The World's Greatest Bartender
In every profession there is a pinnacle beyond which it is impossible to climb
higher. These positions include such noble offices as President of the United
States, Chief Executive Officer of General Electric, Chief Justice of the U.S.
Supreme Court and, in a slightly more modest way, head barman at the
Hemingway Bar in the Hotel Ritz in Paris.
There is no more famous bar in the world than the Ritz. It has been
celebrated by many of the 20th century's greatest authors, including Ernest
Hemingway, of course, and F. Scott Fitzgerald, and is patronized today by
an international smattering of diplomats, bankers, fashion models, playboys
and tycoons. One will always be welcomed there with cordiality and respect
by head barman Colin Field, who will then proceed to make the best cocktail (and probably the most expensive one)
you ever had in your life.
What Colin particularly likes is a challenge. If you tell him what sort of a mood you're in, he will then match a drink to
suit it. He takes particular pride in his more elaborate concoctions and makes many of his own ingredients. One of his
most treasured possessions is the massive, battered, leather-bound book of recipes that has been passed down by
generations of Ritz barmen, and Colin can make every single one of them.
While he would be happy to serve one up, ordering a drink as prosaic as a scotch and soda from Colin is like going to
the Tour d'Argent for a cheeseburger. "One night," he says, "there was a group of young people in here for a birthday
party. The father of the young man whose birthday it was is a very good customer, and he came in the day before and
said, 'Colin, the party is on me. Take care of them.' Well, naturally, I'd take care of them anyway, but it was getting
quite late and they all wanted a drink made with a coconut liqueur that isn't sold in France. So, what I did was go down
to the Ritz's kitchens and find some coconuts, a saucepan and one or two other ingredients and made my own
coconut liqueur. Then I came back upstairs and made the drinks, and they said it was the best they'd ever had. I rather
enjoyed that."
The Hemingway Bar, located on the Rue Cambon side of the hotel, is a
beautiful room, but surprisingly small; one would think that with all its famous
ghosts it would be larger, but its size gives it the intimacy of a first-class
saloon on a transatlantic liner. Colin is particularly skilled at introducing his
guests to one another, and by the end of most nights the entire bar will be
sharing jokes and stories well past closing time.
When Colin took over the bar, he had already earned a reputation as one of
the best bartenders in Paris, but he knew the Ritz was something special.
"Being bartender at the Ritz is the greatest honor there is in my profession,"
says Colin, an expatriate Englishman.
Colin doing what he does best at the
Hemingway Bar in the Ritz.
"No other bar has the same reputation or history. It is something I take very,
very seriously. Every morning when I wake up, I read newspapers from France, England, Germany and the United
States so that if one of my customers wants to discuss current events or the stock market, I know what I'm talking
about." For the same reason, he also reads books about such diverse subjects as antique cars, furniture, art, yachting
and history.
And it shows. Among his other talents, Colin is one of the best raconteurs in Paris--in several languages. During the
slower dinner hours, Colin keeps up a running commentary that can range from bullfighting to junk bonds. He has a
natural charisma that fuels his passion for his job, but he can quickly blend into the background when he feels it's
appropriate.
"Some people like to talk with a bartender," he says. "Some don't. My job here is to be the host, the showman, the life
of the party."
Hemingway Bar, Hotel Ritz, 15 Place Vendôme, Paris. Tel. (33-1) 43 16 30 30. Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 6 P.M. to
2 A.M. Or later, if Colin likes you.
Source: www.forbes.com