Azur
Café & Bar Gavroche stocks a wide range of over 50 types of pastis, some of which make its way into pretty mixed drinks like the Azur (blue pastis and Champagne). Chef-owner Frederic Colin says, “The color of blue pastis reminds me of the Mediterranean Sea, and when mixed with bubbly, the liquorice flavor is very fresh on the palate.” The joint’s also offering a Viva La France Indoor Picnic ($118 for four) basket—including camembert, pork rillettes, pâté en croûte and sweet madeleines—on July 13.
$18 at Café & Bar Gavroche
Pastis Manguin
On sale for $6 each (it usually goes for $10) at O Batignolles’ Bastille Day Party (July 13), are three kinds of pastis from Avignon producer Distillerie Manguin, in the colors of the French flag: white (original), blue and red (each macerated with different herbs). Bar owner Antoine Rouland says, “It is fantastic craft pastis from the south of France. They’ve been distilling since 1949, so they’re masters of the process. The production is also quite small as they are independent. We met them directly in Avignon and love the aromatic profile of their product.”
$6 at O Batignolles
Pernod Ricard
The special Bastille Day set menu ($78)—available for lunch and dinner, July 13-14—at Balzac Brasserie starts with an aperitif of ever-popular Pernod Ricard pastis. Served in a rocks glass with water jug and ice cubes on the side (for you to dilute it to taste), the classically French meal also includes a starter platter of oysters, saucisson brioche and eggs mayo followed by traditional mains like roast chicken and baba au rhum for dessert. Assistant restaurant manager Mohit Bahuguna says, “We choose Pernod Ricard as its famous throughout France: The French consume around 130 million liters of the stuff each year.”
$14 (or $78 with set meal) at Balzac Brasserie
