A toast with the Ultimat Victorian "Oscar Wilde"

This, my friend, is a Society that meets once a month in Paris at the Experimental Cocktail Club, 37 rue Saint Sauveur, Paris II.

Somehow, the aim of our society is to live the life, re-create & share cocktails from the 1800's to 1900's and doing so with our friend Hendrick's gin at the Experimental.
It’s about doing what we want, when we want, how we want, with whom we want, most of all it’s about enjoying this life, Hurrah!

Attention, this is like Hendrick's, cause this is not for everyone!

"Dressing up" is de rigueur, "Hats" are very cool and a good attitude even cooler.

Basically, it is an evening where people hook up with people and between civilised Ladies & Gentlemen, the Experimental take us somewhere.

We experimented drinking with Charles Dickens; the future night should also get quite cosy with various authors, politics figures, philosophers, scientists, artists…

Below, a few guidelines, which I am sure you will understand, are only directions in which we wish to go. We hope you will join us for these delightful soirees.

Rules & Regulations for Guests

1- All men are truly gentlemen, and act as such

2- When seated or standing by a lady the gentleman request permission to en "allumer/griller une" if refused he must restraint himself

3- A Lady is always a Lady, always will be and should be treated as such

4- The Punch will get better at some stage, yes it will, it is a rule

5- Dressing up is cool

6- When you order a glass of water this must only be with a cocktail or close to one (touching distance it is), saying that the whole bar might be notified that you made such a request

7- One day you might be asked to cook, DJ, Tend the bar, or stand at the door, who knows what else. This might or might not happen, you can refuse with a smile and will be given a slice of cucumber meaning you have passed the test and are one of them, meaning us, you quoi!

8- Theme of the evening can be changed at any time but could be officialised one week prior to event, one day, one hour, be ready to improvise. Improvising is a gentleman best friend.

9- If/when a gentleman want to engage a conversation with a Lady, he has first to take his hat off and if conversation starts he must act at any time truthfully as a real gentleman seigneur, this is the code.

10- Remember you are a guest and a patron but you could pay tribute to our neighbours by “veux de silence en sortant”, since after all you are a gentleman of this world.

11- Hats are very cool, big time!

12- The staff is part of the family and will be treated as such. Don’t see a bartender see a colleague, a companion of arms who will take you to an other dimension, where I am sure, you will be pleased to be!

13- You might be greeted with a drink or so on the house, however to drink you must follow the Way. There is no cash behind the bar, to drink you will meet first Pierre, Romee or Olivier and will converse with them. Then they will show you the way.

With Guests flying from Rome, Berlin, London, Tombouctou, Shanghai, Amsterdam, Brighton, Osaka, Dijon, Stockholm, Slough, Hackney...et j'en passe...et des meilleurs, this will trully be International et vraiement quelquechose not to miss for all the gold in the world (voui voui, vraiment, j'insiste)!

Alors, why not spend the night with one of the greatest playwrights of the Victorian Era, yes, as you know well, Wilde wrote and produced nine plays!

So as the big man himself says:
"Seriousness is the only refuge of the shallow" -Oscar Wilde ; let's not be serious and let's not be shallow for only one, one short evening.

For that you might have (really, you do!) to dress up Victorian/Edwardian style and open the door of the fabulous yet young and refreshing Porter's House that the Experimental Cocktail Club is!
The Monday 3rd December of the year two thousand and seven, festivity starts at 7pm.

Text: Xavier Padovani, TM007, Mr. Cucumber and Juniper

Es hält sich hartnäckig das Gerücht, das die ein oder andere Traveling Mixologists Barjacke samt Inhalt an diesem Abend hinter dem Tresen zu sichten sein wird. Sympa!