Wild about Harry's

Every now and then one of us breaks out of Muddled HQ for a litle R&R and last month it was Christen's turn. Rumours that she chose Paris just so she could visit the legendary Harry's New York Bar are entirely true.

It's been years since my last visit to visit to Paris. I was probably still in my 20s which gives you an idea of just how many years we're talking about. Back then I couldn't wait to see the art and marvel at the architecture but that was in the days when I drank Blue Nun and my idea of a sophistication was a slice of lime instead of lemon in my G&T. This time round I skipped the Louvre and headed for another iconic Parisian destination: Harry's New York Bar.

Harry's was founded in 1911 by the successful American jockey Ted Sloan. Cashing in on the large number of American expats on the Continent, he wanted to recreate the atmosophere of a New York bar. In the interests of authenticity, he had the interiors of a Manhattan saloon shipped over and reassembled at 5, Rue Daunou (or Sank Roo Doe Noo as Harry's famous phonetic advertising slogan referred to it). The bar opened on Thanksgiving Day 1911 when it was known simply as the New York Bar.

Sloan appointed Dundee-born Harry MacElhone, one of the first bartenders in Europe, to manage the bar. His tenure was interrupted by the First World War when he served in the Royal Naval Air Service but he returned in 1923 to buy the establishment from Sloan, renaming it Harry's New York Bar.

Tucked away in a quiet street, near the Opera Garnier, Harry's quickly achieved legendary status, thanks in part to its famous clientele. It was the favourite watering whole of the American literari who lived in Paris in the 1920s including Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein and, of course, Ernest Hemingway, and George Gershwin composed An American in Paris in the downstairs piano bart.

But it takes more than a host of celebrity clients to make a successful bar. People have visited Harry's for more than a century because of the quality of the drinks. It's the birthplace of many classic cocktails including the Bloody Mary and French 75 not to mention two Muddled Vintage favourites the White Lady (Helen's choice) and the Sidecar (Christen's). Although Harry's has moved with teh times, it's resisted the temptation to jump on every mixology bandwagon and these classic remain at the heart of the menu.

In fact continuity and history are a huge part of Harry's appeal. You can see it in the decor which has barely changed in over a century - the college pennants, faded banknotes and old caricatures that adorn the patinated wooden panels - and it's personified by the fact the bar remains a family affair. It's Harry's great- grandson, Franz-Arthur, who is in charge today.

Harry's doesn't take bookings and it can get very busy in the evening so be prepared to queue; it's worth the wait. It may be one of the world's greatest bars but it's also refreshingly down-to-earth and honest. You can turn up at 5 Rue Danou just as you are.

If you're not going to be in Paris any time soon, grab yourself a copy of Harry's ABC of Mixing Cocktails and recreate the experience at home. Here are some of our favourites:

Side-Car

Invented by Harry in 1931

1/3 Cointreau, 1/3 Cognac, 1/3 Lemon Juice. Shake and strain.

White Lady

Harry brought out an earlier between at Ciro's Club in Lonon in 1919 which included white crème de menthe instead of gin He adapted it at Harry's in 19129/

1/3 Gin, 1/3 Cointreau, 1/3 Lemon Juice. Shake well and strain.

Bloody Mary

Recipe by Pete Pettit, bartender at Harry's Bar, 1921

In a shaker or directly in large tumbler: ice, 6 dashes of Worcester Sauce, 3 dashes Tabasco, pinch of salt, pinch of pepper, juice of 1/2 lemon, 2 ounces of vicks, fill remainder of glass with top quality Tomato Juice, and above all no celery salt.

French '75

Recipe: Harry's Bar, Paris, 1925

Shake 2 ounces of Gin, juice of a lemon, sugar, ice. Strain in a large champagne glass and add Champagne; a teaspoonful of Anis may be added.

For more information about Harry's Bar, visit their website here.