Many know Mourad—or Momo—the bartender of Café L’Europe. Originally from Bougie, Algeria, Momo has lived in London and Boston, and has spent summers at Star Boggs in the Hamptons. But he has been a Palm Beach fixture since 1996, when he tended at Chez Jean-Pierre. When that restaurant closed in 2020, he found a new home Café L’Europe, where he has been crafting cocktails ever since.
This fall, the restaurant has two popular seasonal cocktails: the Maple Bourbon Old Fashioned (pictured above), and the French Pear Martini. For those unable to pay Momo a visit, try your hand at crafting them at home.
French Pear Martini
2oz Grey Goose pear vodka
1oz St Germain elderflower liqueur
Prosecco
Shake vodka and elderflower liqueur over ice until cold. Strain and pour into a Martini glass. Fill the rest of the glass with prosecco. Garnish with a candied pear slice.
The French Pear Martini.
Maple Bourbon Old Fashioned
1 orange slice
1 cherry
A few dashes of bitters
4oz Bulliet bourbon
1/2oz Maple syrup
Muddle the cherry. Combine the cherry, bitters, bourbon, and maple syrup in a glass and stir. Add ice and garnish with an orange slice.