Nikos Bakoulis, co-owner of Clumsies and Line in Athens, has taken residence at Casa Eminente in Paris. The latest in a series of guest takeovers of the bar that began with London’s Tayēr + Elementary in February Bakoulis will be in residence until the house closes on July 19.
Casa Eminente is an immersive multi-storey residence in the center of Paris that Moët Hennessy transformed into a home for the Cuban rum brand, complete with bar and restaurant, as well as four invite-only bedrooms. Inspired by the restaurants and bars located in family homes in Cuba known as paladares, the space looks to evoke modern Cuban culture,
“Casa Eminente is a really exciting project, expressing Cuban vibes and culture,” said Bakoulis. “In my collaboration with Casa Eminente we will serve guests some Caribbean and Mediterranean flavors for the next month.”
Combining the concept of his Athens bar Line with the Caribbean aspect of Eminente, Bakoulis created a trio of drinks for the bar: El Casa Punch (Eminente Ámbar Claro, hazelnut butter, thyme honey), El Afrutado (Eminente Ámbar Claro, kumquat cordial, pomegranate juice and cherry soda), and El Melocotón (Eminente Reserva with ingredients such as white port, dried peach and tonka).
Other bartenders to have taken over the bar since its opening in February include Monica Berg and Alex Kratena of Tayēr + Elementary, Matteo di Ienno of Locale Firenze in Florence and Lucass Maraton of Symbiose in Bordeaux.
“It’s not always easy to get people to Cuba, so the idea was to create a home away from home, and be able to give people an authentic Cuban experience with a Parisian lens,” said Max Helm, international brand, market and national account manager for Moët Hennessy.
Eminente Rum combines Moët Hennessy’s expertise with dark spirits and Cuba’s long-standing rum-producing tradition. Maestro ronero César Martí drew on elements of 19th century rum production in Cuba, with a focus on aguardiente, to create the rum.
“He wants to bring back the old notion of aguardiente, and what that meant in Cuba in the past, where it was really at the forefront. He wants to make that the centre of the story,” said Helm. “That really differentiates us a lot from the other rums currently in Cuba at the moment.”
The rum is also differentiated by its focus on the style of rum particular to the central Cuban province of Villa Clara, said to be a combination of the more mixable rums made near Havana and the sipping rums made on the eastern side of the island.
For more information or to make a reservation, head over to the bar’s official website.