According to Winston Churchill: “the gin and tonic has saved more Englishmen's lives, and minds, than all the doctors in the Empire.” Much in the same way, us Frenchies are also looking for a cure-all on Saturday nights. So we head to Tiger, on rue Princesse in search of the sweet medicine – gin, gin and more gin.
Tiger is undeniably beautiful: blue tiled mosaics, plant-motif tapestries and exposed woodwork separating the three bar areas, set over different levels. It’s noisy, so much so that you’ll find yourself dusting off your lipreading skills at the bar. It's not the best place to catch up with old friends. Luckily, the G&Ts are en route: one with Tanqueray gin, lemon zest, rosemary and the house tonic (€12) and the Normand; Christian Drouin gin, Calvados-infused apples and house tonic (€14). The friendly bartenders finish off the show with a pyromaniac’s dream: lighting a twig of rosemary on fire before plopping it into the glass.
With such experienced staff and quality gin, we’d expect proper fireworks on the tongue but the drinks fall short. The gin is drowned out by ice cubes, the botanics are almost non-existent and the only scent of rosemary is the smoking, charcoal nub that's left of it. The Normand fares a little better, but it is a shame nonetheless. Next time, we’ll balk for one of the other gin-based cocktails on the menu.
TRANSLATION: MEGAN CARNEGIE