The Café de Paris cocktail is a charming yet slightly peculiar relic from the early 20th century. Made with gin, egg white, a touch of cream, and dashes of anisette, it presents an unusual mix of herbal sweetness and smooth texture. Its pale froth and whisper of anise flavor evoke images of Parisian cafés where artists gathered to talk about life and art late into the night. While not the most renowned of classics, it remains an intriguing artifact of its era.
✨ What Makes the Cocktail Unique?
This cocktail stands out for its combination of gin’s crispness with the soft body of cream and egg white, lifted by the licorice note of anisette. The harmony is gentle, almost delicate, and feels like a cross between a dessert drink and a classic gin sour. Though its flavor may divide modern palates, its frothy texture and subtle sweetness make it a lovely exploration of early European mixology.
📖 Recipe
Servings: 1
Time: Under 5 minutes
Difficulty: Lightly Skilled
🍹 Ingredients
- 2 oz gin
- 1 egg white
- 1 teaspoon cream
- 3 dashes anisette
🥂 Preparation Steps
- Add gin, egg white, cream, and anisette to a shaker without ice.
- Dry shake vigorously to emulsify the egg white and create froth.
- Add ice and shake again until well chilled.
- Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
- Serve without garnish, or add a small anise star for a decorative touch.
🍸 Variations & Tips
- Replace anisette with pastis or absinthe for deeper herbal flavor.
- Use heavy cream sparingly. A teaspoon adds silkiness without clouding the gin’s botanicals.
- For extra froth, double strain the cocktail into the glass.
- Chill the glass thoroughly to keep the texture light and smooth.
🌆 Perfect Setting
Picture yourself in a Belle Époque café with soft jazz or classical music playing, a notebook on the table, and the glow of Paris streetlights outside. The Café de Paris cocktail suits quiet reflection, early evening musings, or a slow unwind after dinner. Sip it gently and enjoy its creamy subtlety. Santé!
📜 A Forgotten Relic from Early 20th-Century Paris
The Café de Paris cocktail reflects a period when cocktail experimentation was blossoming across Europe. It likely originated in the early 1900s, a time when Paris’s café culture thrived as both social and artistic hubs. Unlike the bustling American Prohibition cocktails that emphasized bold flavors, European creations often favored texture and aromatic elegance.
Recipes featuring egg whites and cream were popular among bartenders seeking refinement and visual appeal. The use of anisette, a sweet anise-flavored liqueur beloved throughout France and Italy, nods to the café tradition of sipping pastis or absinthe at dusk.
Though it never achieved lasting fame, the Café de Paris stands as a snapshot of a moment when mixology met artistry in Europe’s most creative city. Its recipe endures in the archives of the Savoy Cocktail Book, quietly reminding us that some drinks are meant not for show but for quiet, forgotten pleasure.
Image by Addison Berry.