Paris Hoteliers Woo Ritz's Bartender

Colin Field is about to become the most in-demand free agent since Peyton Manning. The bartender at the Hemingway Bar at the Ritz Paris is widely considered one of Paris' best bartenders, and other hoteliers are hoping to find him on the market when the Ritz closes its doors April 16 for a two-year renovation.  

Field's original drinks and sparkling conversation have put the Hemingway Bar at the center of Paris' cocktail scene for nearly two decades.

After the Ritz closes next month, Field says he's not yet sure what his plans will be, though he's not suffering for lack of offers. He's already being "asundered with propositions," Field told The Wall Street Journal. "I honestly don't know what I'm going to do."

One option he's looking at is setting up his own company, possibly to make bottled cocktails for airlines and hotel minibars.

While combining the notoriously pricey worlds of high-end cocktails and minibars might be an interesting experiment in just how much a person will pay for an ounce of liquid, improving the cocktail options of all those people trapped on long flights sounds like a truly noble enterprise.