A concept inspired by Jazz Kissa

Since my beginnings in the profession, I have wanted to have a bar where we can play records and listen to jazz. I met Benoît Coulomb, also known as Benoît de Bonnefamille, when I was working at the Hôtel  Particulier Montmartre, and he is the perfect partner. He comes from a family of restaurateurs and is a musician. As we researched, audiophile bars began to gain traction in the capital, confirming the coherence of our project within the Parisian scene.

We discovered Japanese Jazz Kissa; places open all day: for lunch or for coffee in the afternoon. In the evening, it becomes a bar where people come to listen to the owner's record collection. This concept has become a wonderful source of inspiration for us, allowing us to incorporate much of what we hold dear.

Mesures is not just a cocktail bar.

With its hours of operation, its kitchen, and its wine selection, Mesures is more than just a cocktail bar. In fact, the establishment will be open for lunch on weekdays, offering a three-course menu for €30 designed by our chef, Cyril Pham. He has an authentic Japanese culture, acquired notably at Ogata and Dersou. Moreover, he was one of the first French to work at Guilo Guilo.

In the evening, we offer comforting small plates with a Japanese influence, even a bit "western," as American influence is present in Jazz Kissa, where they serve hot dogs and Caesar salads.

Finally, on weekends, the lunch concept of a unique menu continues, but with a more elaborate culinary approach and four courses. We want to offer an ambitious kitchen and bar experience, which is why we have chosen to segment the sequences so that one does not cannibalize the other. This is why the cocktail offering at lunch will be intentionally limited, featuring three Highballs: a umeshu tonic with cocoa bean, a whisky highball, and a shochu highball. These drinks are more suitable for lunchtime, as they are relatively low in alcohol.

An extensive cocktail menu.

The menu will not be overly centered around a single concept. However, it is dense and consists of three parts, two of which are fixed: the signatures and the classics. Indeed, I have a fondness for places that have "flagship" recipes, iconic drinks that customers are happy to find, like at Sherry Butt with the Rônin, Castor Club and its Chirac 95, or Candelaria and la Guêpe Verte. It was important to me that the menu have a fixed section - the signatures - composed of original recipes with ingredients that are not too seasonal.

For the classics section, I have selected frequently ordered drinks that I enjoy: Old Fashioned, Negroni, Daiquiri, Margarita, Dirty Martini, and Espresso Martini. These are not "twisted" recipes, meaning they are not significantly altered. The focus is on using high-quality ingredients with the best technique - in my opinion - without straying from the essence of the classic in question. For example, for the Negroni, it will be a blend of vermouth, sherry, and Madeira to achieve the ideal vermouth for this cocktail. The same goes for the gins and bitters; then I cook the whole thing sous vide. But it remains a Negroni.

Then, the last part of the menu is seasonal. Here, freedom is the rule: frequent changes in content, micro-seasonality... This allows us to keep things interesting and to cater to regular customers looking for new experiences. There will be six cocktails in each section, totaling 18. It’s a substantial menu.

Japanese ingredients, but also spirits.

The inspiration for Mesures calls for the use of Japanese products. However, even with a different concept, I would have chosen a similar selection. What may stand out compared to other Parisian bars is a strong presence of spirits: sloe, wild raspberry, marc de Gewurz… Many people have a negative preconception about them, but if you let them taste, everyone loves it. It proves to be enjoyable to work with in cocktails, as it is very exuberant, aromatic, and easy to use - unlike sake or shochu, which are more delicate. The presence of a spirit is immediately noticeable, and you can even serve it in a dash!

A tailored ice format for each cocktail.

Particular attention will also be paid to the ice. The Nice Company delivers cubes and rectangles, and then I apply the appropriate cutting for each cocktail, using an ice pick or knife. This is important, as there are significant differences in terms of dilution speed. When you shape the ice into a sphere with the ice pick, the small irregularities will melt quite quickly, and then the whole will stop moving. This is ideal for certain cocktails, but not for others. If you want no dilution, you need to form a sort of parallelepiped that is a bit different, from which you will remove as many angles as possible to minimize the rough edges. It’s a somewhat empirical method, the result of practice, but it has proven effective.

Interaction with the kitchen.

The chef, Cyril Pham, is one of the people I enjoy discussing with the most. Even though the bar is a very dense universe, you eventually get a certain understanding of how other establishments operate. A cook, however, does not have the same approach to products. Additionally, the bar has different working tools. The bridges were easily built; the same preparations can be recycled from one side to the other. This is very stimulating for creativity.

In the long run, we would like to offer - on weekends at lunch - an advanced pairing. The cocktail would break away from established frameworks - very low in alcohol, almost like a broth - and would be an integral part of the dish. It wouldn’t be a pairing in the strict sense, but the plate would consist of solid and liquid elements.

Music: an analogous requirement.

For us, music in an establishment is essential. In fidelity to the spirit of Mesures, we want to push the boundaries. Everything will be analog: vinyl turntables, but also playlists on tapes or cassettes. At lunchtime, the atmosphere will primarily be jazz, with a bit of film music, and in the evening, the genres are open. Here, it’s Benoît's job. We will invite a number of guests - not necessarily DJs, but people involved in music in one way or another - to come and share their records with us. It doesn’t matter if it’s not mixed.

Later, the team can have fun organizing cocktail or wine tastings while playing tracks and trying to see if we perceive differences, notes, or flavors according to musical frequencies. Taste is one of the most influenceable senses.

Background and experience.

Before 2016, 2017, I was unaware that the cocktail world existed. I entered the bar scene for financial reasons and was fortunate to be hired by two people who own one of the largest breweries in the 5th arrondissement. They realized that my cocktails were a bit better than those of other bartenders and encouraged me in that direction, even giving me books, for example.

When we finished early, one of them would invite me to cocktail bars to taste whatever I wanted. I was immediately hooked and understood that I wanted to make this my profession. Later, I joined Castor Club, which trained me, before becoming head bartender at Très Particulier (Note: the bar of Hôtel Particulier Montmartre) for two years. Subsequently, COVID put a damper on my desire to have my own establishment, and I was recruited at Classique, whose philosophy I liked; that’s why I loved that place.

And finally, this location for Mesures became available. The beautiful story is that the two people who introduced me to cocktails financed the majority of the place. The circle is complete.