The Botanist Bar at the Shangri-La Paris and its exotic cocktails

The Botanist Bar at the Shangri-La Paris unveils exotic cocktails, imagined as links between countries of the world sometimes thousands of kilometers apart.

This autumn, the Botaniste bar at the Shangri-La Paris awaits you in its hushed ambience to unveil cocktails imagined by Pierre-Marie Bisson. Bisson feels right at home in this palace with its dual French-Asian identity, and no wonder, since the bartender himself spent his childhood in China.

Returning to study in France, this son of a sailor took his first steps in mixology to finance his studies, and discovered a passion for the milieu. After a stint at theExpérimental Cocktail Club in Paris, Pierre-Marie Bisson headed to London to perfect his techniques, before taking the helm at the Botaniste bar, opened in 2017 in the Parisian palace .

For the Shangri-La, the inquisitive and adventurous mixologist has devised a menu that highlights plants, spices and other herbs. A fitting continuation for the Parisian palace whose former owner, Roland Bonaparte, built up the world's largest herbarium with some 100,000 species.

Plants are transformed and magnified through natural hot and cold infusions, compotes and sous-vide cooking, just as a chef would do. All the cocktails on the menu have one thing in common: to bring together in the glass two countries, two regions of the world, sometimes three, often thousands of kilometers apart, through surprising compositions and combinations.

The Japanese Samba cocktail, for example, links Brazil, Japan and France. Floral and sparkling, it features cachaça, umeshu, pink grapefruit, elderflower and a good dose of Bollinger rosé. Next, we head for Mexico and France, with Diego de la Vera, which will surprise many with its smoky scent. It's composed of cognac, amontillado, yellow lemon and a spicy, smoky salt that rests on an egg white emulsion.

We fly off to warmer climes, with Lost Horizon, which transports us to the borders of France and Algeria, a very light, refreshing long drink, with Armagnac subtly underscored by a blend of house teas and flavors of clementine and tangerine. Then it's on to Guadeloupe and Marie-Galante, with the Basse-Terre, a spicy, fruity cocktail made with rum, raspberry compote, black cumin, coriander, verjuice and figs.