Experimental Cocktail Club Paris
As You have read my story from Amsterdam for sure, You
can remember that its written there, how I met two guests from Australia. Those
two peope told me, that if I will visit Paris one day, I must go to the
Experimental….
… It has been three years since then and I swear on
the health of my liver, that I didn't write it down. This memory just rooted in
my mind and got hidden and was patiently waiting there, to be rediscovered. And
now, this day, ladies and gentleman, in the honor of that couple from
Australia, who shared with me a few words in Amsterdam, I am bringing You the
review of the Experimental Cocktail Club in the heart of Paris :
Before the first letter is going to hit the bar desk
in Experimental Cocktail Bar, I will just add to the prologue, that I would
totally miss this place. If I wouldn't get THAT recommendation to visit this
bar, I would end up in totally different place, because on the way here,
there are tons of different cocktail bars everywhere…
Experimental Cocktail Club Paris
After 25 minutes of walking, I finally hit the correct
street. Few more meters (more or less) to the middle of the street and I found
myself standing in front of the speakeasy bar Experimental. If You have never
been in speakeasy bar before, this should be your first choice. Comparing to
many other bars in this style, this one is very easy to find. For many, many
reasons : First of all, the building itself looks suspicious, second of all :
there are going to be a few people standing in front of the bar and smoking (if
you are about to come here a little bit later in the night) , and third of all, there is a plate
right next to the door saying the name of the bar – making it not really
speakeasy…
I hate people. They are disrespectful, ignorant
beings. I do not want, every single person in this bar, to know the culture of
speakeasies, but if You are in a bar, which has heavy courtains to make sure
that NODODY WILL BE LOOKING INSIDE, do not take pictures. It is highly
offensive, ignorant and disrespectul. Yes I repeat that once again, just to
make You realize how impolite it is. I am against taking pictures over all, but
especially in a bar like this it is at the same level as stealing. I will
explain you properly why, right here :
Speakeasy bar is a small bar, with very limited amout
of space – for bartenders and for the guests, too. Then You will go in and You
will take a picture. To be 100% honest, please admit that You don't even take
that picture for yourself. We live in a 21st century and everything is about having
a social life. So You will take that picture and You will put it on the
Facebook - or a similar page like that – just to show off. Honestly, You will
never even look at that picture anymore. All You are checking is “how many
likes it has.” Many, many people are going to remember that bar and occasionally
visit it as well. And if they will take a picture, they will share it and they
will post it on Facebook again and by doing that, they will finish the cycle of
the disaster. Disaster? Yes, disaster! Speakeasy bars are for those people that
are running away from this social life and sharing and “mainstream” to have a
nice cocktail with dimmed lights and intimate atmosphere. And then You go in and You bring the
social life and sharing and mainstream right to that place COMPLETELY RIPPING
the atmosphere appart.
But You know what? Except of the fact, that You
destroyed that place alreay, You are against yourselves. There are going to be
a tons of people and a bars like this are not ready for it. Therefore You will
be waiting much, much longer for the cocktail, which is not going to be as
awesome as it should be, because the limited amount of bartenders is underneath
a big pressure and they will simply not have enough time to play with the
cocktails as much. You are decreasing the level of service too. The Bartenders are not going to talk to You, waiters are not going to be able to
use a serving plate anymore, because its too crowded and they would not be able
to pass in between all those people, that are “not supposed to be there” and
they have to carry those cocktails in their bare hands, which does not look
good and puts those cocktails to the risk of spilling…
Obviously, it is –
partially - fault of the people working there, too, that they didn't care too
much for telling people to not to take pictures. But, they are not police or
even your parents to tell You these rules and to explain everything to You. But if You don't see the obvious, and
You have taken a picture in ANY speakeasy bar, You can congratulate yourself
for partially destroying a nice, calm place with a dimmed lights and an
intimate atmosphere…
But…
Even if there are only two bartenders, one waiter and
one barback at the same time for not less than 80 people, that are constantly
changing and leaving and entering... This cocktail bar is not less than
absolutely incredible. Every single detail is perfect. An amazing desing, great
lightning, fantastic music – which was maybe a little bit too laud, but to its
defense again : if I consider the amount of people in such a small area and how
much noise they make, it couldn't be any more quiet, because You wouldn't hear
it at all.
Then You will get the menu and You will get to the bar
and You will be able to choose your drink. I was on a bartender's desk no.2
which is the one further from the doors and I was served by a barmaid, who
introduced herself as Margot.
I will honor her by name in this review, because she
stands here for all the possible standards, values and knowledge HOW YOU SHOULD
WORK behind the bar. Precision, focus, speed, control, technique, style,
grooming, ethiquete, style of shaking… She has it all. There are few different
levels on which You can work behind the bar. First : there is a guy, who works
in a pub, Second : There is a guy who thinks, that he is a bartender, Third :
There is a REAL bartender, Fourth : There is a cocktail Bartender/sommelier and
finally the Fifth : Cocktail Artist (I am NOT talking about the freestyle
bartender) / sommelier artist….. She has to belong to the class number 5 with
no doubts. There is no such a thing as freepouring. Bartenders are using
jiggers. And they are using them properly.:
Sometimes You can see, that some bartenders are
pouring to the jigger and when the jigger is about to be full, they will will
turn it uspside down, putting the volume of the jigger inside the glass, but as
the jigger was NOT REALLY full, they still have the bottle upside down for
more/less 0.5 second which is pouring a small amount straight inside the glass.
Technically its ok, because it is still very precise and it even looks ok. It
looks ok, untill You will get to this bar.
Both bartenders are filling their jiggers untill the
maximum volume, making a nice and proper cone of the liquid and just then they
are pouring it to the glass. This technique requires a lot of practice,
focused, firm grip with no shaking hands and a nice posture of the whole body.
The result is great looking, perfectly precise clean pour, rarely seen in the
Europe… After I've described technnique this high, I will not even mention such
a basics like for an example : if a part of the recipe is a bitters (Angostura
bitters) You pour it first, before all other ingredients…
I could appreciate all those aspects, as my
barmaid was preparing my cocktail of the following recipe :
Maggie Cassidy
- Congnac Pierre Ferrand 1840
- Mout de raisin muté au cognac
- jus d'orange
- poire
- spanish bitters
I guess it is the signature cocktail of the menu,
although I have been informed that the menu will change in about two weeks… I
honestly hope, that You will be able to find this recipe even after the change.
It has my profile of the taste. Sharp but smooth, spiced but fruity, bitter and
sweet. If You drink this cocktail fast, while it's very cold and fresh, You
will appreciate how well-ballanced the cocktail is and how the fruity part
matches the cognac, which will come to the word more, if You will drink it a
little bit slowly…
As I've been enjoying this cocktail by drinking it
slowly, I was still watching both bartenders making their art. Their cocktails
were exactly as bartenders. Prepared
with maximum precision, but not…polished. No stupid sugarcoating for cocktails,
no stupid extra movements for bartenders. If a part of recipe is a shampagne,
then bartender will pour it straight to the rest of the cocktail ALMOST
carelessly. But don't get me wrong, please. It is not that they would pour
it so fast, that it would leave the glass, but they were pouring it in such a
way that it increased the level of the cocktail inside, but after the pour was
finished, the level dropped down a little bit, making the foam from the top of
the cocktail slowly licking back, down to to the cocktail. Which looks
like the glass is pretty much ..dirty… But again - Don't get me wrong. It's
just a style which has no real impact on the quality itself.
Also, one of the recipies required Angostura to be
poured at the very end, right before serving. Bartenders made exactly 2 dashes
of Angostura to this cocktail, however somewhere it made lines on top, and
somewhere You could see only a stains of drops... Also garnishes were just
randomly floating inside the glasses...
Those three things made the cocktails look very … RAW… however … I repeat again.
: If those bartenders would try to eliminate those things, they would never
satisfy all the guests. And actually to the rest of the design, it would not
even match, to have a perfectly polished cocktail. The bar is old. You can see
it from the bar desk, the chandeliers and even the actual location, where the
bar is. With this service You will get a perfect cocktail from a very creative
menu, with a natural look.
There were moments that both bartenders had in
front of them 5 or 6 different glasses, therefore 5/6 different cocktails with
different preparing methods. Next to my cocktail, Miss Margot was preparing a
short drink in a mixing glass and next to that somebody was waiting for a flip.
All cocktails left the bar desk at the same time, all of them were great and
nodoby was waiting for long. Even If I am dissapointed from the fact, that it
is not a REAL speakeasy bar, I will come back anytime I will be in Paris.
By the way, I DON'T
recommend You to go there. If I will go there next time and I will meet even
more people than today, I will be probably start to cry so laud, that my head
will explode.
Naaaawwww, now I will be serious. There is no
way, You will fit more people inside… Still don't go there, please….
Ok, now I will REALLY
be serious - It is an amazing place. Don't miss it, when You will be
here.
Why do I share the secret here? Well, why not. The speakeasy culture is ruined here already. At least I don't share any pictures and You will have a nice place to go and a better chance to understand, what I am talking about...
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