Landis/Phifer French Moderne Cocktails By Franck Audoux

A fresh take on the classics, from Sazerac to the humble Highball: the adventurous recipes invented when America was dry and Paris was a refuge from Prohibition.

Following Prohibition, Paris, much like London, became known for serving up original and innovative mixed drinks. Although cocktails were present in the late nineteenth century, it was the interwar period, and particularly les années folles, that transformed the culture of cocktail consumption. This fertile time, both intellectually and artistically, was nourished by a growing influx of expatriates from across the Atlantic who made way for an age of experimentation and creation. The new ambassadors of cocktails made alcohols and aperitifs that were specifically French stars of the show. Alongside classic French Vermouth, locally produced spirits including Byrrh, Dubonnet, Suze, and Picon were mixed into distinctly unique cocktails.