“Rio de Janeiro is hot, loud and the air is thick with sea salt. Samba drifts from every bar and the streets are alive with people,” Alois wrote in his diary upon arriving in Brazil. He found refuge in a cabaret on Copacabana. While women performed on stage, he was behind the bar, mixing cocktails for the guests. Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice singing a French song. He looked up and saw her — Claire. They had first met in New Orleans, where she sang in a small bar that Alois often visited after work for a drink. Sparks had flown between them then but before their connection could grow into something more, circumstances had pulled them apart. Until now…
Alois remembered that Claire loved raspberries. He crafted a cocktail for her using cachaça, raspberry syrup, lime and a bitter herbal liqueur. They began planning their future over drinks. The goal was clear: return to Europe and start anew — this time together. A year later, they had saved enough to set sail for Lisbon.
Claire