enough to appreciate what I was drinking.
I know when I moved here in 2005 the only place you can get a true cocktail was at the five-star hotels. Tell us how that’s changed and about the proliferation of cocktail bars in the past 10 years.
That was absolutely true 10 years ago – and not even all the five stars were a sure thing! It was in 2007 when things began to change with the opening of the Experimental Cocktail Club, which brought a New York/London sensibility to the local cocktails and introduced a young Parisian population to a different style of drinking. Slowly over the past 8 years cocktails have taken hold in the capital - and elsewhere in France, with interesting cocktail bars in cities like Lyon or Montpellier.
This year will be a breakout year for Parisian cocktails with bars no longer just following international trends, but creating their own style of both ambience and mixology and/or focusing on French ingredients and drinks. And now instead of just importing Anglo-style cocktails, the team behind the ECC exports their own cocktail concept with their bars in London, New York, Ibiza….
When and why did you start your blog?
I started the blog as a way to catalogue my research and share it with my cocktail friends visiting from the US. There’s a lot of myself in the blog because at its heart it was created as a personal resource. Subsequently, what began as a labor of love and a practical means of storing information has grown into something bigger and, frankly, a whole lot of fun.
Can you tell us about the history of the cocktail in Paris.
Contrary to what many believe, prior to the 1900’s the French were mixing cocktails. There’s a cocktail book called Bariana, published in 1896 which is generally regarded as the oldest French cocktail book. While books from this period often looked towards the US and England for cocktail inspiration, they were also coming up with their own creations. So this latest wave of cocktail culture is not the first to hit France.
What’s your favorite cocktail of the moment and where is the best place to get it?
A Dry Martini made with Gun Club gin (from Sun Liquor in Seattle.) But in Paris, it’s only available at my house and now in very, very limited supply.
Otherwise, my favorite changes frequently but a current coup de cœur is Le Carmen Miranda at Lulu White. It’s both sweet and tart with a cheeky Absinthe touch and served up in a fun (and fast) frozen format.
Please tell us about The Chamber, your private Popup cocktail club and your cocktail meetups?
We like to think of The Chamber as both a modern day Parisian salon as well as a state of mind. But for the very literal, it’s a private social club for modern day cocktail lovers and unpretentious social butterflies.
The Chamber is made up of three key components:
People: a community of engaged and engaging members looking for unusual and convivial ways to go out, network, and explore Paris.
Place: our cocktail and spirits events take place in private residences all over the city, so it’s always someplace different, but always interesting.
Product: we create events around interesting, new or exceptional spirits and alcohols so our members discover new flavors and hopefully learn something interesting along the way.
In general, the idea is to elevate a moment to something out of the ordinary.
Our events are geared to our community of members, but we welcome one-off visitors or potential members as well.
And while The Chamber is a private club, the 52 Martinis side of things also offers a more public way to share cocktails with our Meetup group. We get together four times a year in different cocktail bars around the city – sometimes in very large numbers. So, as opposed to events in The Chamber, which are intentionally small and intimate, prepaid (no money changes hands in The Chamber!), 52 Martinis Meetups are just a fun, pay as you go and open to anyone who wants to come into whichever particular bar we’re in.
But, both crowds are full of interesting and cool people.
What are some of the most romantic cocktail bars?
The thing about Paris (or any place) is you can find romance everywhere if you’re in the right mindset. That said, a few choice spots for an amorous ambience are:
Lapérouse for an historic and opulent choice with a slightly racy past.
Apicius for quiet class, sophistication and upscale service.
Le Quarante Trois for breath-catching views over Paris on warm summer nights.
If you could have a cocktail with anyone living or dead, who would it be, what cocktail would you order, and where would it be?
A Dry Martini with Dorothy Parker at the Algonquin.
What do you prefer about Paris?
There is always something to discover.
http://www.52martinis.com
http://www.thechamberparis.com
New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.
Cost: 195 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.
Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.
Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more. In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.
Tours start at 225 euros for up to 3 people, and 75 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com
Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour