Bar Les Ambassadeurs, the resident bar of Hôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel, unveils a new cocktail menu on September 6, turning nearly three centuries of Parisian history into twelve chronological serves. Drawing on the anecdotes, personalities, and pivotal moments that shaped one of the city’s most legendary addresses, the collection transforms the heritage of the palace overlooking Place de la Concorde into a contemporary cocktail experience.
A Menu Built as a Chronology
Designed by Benjamin Nolf and his team, the menu moves guests through the story of Hôtel de Crillon in order, from the architectural vision behind its eighteenth-century founding to the cultural icons and distinguished guests who defined its later decades. Each of the twelve cocktails interprets a chapter of that history through flavor, texture, aroma, and presentation, an approach that positions the list closer to narrative storytelling than seasonal refresh.
The Age of Enlightenment in a Glass
The journey opens with 1758, named for the construction of Place Louis XV and the emergence of the grand façades that would come to define the landmark. The build combines Ilegal Mezcal, Ketel One Vodka, vermouth blanc, kalamansi, falernum, and verjus, a spec intended to capture the ambition and spirit of discovery of the Enlightenment. Alongside it sits Ange, a tribute to architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel, whose designs shaped the façades overlooking Place de la Concorde. It is a refined blend of Brugal 1888 rum, citrus, and delicate floral notes.
The Crillon Family Years
Le Duc commemorates the acquisition of the residence by the Crillon family in 1788. Rich and warming, it evokes the intimate years when the building served as a family home, built on Zacapa Solera Gran Reserva, oloroso sherry, honey, quince, spices, and chocolate. Marie-Antoinette honors the young Queen’s piano lessons held within the residence through a delicate blend of Tanqueray Ten, peach, caramel, and coconut.
Views over Place de la Concorde
Several creations look out, quite literally, at the historic events witnessed from the hotel’s windows. Rouge Concorde captures the transformative spirit of the French Revolution and the square’s ever-changing identity with Don Julio Blanco, hibiscus, cacao, Dolin vermouth, maraschino cherries, Chambord, and Campari. Fleur de Lys recalls the intellectual and artistic salons of the nineteenth-century French aristocracy, a spirit-forward serve of Michter’s bourbon, Suze, Noilly Prat Ambre vermouth, vetiver, and chocolate bitters. L’Obélisque celebrates the arrival of the Luxor Obelisk in 1836 through a complex blend of Rémy Martin cognac, manzanilla sherry, verjus, apricot, and Angostura bitters.
Grand Voyages and Gilded Salons
Transatlantic marks the arrival of international travelers at Hôtel de Crillon in 1909, evoking the romance of grand voyages with Mujen Original shochu, Timur pepper, St-Germain, verjus, and cucumber, a bright, refreshing serve that recalls ocean crossings and the excitement of arriving in Paris for the first time. Les Ambassadeurs, the cocktail that shares the bar’s name, honors the generations of diplomats, statesmen, and cultural figures who have gathered beneath the palace’s gilded ceilings, combining The Balvenie 12-Year-Old DoubleWood whisky with cachaça, date, vermouth, absinthe, and palo santo. Les Aigles reflects the historic conversations, celebrations, and political milestones that unfolded in the salons, mixing Ketel One Vodka, cold brew, oloroso sherry, pecans, and smoked black tea.
Bernstein and the Modern Icons
The final chapter celebrates the personalities who shaped the spirit of the house. Bernstein is inspired by conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein, a devoted guest of Hôtel de Crillon, and brings together WhistlePig 10-Year-Old rye whiskey, Fernet-Branca, maple syrup, green cardamom, and birch water in a bold, vibrant, and elegant serve. Completing the collection, Icône salutes the hotel’s contemporary chapter and its enduring influence on fashion, culture, and style through a crystal-clear blend of Hendrick’s gin, Italicus, Ketel One Vodka, dry vermouth, jasmine, and absinthe, finished with drops of black and white sesame oil.
Heritage as a Working Format
Blending craftsmanship, storytelling, and heritage, the menu turns centuries of history into twelve immersive serves, inviting guests to experience the legacy of Hôtel de Crillon one chapter at a time. For a palace bar attached to one of Paris’s most storied addresses, the format makes its intent clear: history is not decoration here, it is the organizing principle of the list.
