In the 1930s, in the Mississippi Delta, an otherwise mediocre young guitarist disappeared for a while after a night of excess and returned with an otherworldly command of his craft. The only explanation Robert Johnson ever gave was that, at a crossroads, he met a strange, black-clad figure who taught him to play at that level. A few years later, Johnson died mysteriously at the age of 27. That Faustian pact, with its tragic end, sparked the myth of the 27 Club - artists cut down in their prime at that exact age.

That legend inspired Isadora’s new menu, Forever 27. The menu looks like an elegant, pocket-size notebook; each page honors a 27 Club icon with a Basquiat-style illustration that accompanies its cocktail. "The idea for the theme came to us naturally because it mirrors Isadora itself, the bar’s mysterious vibe: a late-night spot bathed in red light where people gather over a drink to listen to ’60s rock," explains Charly Clain.

"I like it when a themed menu makes every cocktail fit the concept perfectly. With Forever 27 we really dug deep, researching both the ingredients and the backstories. Even the stories we thought we knew took extra research, and the documentaries really helped."

Picking a theme inevitably sets boundaries, but those limits can turn into an advantage, says Maxime Caillet:

"Constraints spark creativity. You set yourself limits, but in the end they open doors. We’d never have had certain ideas if we hadn’t connected the dots. For instance, with the cocktail Pennyroyal Tea, I had no idea what the Kurt Cobain song was about. After digging, I learned it’s an herbal tea made with pennyroyal mint that soothes stomach aches, something Kurt suffered from, but it also has abortive properties, linking it to the album it appears on, In Utero. So we worked with Baccae to distill something that captures pennyroyal’s flavor, using peppermint, nepeta and more."

A team favorite is No Jones, No Stones, a sparkling highball that blends gin, olives, high-ester rum, mango, and a custom spice mix. The result is a fresh, lightly saline, herb-forward drink with a touch of fruit.

"I’d always imagined the drink with olives, something slightly briny. The fruity side comes from mango and the Savanna Lontan rum I love. I knew adding just a splash would really amp up the cocktail!" adds Charly.

Another favorite is Pearl. The starting point was the photos of Janis Joplin, where she’s never seen without a bottle of Southern Comfort. This Old Fashioned-style drink picks up the liqueur’s Southern notes but reimagines them in a more floral, cherry-accented profile. The singer’s Texan roots also guided the ingredient list, with tequila, toasted sunflower seeds and spices nodding to the region’s fiery cuisine.

Maxime’s personal favorite is Back to Black:

"I could drink 27 of these (laughs)! For this cocktail we started with IPA because Amy Winehouse was from Camden, London. Strawberry is the quintessential fruity summer ingredient. I looked for a way to marry the two, and the idea of an IPA vinegar came from the Noma book on fermentation. That led to a strawberry shrub made with the vinegar. After that, the recipe wrote itself: what do we want to sip on a patio this summer? I love bitterness, people drink Spritzes… so why not offer an alternative using gentian eau-de-vie and amontillado, carbonated. I think this drink is insane!"

Outside the themed drinks, the menu features a wide range of classics that give guests inspiration and a chance to broaden their cocktail knowledge. Two barrel-aged signatures are also available. Simply called #1 and #2, they’re served in 6- and 12-centiliter pours (about 2 and 4 oz) and spotlight long-time friend producers and supporters of Isadora.

At the end of the menu, several pages are left blank. Guests are invited to jot down whatever inspiration strikes them, letting the notebook pick up a natural, time-worn charm. Feelings, recipes, even sketches are welcome. No doubt someone will write: Isadora Forever!