EN 
To try the secret Boulevardier or any of our other handcrafted cocktails, come and take your place at Le Bar.
We hope to see you at Hôtel Plaza Athénée soon.
In conversation with
Benoit Marin’s Cocktail Bar Secrets
September 28, 2022
As a highly skilled mixologist and director of Le Bar, La Galerie and La Terrasse Montaigne at Hôtel Plaza Athénée, Benoit Marin tells us about his passion for perfection and his favourite secret cocktail.
Raising the bar
My first role at Hôtel Plaza Athénée started back in 2009 as a mixologist at Le Bar. Since then I’ve worked at a variety of the hotel’s dining outlets and developed a true passion for the place. It’s such a distinctively Parisian hotel yet with its own strong identity. My experience here has given me the determination to offer our guests the absolute best and Hôtel Plaza Athénée now feels like my second home.
Introducing the Boulevardier
My favourite cocktail of all time is without a doubt the Boulevardier. This incredible cocktail was created at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris, back in 1927 by Harry McElhone, for magazine editor Erskine Gwynne. It’s a creative take on a classic Negroni, which was inspired by Gwynne’s request for a bourbon instead of gin mix. Harry was so impressed when he sampled it that named it the Boulevardier, after the title of Gwynne’s magazine.
Those in the know
Although this is my ultimate cocktail, you won’t find it on the cocktail menu at Le Bar. This is because we’ve created a sense of mystery around it, making it something special for only those in the know. Now that you know the secret, simply ask one of our mixologists to create it for you and they will with great pleasure, enabling you to enjoy this exclusive ‘in the know’ experience.
Make your own
If we’ve inspired you to make your own Boulevardier at home, here’s the recipe for you.
Ingredients
3cl Bourbon
3cl Campari
3cl Martini rouge
Orange zest decoration
Method
Take the three equal measures of alcohol listed above and stir together or mix in a cocktail shaker. Serve in an Old Fashioned glass with a large ice cube and add a twist of orange peel to decorate the side of the glass. Simple but outstanding.
Spirit of Le Bar
Like the Boulevardier, we love celebrating our rich history by giving it our own modern twist. At Le Bar you’ll find a wonderfully intimate and relaxed atmosphere that I don’t believe you’ll find anywhere else in Paris. I think that’s down to the beautiful dark wood interior, our creativity and carefully crafted menu. It’s the same thing when mixing the perfect cocktail, it’s a very special form of alchemy that you instantly recognise when it’s right.
Creative flair
Ideas for new cocktails come in many forms. I’m a great believer that everything is possible if you give yourself the right means. For example, I recently introduced my children to popping candy and they loved it. This inspired me to create the Electro, a fun cocktail with popping candy around the top of the glass. I also love using attractive glassware and have introduced some beautiful ceramic glasses that I fell for in Morocco.
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