You’re absolutely correct if you’re picking up a French theme to my Bar of the Week posts of late, and that’s because I’m off to Champagne and Paris next month and thought I’d include a few iconic bars on the Blog before checking them out for you guys in person in a few weeks … you’re wecome.
Harry’s New York Bar, Paris …. said to be the very first and oldest cocktail bar in Europe. It was bought by American Tod Sloan in 1911 and converted from a bistro into a bar and named New York Bar. Sloan hired Scottish bartender Harry MacElhone to oversee the running of New York Bar. In 1923 Harry bought the bar, added his name to it and Harry’s New York Bar was born.
Harry’s New York Bar is supposedly where some of today’s most iconic cocktails first saw the light of day … the Bloody Mary, the Sidecar and of course the classic and one of my absolute favourite Champagne cocktails, the French 75.
The French 75 dates all the way back to World War I, and it was Harry MacElhone who created an early version at the bar around 1915. Originally made with Cognac, most modern recipes now use gin. Certain recipes call for a simply syrup, other’s for confectioner’s sugar.
Ingredients: Coarse sugar, ice cubes, ¾ oz London Dry Gin (± 22.5ml), 3 oz chilled Champagne (about 90ml), 1 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, lemon rind to garnish
Moisten the rim of your flute with water, dip into the coarse sugar and put aside to set. Fill a cocktail shaker ¾ of the way up with ice cubes, add gin, confectioner’s sugar (or simple syrup) and lemon juice. Shake vigorously for 10-15 secs until condensation begins to form on the shaker (a bit longer if you’re using sugar instead of syrup). Strain into your flute and top up with Champagne.
Over the years Harry’s has attracted many celebrities such as the likes of Ernest Hemingway, Coco Chanel, Rita Hayworth and Humphrey Bogart. It is mentioned in Ian Fleming’s 007 short story, A View to A Kill where James Bond recalls visiting Harry’s Bar on his first visit to Paris. And the Ivories Piano Bar at Harry’s is where George Gershwin composed an American in Paris.
Harry’s is open daily from 12 noon until 2am. You’ll find them at 5 rue Daunou, 75002 Paris. If you need to contact them, Tél: +33 1 42 61 71 14 or email contact@harrys-bar.fr and also follow along on Facebook and Instagram for updates and news.
Harry’s will be my first stop when I’m in Paris next month and I’ll definitely be having their iconic French 75 Cocktail (or 2, or 3). I’ll let you know if it’s worth the €’s.
Pop, Fizz, Clink
The Champagne Chick
xo
THE CHAMPAGNE CHICK 