Interview
Laure, can you share with us the DNA of the Aviats?
Les Aviats is a big family. Many of our customers have been regulars for many years, and always have little anecdotes to tell us about times past. I think that’s the DNA of the bar. Times have changed, everyone has taken a few wrinkles, but the bar remains timeless. What is moving to me, is to be able to relay all these little stories and continue to make it live. It is the place that favors intergenerational links, in a good mood, and with a good little drink in hand.
What is the secret to seducing and retaining customers for over 30 years?
I won’t talk about a secret, I think that above all, as I said above, it is sharing that keeps customers loyal. To be happy to meet around a glass, without an agreed appointment. A musical atmosphere common to everyone, with hits from the 80’s… Laughter, wild dances, in respect and simplicity. To keep the spirit of the bar intact while making it evolve. To find a balance that allows each generation to feel good. Renewal in the old.
What motivates you in your daily work?
What drives me is discovery. I am always looking for new knowledge. There is so much to explore in this profession, whether it be historical, generational, or gustatory… As the saying goes, “At the origin of all knowledge, we find curiosity! It is an essential condition for progress.
Les Aviateurs is a must in Strasbourg, where do you find the inspiration for your creations?
I find my inspiration through exchanges, travel, discoveries, research and learning.
What do you think are the virtues of spirits in gastronomy?
The use of spirits in gastronomy offers an infinite choice of possibilities. Like a new kind of seasoning, it will add value to a dish. “It’s the best thing about the Garonne”.
What do spirits and gastronomy mean to you?
A new era. The gustatory assembly of two emotions in the mouth.
Can we talk about liquid cuisine?
Today, cocktails are imagined and conceived as great gastronomic recipes with very precise codes and techniques of realization. Of course we can talk about liquid cuisine, even if I don’t like the term very much. Obviously, we follow different steps for our cocktail creations, which are equivalent to cooking recipes. The goal is always to create a harmonious and tasty blend.
Do you have a tip for creating cocktails that go well with a menu?
Find the aroma that goes hand in hand with the dominant of the menu and make it the main note of the cocktail.
Alliance suggestion
IN THE SHAKER
Smoke a glass with shallots
4 cl of gin
2 cl Dom Pacello Royal Orange
Top with tonic and garnish with an orange twist
TO ACCOMPANY
An oyster-based appetizer
