Welcome to this very first Jigger Daily, your new 100% bars and bartenders newsletter!

On the menu for this inaugural edition:

• 🍹 Cocktail menus dissected with their creators (Copperbay, Bar 1802, Ritz Bar, ...)
• 🎼 Bar openings to follow (Mesures, Boubalé, ...)
• 🏆 Bartender competitions
• 🥛 A Milk Punch technique without acid
• 🚀 Trends that will shape 2024

And much more!

🌵 Mexico comes to Paris with Casa Lumbre!

Casa Lumbre and its co-founder Ivan Saldana are arriving in Paris! The man behind Lenny Kravitz’s sotol, Lewis Hamilton’s non-alcoholic product, The Rock’s tequila, Abasolo whisky, and the liqueurs Ancho Reyes and Nixta (among others) will host a workshop on Mexican heritage and creative spirits this Sunday, February 11 at 4:30 pm at Mezcaleria (3rd arr.).

To make sure you don’t miss this exclusive workshop featuring a few drinks and tacos, book your spot now by clicking below!

🔥 Hot off the press

Little Red Door

Alex Francis and Barney O’kane, respectively Bar Manager and Head Bartender at Little Red Door, announced their “forced” departure – Source

After an incredible journey filled with life-changing experiences that neither of us could have imagined when we answered a phone call from a certain Mr. Rory J. Shepherd about five years ago, Barney and I were forced to step away from Little Red Door at the end of January.

Just a reminder: at the end of last November, the team at the bar currently ranked 6th on the 50 Best Bars list went on strike to support its co-owner Timothée Prangé, who was in a legal dispute with the bar’s majority shareholders – Source

Top 50 Cocktail Bars

If you’re planning a bar tour in the UK soon, the annual ranking of the country’s best bars, Top 50 Cocktail Bars, organized by the owners of the World’s 50 Best Bars, has just released its results: Schofield's Bar (Manchester) is in first place, followed by Satan's Whiskers (London) and Passing Fancies (Birmingham) – Source

Also note: the Schofield brothers will be behind the bar at Harry’s Bar in Paris for a guest shift on Monday, February 19, starting at 6 pm! – Source

🍹 Openings and new menus

Mesures, the new spot from Guillaume Castaignet

Guillaume Castaignet, co-founder of Mesures (which opened on January 26), discusses the venue’s concept, the special attention paid to both the kitchen and the bar, his passion for extensive cocktail menus, the key role of music, and also reflects on his career – Read more

Discovering Boubalé, with Maxime Caillet and Virgile Texier

Boubalé (at the Grand Mazarin hotel) is one of the standout openings from last fall. For Jigger Daily, Maxime Caillet and Virgile Texier talk about the venue’s concept, how the restaurant shapes the menu, and the benefits of being a hotel bar within a larger hospitality group – Read more

Textured cocktails at CopperBay, with Aurélie Panhelleux

The name CopperBay is well known on the cocktail scene, with three bars each having their own distinct features. As the Paris location celebrates its tenth anniversary in 2024, Aurélie Panhelleux talks about the current Texture menu and the logistics behind running multiple venues – Read more

Bar 1802 reveals its new menu, Origines

Located in the Monte-Cristo hotel, 1802 stands out as a French and European reference among rum-focused bars. To launch its Origines menu, retracing the path of sugarcane, Adrian Nino and Thomas Abd Ali told us about the creation of this project – Read more

"Autour de la Biodynamie," with Romain de Courcy (Ritz Bar)

Among the three bars in the Ritz, the Ritz Bar is by far the most modern. As the bar marks its anniversary and launches its new menu, head bartender Romain de Courcy spoke with Jigger Daily about his approach to cocktails, his techniques, and his professional journey – Read more

Sakaba: discovering Irasshai’s bar, with Audrey Charpenat

Hidden at the back of the Irasshai grocery store/restaurant, the Sakaba bar offers a cocktail menu that’s resolutely focused on Japanese flavors. Behind the counter, in a space whose mirrors enhance its brightness, is its head bartender: Audrey Charpenat... – Read more

🚀 2024 Trends

2024 Cocktail Trends according to Bacardi [Infographic]

The most popular cocktails, top ingredients tried out by bartenders, sustainable practices, and even new AI technologies—discover in an infographic the upcoming trends in the bar world! – Read more

🏅 Cocktail competitions

JNPR launches its cocktail competition

Building on the momentum of Dry January, JNPR announced the launch of the JNPR Cocktail Competition, a new mixology event bringing together professional bartenders from five countries: France, Italy, Greece, the UK, and the UAE. Registration is open until March 17 – Read more

Cocktail Maestros

Havana Club has released the list of European finalists for its Havana Club Cocktail Maestros competition – Source

Here are the French finalists…

• Laure Ferrand and Julien Lecharpentier from Bar 300 at Maybourne Riviera (06)
• Arthur Pageix and Maxime Gauthier from Fouquet’s Majestic Cannes
• Thomas Rotivel and Clement Roche from L’Antiquaire (Lyon)
• Louis Garel and Maxence Gatebois-Lavalle from Hôtel des Grands Boulevards (Paris)
• Jeanne Voignier and Marie-Paule Corby de Thonel d’Orgeix from Tempête (Toulouse)
• Maxime Marmillon and Enzo Lallemand from Cigale (Lyon)
• Roberta Sturiale and Simon Kautz from Aedaen Speakeasy (Strasbourg)
• Hortense Van der Horst and Christopher McNulty from Mary Céleste (Paris)
• Antoine Molnar and Clara Häsler from Château de Berne (83)
• Ophelie Lopez and Lorenzo Fontanella from Candelaria (Paris)

Maxime Mannevy and Oliver Eardley win the Coquerel Coq Tail Tournoi 2023

Among the 5 finalists of this first edition of the Calvados Coquerel cocktail competition, it was Maxime Mannevy and Oliver Eardley who both ended up in first place! – Read more

Evan W. Flynn, the big winner of the Nikka Perfect Serve 2023 international bartending competition!

Evan W. Flynn convinced the judges and took first place at the Nikka Perfect Serve 2023 with a Nikka Days highball revisited with raspberry eau-de-vie and a Sherry Palo Cortado – Read more

Thomas Jacob and Nikos Ofidis win Villevert on Stage

Out of 64 participating venues, the duo from L’Officine in Lyon took first place at the very first final of the Villevert on Stage cocktail competition – Read more

🥛 Technique

Milk Punch 2.0: the technique without acids

Bartender Daniel Villa (Supperland, North Carolina) has developed a technique to prepare a milk punch without using lemon juice! – Read more

🥃 Beyond the bar

Himkok announces an aquavit aged at sea in collaboration with LINIE Aquavit

The famous Oslo bar has partnered with Linie to create a limited-edition aquavit, Himkok Linie. It will be aged at sea in sherry casks (a Linie signature) and should be ready by summer 2024 – Read more

📰 Press Releases

Lombem unveils its speakeasy

In the heart of the picturesque Passage des Panoramas (Paris 2nd), the restaurant Lombem is a go-to spot for lovers of wood-fired grilled meats. But behind this meaty façade lies a well-kept secret, the Speakeasy Lombem... – Read more

The Confidential: the most secret bar in the capital

The hotel Les Jardins du Faubourg reveals its hidden gem, The Confidential, an intimate bar with a hushed atmosphere frequented by personalities and connoisseurs of carefully crafted wines, spirits, and cocktails – Read more

The Honey Moon, the first bar in France with 100% draft cocktails

A trailblazer in France, The Honey Moon offers a range of cocktails all served on tap, with quality that’s on par with the world’s top 50 bars – Read more

🤵‍♂️ Jobs

Agence Faux Rêveur – Single Malt Whisky Brand Ambassador

The Faux Rêveur agency is recruiting a Single Malt Whisky Brand Ambassador – Apply

📆 Agenda

Manhattan Week: February 19 to 25, 2024

From February 19 to 25, 2024, Angel's Envy is teaming up with the best bars and restaurants in Paris to offer new takes on the iconic cocktail, using its Kentucky Straight Bourbon – Read more

💌 That's all folks!

That’s all for today!

If you enjoyed this first edition — or not at all — feel free to let us know by clicking on the 👍 / 👎 at the end of this email, and especially share it with your colleagues, friends, and so on!

Anyway, don’t forget to sign up for the Ivan Saldana / Casa Lumbre workshop taking place on Sunday at Mezcaleria!

See you very soon!