PARIS SHANGHAI COCKTAIL

THE LOST HISTORY OF THE PARIS SHANGHAI COCKTAIL

Probably very few people know what is a Paris Shanghai cocktail! Its existence and origin were unknown to me until I discovered in an old coffer in my attic a book called Cocktails de France et d'Orient. The author, Jean Robert, was the barman of the Cercle Sportif Français, the former Shanghai French Club, and crafted the cocktail in 1933!

His inspiration was Shanghai cosmopolitan vibe during the 1930s glamorous days. The vodka incarnating the infuencial White Russian community living in the former French Quarter. The gentiane liquor and Armagnac giving a French flavour. The bergamot black tea expressing both the Chinese and, to a lesser extend, a certain British feel.

The drink became a speciality of the French Club, a favourite haunt of movie star Ruan Ling Yu, the famous head of the Green Gang, Du Yue Sheng and prominent businessmen and socialites of the tout Shanghai!

Patrice Drummond Bonzom

HOW TO PREPARE A PARIS SHANGHAI COCKTAIL?

3 CL of Vodka

2 CL of Suze (gentiane liquor)

1 CL of Armagnac brandy

3 CL of bergamot black tea syrup

3 CL of freshly squeezed lime juice

1 dash angostura aromatic bitters

1 dash angostura orange bitters

Recipe tips:

Make your own bergamot black tea syrup for the wow factor! Infuse 20 teaspoons (or tea bags) of bergamot black tea in 1L boiling water for 5mn. Add 1Kg of sugar. We recommend to use brown sugar as it will give a more exotic flavour to the cocktail. Alternatively you can infuse the tea in 0.5L boiling water and complete with 0.5L of ready-to-use brown sugar syrup. Faster and easier! Add 2-3 CL of orange flower water (optional).

Campari, Aperol or Picon can be used instead of Suze. Cognac can replace Armagnac as well.

MATIN D'OPALE No8

Matin d'Opale No8 is a citrusy and slightly woody fragrance that perfectly echoes the aroma of the Paris Shanghai cocktail. Fresh scent of bergamot and floral tea are combined with woody and warm notes of sandalwood and ambergris these latter expressed in the cocktail by the Armagnac brandy... #matindopaleno8

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A Shanghai Love Story

Fragrance as a source of inspiration

I sit at the terrace of a café nestled in Shanghai old French Quarter. Holding a bunch of white roses I am waiting for her. I yearn to capture her heart. Maybe I will, maybe I won’t.

She rides her bicycle in the Shikumen* lane. Her slender figure and long black hair catch my eyes. Nail polish and ribbons lovingly matched with her flower-print dress. In the pristine spring light she seems to float along, dream-like.

Later I gently touch her hand. Eyes closed, I breathe her sweet and fruity perfume. When she speaks, the rest of the World is silent to me...

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* Shikumen is a traditional Shanghainese architectural style combining Western and Chinese elements

Jeunesse du Temps No6

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A young and sexy oriental vanilla fragrance with a unique blend of East and West scents.

It opens with a combination of fruity and green notes composed of Burgundy black currant and ivy leaves.

The middle notes are a unique blend of pina colada accord and intoxicating Hainan island white gardenia.

Base notes are coco milk and carnal rapsberry.