Bartenders approach their craft like chefs, where seasonal infusions carry the same weight as seasonal menus, and where a well-shaken cocktail feels like a small piece of theater. Spending 24 hours drinking across the city is not an exercise in excess but in discovery. Just one night here and you’ll come away from the place feeling like a thief at the Louvre.

But there is a second current running through France’s drinking culture, quieter yet more profound: its…

