Paris Club Raises a Glass to the Classics

Paul McGee never fails to dazzle and entice in the cocktail department. When he was at The Whistler, he stood out as one of Chicago’s pioneering mixologists at the forefront of the craft cocktail genesis. Then he decamped and hitched his wagon to Lettuce Entertain You’s star with Three Dots and a Dash, that subterranean tiki wonderland regarded as one of the best bars in the world. Now the dexterous mix master is at it again, turning to classic European cocktail lore for his newly implemented drink list at Paris Club Bistro + Bar. But rest assured that when McGee does classics, you can expect a whole lot more than dusty throwbacks.

For his 21-drink strong cocktail list, McGee embraced Parisian past, a time and a place where American bartenders were flocking to reinvent themselves and their techniques during the throes of Prohibition in the States. It was during this time that many bedazzled hotel bars housed novel bartenders whipping up a majesty of new cocktail recipes, of which McGee has culled inspiration.

Through books such as The Savoy Cocktail Book, Charles Baker’s Gentleman’s Companion, and Harry Johnson’s New + Improved Bartender’s Manual, McGee delved deep into European cocktail history, using it as a diving board for a cocktail renaissance at Paris Club Bistro + Bar. Although timeworn and basic, it’s the precision and fine ingredients that make this new batch of cocktails so noteworthy.

Divvied into various sections – Cocktails, Royales, Sours & Daisies, Collins & Fizzes, Punches & Cups, Smashes, Fixes & Cobblers – the cocktail list doubles as a cocktail history lesson, explaining the meaning and genealogy behind each category. Examples include the bracing Improved Gin Cocktail, a forward-thinking potable ideally sipped slowly; the Star Daisy with apple brandy, gin, Curacao, and lemon; the Morning Glory Fizz with Scotch, lemon, egg white, and absinthe; the Gin Punch a la Terrington with Old Tom gin, Genepy, lemon, and sparkling wine; and the Sherry Cobbler with sherry, strawberry, and lemon.

Paris Club Bistro + Bar
59 W. Hubbard Street, Chicago
(312) 595-0800
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