Champagne flows in the film, whether it’s the last bottle at the Café Aurore in Paris, Captain Renault’s memorable order for Major Strasser’s table: “Waiter, a bottle of Veuve Clicquot 1926, a very good wine,” or the numerous champagne cocktails ordered throughout, champagne was destined to play a major role in the new production of Rick’s Café. Champagne by the glass became a staple at the bar, accompanied by a full range of spirits and cocktails – including dry martinis, traditional margaritas, mojitos and caipirinhas, not to mention our house cocktail, the “Sour Jdid.” Named after our street, Boulevard Sour Jdid (Arabic for “new walls”) the name, to non-Arabic speakers seemed an allusion to a sour cocktail, hence our concoction of a whiskey sour, with red vermouth replacing sugar for just a slight sweet touch. |
