The Parisian Cocktail Menu Designed to Make You Feel — and Remember

Photo Credit: Reto Guntli

As the light softens and Paris eases into autumn, Bar Les Ambassadeurs at Hôtel de Crillon unveils the second volume of A Sense of Memories—a cocktail collection designed to feel less like a menu and more like a reverie.

Photo Credit: Bar Les Ambassadeurs

The menu, which launched on September 28, builds on the bar’s celebrated storytelling approach, translating the sensations of autumn and winter into fifteen evocative cocktails. Crafted by head bartender Arnaud Volte and his team, each drink — included in an imaginative menu that feels like a home photo album, but more dramatic — draws on seasonal French ingredients and layered techniques to conjure moments that feel instantly familiar: the warmth of gingerbread on Christmas morning, the hush of a forest walk as the air turns crisp, the quiet joy of handwritten cards exchanged during the holidays.

Photo Credit: Bar Les Ambassadeurs

This seasonal evolution continues Bar Les Ambassadeurs’ reputation as one of Paris’ most imaginative cocktail destinations, where every creation is paired with an original illustration—an invitation to let memory, imagination, and taste intertwine.

Photo Credit: Bar Les Ambassadeurs

Among the standouts, Forest channels the stillness of the outdoors, blending Glenfiddich 12-Year-Old Whisky with shiitake mushroom, honey, pine, and peat. Thanksgiving captures the comfort of shared tables, marrying Michter’s Bourbon and sweet vermouth infused with chicken skin and cranberry. Harvest leans into early winter, layering Suntory Hibiki Japanese Harmony with vermouth, Madeira, spelt, verjus, and a house-made spelt kvass.

Photo Credit: Bar Les Ambassadeurs

Festive nostalgia takes shape in Gingerbread, offered in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions, while Christmas pairs mezcal and Calvados with chestnut, pear, and warming spice. For colder nights, Hot Chocolate delivers indulgence with Flor de Caña 12-Year-Old Rum, chocolate, chipotle, and spice—also available alcohol-free with Seedlip Garden.

Photo Credit: Bar Les Ambassadeurs

The menu continues its journey through place and feeling: Mountains evokes snow-dusted landscapes with Roku Gin and quince; Seaside recalls a deserted winter shore with Haku Vodka, manzanilla sherry, seaweed, and tonic. Floral and wooded notes unfold in Flowers and Trees, while New Lunar Year nods to ancestral traditions with duck-fat-washed Cognac, honey, spice, and soya.

Photo Credit: Bar Les Ambassadeurs

Playful memories round out the collection. Birthday Cake is unapologetically nostalgic, blending vodka with mascarpone, coffee, and cherry. Fun-Fair sparkles with Champagne and candy apple notes, while Greeting Card—a milk-clarified rum cocktail layered with walnut, pear, citrus, and spice—feels like opening an envelope scented with winter.

Together, the second volume of A Sense of Memories is less about drinking and more about remembering—an invitation to slow down, linger, and let the season unfold one sip at a time.

Photo Credit: Lauren Luxenberg

Bar Les Ambassadeurs is located at 10 Rue Boissy d’Anglas, 75008 Paris, France