The prestigious Bar 8 of the Mandarin Oriental Paris recently unveiled a new spring cocktail menu entitled Saison. Designed by talented mixologists Alex Francis and Barney O’Kane, formerly of the famous Little Red Door, this menu highlights creations based on French products while honoring iconic Asian flavors.
A Haven of Peace in the Heart of Paris
Sheltered from the hustle and bustle of Rue Saint-Honoré, the Bar 8 terrace offers an ideal green setting for enjoying these refreshing cocktails. The new menu, developed by Francis and O’Kane, follows their previous success, having placed them among the top 10 bars in the World’s 50 Best Bars and recipients of several prestigious awards.
A Blend of French Ingredients and Asian Influences
The cocktails, inspired by the culinary heritage of the Mandarin Oriental group, use seasonal French ingredients such as Pyrenees mandarin, Camargue PDO rice and Parisian shiso. Among the ten signature cocktails, we find creations like Shiso (Wakaze Umeshu, purple Shiso liqueur, Sloe Gin Baccae), Shiitake (Shiitake liqueur, sesame sherry dry vermouth), and Kumquat (citrus cordial, Gin Baccae, kumquat). The menu also offers four innovative mocktails: Chilli, Custard, Laksa and Red.
A Farm to Table Philosophy
Under the aegis of the Mandarin Oriental group, Francis and O’Kane have designed recipes with Asian flavors while honoring French ingredients, faithful to the “farm to table” philosophy that they cultivated in their previous temple. Many of the spirits have been meticulously created by their micro-distillery, using treasures from various regional producers.
Q&A with Mixologists Alex Francis and Barney O’Kane
What specific offerings do you offer in terms of cocktail tasting and mixology at your bar?
For the summer season, Bar 8 offers Saison
, a menu of ten cocktails with Asian flavors, imagined by mixologists Alex Francis and Barney O’Kane. Inspired by the flagship products of oriental gastronomy and made from French ingredients (Camargue rice, Pyrenees citrus fruits, etc.) and local partners (Baccae distillery in Paris in particular). Among these ten creations, four can be adapted into mocktails.
Could you share the recipe for a particular cocktail, along with its flavors and taste?
Mandarin Cocktail
- 1 cl of Baccae mandarin liqueur
- 1.5 cl of white Lillet
- 0.5 cl of mandarin brandy
- Complete with champagne
This cocktail is made in a shaker, then served in a stemless champagne glass, with a garnish of dehydrated orange powder. Mandarin offers a unique sensory experience: the invigorating freshness of mandarin blends harmoniously with the floral notes of Lillet blanc and the sparkle of champagne, for a refined and refreshing tasting.
What musical experience do you offer in your bar, and what musical genres are typically played to accompany cocktail tasting?
Bar 8 offers a modern and varied playlist, particularly highlighting electro, with musical evolution throughout the day. This carefully orchestrated selection creates an elegant and contemporary ambiance, perfectly in keeping with the cocktail tasting experience.
Emblematic and Innovative Creations
Among the emblematic creations is the Mandarin, a welcome drink served in a graceful flared glass. This beverage combines a mandarin liqueur custom-designed by Baccae, Picon bitters, Lillet blanc and champagne, all enhanced by a touch of mandarin from the Bachès farm in Eus (Pyrénées-Orientales). The minerality of champagne and the invigorating notes of mandarin offer an extraordinary olfactory and taste experience.
The menu continues with innovative creations such as Rice, a highball whiskey combining a rice-based spirit, a French sake produced by Wakaze in Fresnes, aged in whiskey barrels, a brown sugar syrup and water, garnished with ‘a sheet of puffed rice with caramel. This cocktail, rich in umami, celebrates Camargue rice and is distinguished by its vinous attack and its woody aromas on the finish.
Sweet lovers will not be left out with the Custard, a liquid interpretation of the floating island. This creation combines custard liqueur, cognac, Pineau des Charentes and a meringue topping, prepared using the pastry workshop.
Other drinks such as the Red Bean, made with kirsch brandy, French red bean and peated whiskey, or the Kumquat, a low-alcohol martini made with Corsican kumquat and by yuzushu, testify to the audacity and creativity of the duo.
The Future of Mixology
The majority of cocktails on the menu are pre-batched, a technique that Francis and O’Kane perfected at Little Red Door. While they are already working on the next menu at Mandarin Oriental Paris, they are also preparing the opening of their own establishment.
With this new menu, the Mandarin Oriental Paris strengthens its reputation as a destination of choice for cocktail lovers and epicureans in search of new taste experiences.