Moon Over Paris

When La Bohème's quartet of star-crossed lovers finally leave the bustling Cafe Momus, sticking Alcindoro with the bill, the tab would not have included the Moon Over Paris, Lyric's signature cocktail for this production. Jugs of house wine, to be sure, and a couple of prix fixe meals, but no vodka cocktails made with pineapple juice and Chambord, and garnished with a lemon wheel. That decoration's the moon, shining over the city and representing the tidal forces of love besetting our main characters.

This quaffable, colorful concoction is a slight variation on the French Martini. Now nearly ubiquitous in cocktail bars across America — and findable in the big cities of the Old World — the drink is thought to have originated in the 1980s in Balthazar or some other swank NYC brasserie. The 1990s martini craze solidified its place in bartender basic training.

The "French" element derives entirely from the crucial presence of Chambord, a black raspberry liqueur made by French monks since the 17th century. It is sweet without being unctuous, deeply crimson-purple, and features an aromatic, light vanilla note. The Chateau which first bore the name Chambord is one of the most astonishing French Renaissance architectural confections anywhere, a pinnacle destination in the Loire Valley. It sits about two hours south-southwest of Paris, and the city's Cafe Momus.

Or about two hours, by car, from where Cafe Momus once bustled. The establishment was, in fact, a very real place; it has a prominent role in Henri Murger's Scènes de la vie de Bohème, the source material for the opera. In the 1840s, until the end of that century, it was one of the many hubs of the city's legendary cafe culture — harder to find these days, though rumors persist that it can be experienced there, someplace, sometimes, if the planets align.

So take a sip of a Moon Over Paris, and experience a little joie de vivre. Is it an authentic opera-adjacent experience? No. Is it delicious? Absolutely. It's bitter and sweet, perhaps in equal measure, and has potent force. Maybe it's a little like Bohème, after all.

The Moon Over Paris is available during the run of La Bohème at the bars in the Lyric Opera House grand foyer.