This year’s Paris Cocktail Week runs from 24 January to 1 February with 52 different bars offering drinks specials, masterclasses and special events. For the 6th annual cocktail week, the PCW team is celebrating the on-trend cocktail concept: Mindful Drinking.
As a concept, ‘mindful drinking’ is pretty much what it sounds like: putting more thought into what and how we drink. The concept embraces important trends like eco-friendly bar practices, low ABV drinks options and no-alcohol alternatives. Mindful Drinking isn’t just a healthier approach, but a good way to appreciate more of what Paris Cocktail Week has to offer without burning out too quickly. So, here’s some ideas for how to put the concept into practice for PCW2020:
Support Eco-friendly bars
Paris is seeing more and more bars that employ positive practices when it comes to the environment. While there are plenty of bars worth a visit in this week’s line up, a few in particular merit attention for their eco-friendly approaches through waste reduction, seasonal respect, and support of small, local producers. Want to support bars with an eco-ethos? Stop into Divine, Breizh Cafe Montergeuil, La Mina, Monsieur Antoine, Combat, 1802, House Garden or Danico for the Paris Cocktail Week specials.
Mix it up with the non-alcoholic options
Paris Cocktail Week continues its practice of offering non-alcoholic options alongside regular cocktails with each participating bar featuring both a alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktail option. Maybe make a stop into Mabel for the rhum based Macouba Colado at Mabel and follow it up with their spirit-free, “spicy and fizzy” Sorry For What I Said, I Was Sober.
Skip the booze altogether
This year, the PCW team worked with Nicolas Julhès, of La distillerie de Paris to create the first non-alcoholic distillate to be made in Paris: the Spirit of Paris. Get a preview of it at all the participating bars before it’s commercially available later this year. Or check out the PCW closing event: OFF, the city’s first spirit free bar running at Ground Control all day on 2 February .
Learn some stuff
There are many interesting classes and events, two of which have a particular focus relevant to mindful drinking. At Ground Control, there are two spirits-free cocktail classes, and three courses for low ABV cocktail shaking.
Of course, you don’t have to go the no or low-alcohol route to enjoy Mindful Drinking. Check out all the options for drink specials and events on the PCW website because Mindful Drinking is all about putting some thought into your actions, truly experiencing and appreciating your conscious choices and doing your part to make the world around you a little better. So, keep that in mind as you work through the cocktail specials and classes all week!
