Louis Lebaillif is a bartender at Little Red Door in Paris. He makes two cocktails for us, one with Vodka and Cherry Blossom Cordial and the second with Mezcal and Whisky.

Louis introduce yourself
I’m Louis from Troyes in the Champagne region of France and I’ve always worked around alcohol as my parents own a vineyard. They initially wanted me to join the family business, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do, I just knew I wanted to live in a big city. I left our town when I finished school and moved to the UK because I wanted to learn English. I actually decided to become a bartender to overcome my shyness. I knew it would force me to interact with people and take me out of my comfort zone. I first worked at Shebeen, a speakeasy in North London and afterwards worked at Hawksmoor, until I moved to Australia to run Palmer and Co. in Sydney. Upon my return, my friend Keila from Little Red Door called me and asked if I’d like to join the team in Paris. At first, I wasn’t sure I wanted to head back home, but she convinced me and I’m so happy she did. I’m actually rediscovering my own country after so many years away… plus they’re really nice to gingers here.

The classic you want to show us
Biomimetics
5ml of Kirsch
10ml of Cherry Blossom Cordial
15ml of Cherry Stalk Infusion
30ml of Vodka infused with Cherry Wood

The bar you dream of
A small, hidden bar that’s intimate with no fuss. I’d like it in a smaller city where the cocktail scene isn’t mature yet. I love Wes Anderson movies, so the interior would be quirky and unexpected. To be honest I think the team makes a bar rather than other factors.

What do you do in your time off
I live in Pigalle, so I tend to head to bars near home, like Dirty Dicks. I also love wandering around Paris, watching movies or listening to music.

The spirit you like the most
Linie Akvavit because I love the story behind it. The fact it’s aged in barrels on a ship as it sails across the ocean is very romantic. I like that akvavit has savoury notes as I like savoury cocktails.

What makes a good cocktail
Balance, passion and chat. If a bartender has good chat and is passionate about what he is doing, that’s just as important when creating a good drink.

What ingredient do you enjoy using in cocktails
Right now I like working with Bicharovka, a herbal liqueur that tastes like Christmas. It works really well with dark spirits to create great stirred nightcaps.

The signature cocktail you want to show us
Pelo del Perro 
25ml of Bruxo Mezcal
25ml of Cap Corse Mattei
25ml of Merlet Melon cream
2dashes of Laphroaig whisky
1 dash of Absinthe
1 dash of Saline solution

Where do you think we need to go to interview another bartender
In Sydney you must go and meet the guys from This Must Be The Place. Jake and Elliot should definitely be on your blog as they are fucking awesome and the bar is amazing.

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