THE MAGAZINE FOR MANAGERS, SOMMELIERS AND BARTENDERS SINGAPORE NO. 3
RUM, PIONEERS, PIRATES& PROHIBITION
‘ALL COGNACS ARE BRANDIES
BUT NOT ALL BRANDIES ARE COGNACS’ GOES THE OLD SAYING, BUT WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN? COINTREAU PRESENTS FIRST EDITION OF
LA MAISON COINTREAU IN ASIA SINGAPORE’S BARTENDERS PAVE THE WAY FOR A WORLD CLASS ENDING
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Welcome It’s true that here in Singapore we love our Cognac. While trade into China has slowed – due to government austerity measures – Singapore has remained true to the French spirit that embodies luxury and continues to embrace new and exciting line extensions. In this edition we talk about the importance of Cognac in the Singapore market and the renewed efforts of brands to offer something new and exciting. We bring you an interview with Gaurav Sabharval, the managing director of Pernod Ricard Singapore, the brand owners of Martell Cognac. We also bring you the exciting developments in the rum category, from a new Bacardi campaign focusing on the family history to the ultra cool Sailor Jerry brand featured in our Cocktail Club this edition. The World Class Cocktail Competition continues to grow on the global stage and at the time of printing, we are all holding our breath to discover where in Asia the 2014 final will be held. Check back in at www.drinksworld.asia, or follow the facebook page, facebook/drinksworld to find out just as soon as we do. World Class isn’t the only comp in town; check out our report on the ‘Cointreau La Maison,’ its first time in Asia – very exciting. And finally, having been successfully launched in our sister Hong Kong publication, we bring you our own exciting news. Drinks World Asia launches its very own Top 25 (T25) Bartenders and Top 25 (T25) Sommeliers. T25 Bartenders are first off the rank – coming this April. Get online to keep up to date... www.drinksworld.asia.
Drinks World Asia - Singapore is distributed to 3000+ bars, restaurants and hotels in Singapore. If you would like to have your brand represented or would like to contribute or comment please contact: marc@hipmedia.com.au
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Contents
12 66 18
20 Meet
18 20 34 54 62 65
Maurice Hennessy
Bernard Pellion
Martell Interview
Chef Jeff Mosher
Alfred Cointreau
Cointreau Bartenders
38 Drink
102
Cocktail Club - Sailor Jerry
Features
12 38 47 52 57 66 68 78
Cognac
L’Or de Jean Martell
Careers after bartending
Ice and Highballs
La Maison Cointreau
Gin Jubilee
World Class
Pioneers, Pirates & Prohibition
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Contents
88 23
Profiles
30 42 74 88 98 107 110
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Martell / Zhang Yu
43
98
Visit
23
New York’s Bar Scene
107
Regulars
114
Coming up
Hennessy Singapore
Ron Zacapa
Bacardi - Everyone has a story Sailor Jerry
East Imperial
Edrington Singapore
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Credits CREDITS Publisher Marc Rodrigues marc@hipmedia.com.au EDITORIAL Publishing Editor Ashley Pini DESIGN Art Director Evelyn Rueda Senior Designer Ryan Andrew Salcedo ADVERTISING Advertising Manager Sasha Falloon SALES Sales Director Marc Rodrigues Sales Manager Sasha Falloon PHOTOGRAPHY Photographer Janka Husta Writers: Ashley Pini, Andy Gaunt, John O’Toole, Beanie Espey, Mathew Bradford, Naren Young Publication MCI (P) 198/03/2013
Editor’s note Unsung heroes Hallelujah for the barback If you asked the average punter what they thought is the difference between a good bar and a well-oiled machine, they’d probably tell you it’s all about the drinks, the venue, the bartender or the management. Yet on most occasions it’s the painstaking job of the overlooked bar back. Without them, the night becomes a nightmare. As the bartender juggles customers, the barback runs back and forth to fetch stock, change the barrels, clean the lines, fill the ice buckets, cut fresh limes, wipe the bar, deal with the broken glass- and this is only naming a few. All jobs have their downsides, and this is no exception. Soggy clothes, injuries, long and anti-social hours, smelly ashtrays and pruney hands were all mentioned. Comments I regularly hear are; ‘A lot of the mess isn’t made by you - cleaning the ashtrays was the worst”. ‘As a barback I feel like the “bartender’s skivvy”. So what do the barbacks get out of such a painstaking job? One word. Experience. Many bar backs start with no experience, and of course “A knockoff beer is better than any other beer”. So what’s the difference between a good bar back and a great bar back, it appeared everyone I spoke to agreed: a good bar back will do everything they’re told, while a great bar back will, in practice, anticipate what’s happening, and not be afraid to get their hands dirty if it means getting the job done. Here’s to great bar backs. The unsung heroes of the bars around the world.
Sponsor
Andy Gaunt Andy Gaunt has a deep-rooted and long standing passion for the drinks, food, travel and luxury sectors. With over 15 years of industry experience, beginning behind the bar, Andy was at the heart of the explosion of cocktail culture in London in the late 90s and early 2000’s.
Produced and published by
Editorial Enquiries: If you, your bar, or your brand and company have news or events you would like to share with Drinks World Asia please contact: ashley@hipmedia.com.au Although Hip Media Asia endeavours to ensure the accuracy and correctness of the information and drinks trade and drinkstrade. com.au, we do not accept any liability or responsibility for any inaccuracies or missions. The views expressed by authors of publications or event presentations, published drinks trade, do not necessarily represent the views of Hip Media Asia. Decisions or actions based on the information and publications provided by Hip Media Asia are at your own risk.
drinks-world-asia @drinksworldasia
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° FEATURE °
‘Alembic’ ‘
All Cognacs are brandies, but not all brandies are Cognacs’ goes the old saying, which might sound profound and enigmatic, but just what does it mean?
WORDS ° Matthew Bradford Brandy is an alcoholic spirit distilled from various fruits. Calvados/ Applejack, (apples), Kirschwasser (cherries), Poire William (pear), Slivovitz (plums) are all types of fruit brandy and in France these are known generically as ‘eau-devie’, or ‘water of life’. The eau-devie we’ll explore here is a grape brandy, that is, an eau-de-vie distilled from fermented grapes and more specifically those from a single recognised geographical area of France and to a specific set of rules. These are known as Cognacs. Grape brandies are produced throughout the world and their histories stretch back many hundred of years. Countries like Greece (Metaxa), Italy (Vecchio Romano) and Spain (Brandy de Jerez) all have their own distinct local brandies, but one country prides itself most among all others for its brandies – France. The French are particularly proud of brandies produced from two specific areas; Cognac and Armagnac, both of which are situated near Bordeaux. Although Armagnac’s history is longer, Cognac is the better known of the two. They share many attributes in common, with
both production methods required to meet certain legal requirements to carry the name “appellation d’origine controlee”, which is the French certification system for agricultural products such as wine, eau-de-vie and cheese. Stylistically, the two eau-de-vie are very similar, although Cognac is distilled in a pot or alambic still, whereas Armagnac is distilled in a column still.
A HISTORY OF COGNAC Vineyards were planted in Saintonge, Charantes-Maritime in the 3rd century A.D. during the reign of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius Probus who reversed a previous law and granted the privilege of grapegrowing and winemaking to all of the local Gauls. In the 1100’s, the region’s grape production was increased again when Guillaume X., the Duke of Guyenne and Poitiers, ordered major plantings of vines in the Poitou-Charante region. This meant that by the 1200’s wine was being added to salt shipments sent from the region to Hamburg. In 1185, King Henry II of England, also known as Henry Plantagenet, founded the Angevin Empire, which comprised England, parts
of Wales and Ireland, as well as most of the Western half of France. The Cognac region, like Bordeaux and Armagnac, was under English control for large parts of the next 400 years and the English possession stimulated the demand, production and export of these wines and eaux-de-vie. The Dutch had also been importing wine from the Charente region and in order to reduce the volume of wine that had to be carried it was double distilled, with the resulting spirit put into wooden casks to be shipped back to the Netherlands. It was this transportation in wooden casks that changed the character and flavour of the spirit - and a grape brandy aged in wood was born. All it needed was a name, which came about due to a distillation process. During its distillation the wine was brought to the boil using fire and so it was called “brandewijn”, or burnt wine in Dutch. This became brandy wine in English; or, as we know it, brandy. During the Middle Ages the distillation process began to be better understood and perfected and began to spread throughout Europe. By 1411 the first grape brandy had been made in
Armagnac using the local grapes, which were first fermented and then distilled. Cognac followed suit in 1549. In Cognac, the production of grape brandy using the doubledistillation process and oak cask aging became favoured. In 1638 Sir Robert Lewes spoke of wine from France called ‘Cogniacke’ in his travel journal, and so, the region’s reputation was firmly established. By 1643 Philippe Augier had founded Cognac Augier and over the following centuries many more Cognac houses were founded, such as Remy Martin, Courvoisier, Martell, Hennessy, Delamain and Hine. Thanks to the perfection of the double-distillation method in 1710, these houses have assisted in refining the process of making brandy and cognac into the polished product we know today.
WHAT IT TAKES FOR A BRANDY TO BE A COGNAC For a distilled brandy to be legally called a cognac it must be made in a specific way. It must be mainly made using the Ugni Blanc grape (known locally as Saint-Émilion), twice distilled in copper pots and then aged for a minimum of
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two years in oak barrels from the Tronçais and Limousin regions of France. Cognac production is centred around the towns of Cognac, Jarnac and Segonzac and straddles the two ‘départements’, or counties, of Charentes and Charentes-Maritime. It is divided into six distinct geographical areas, or ‘cru’, largely based around specific soil types. Cru is a French term which means literally ‘growth’ and refers to the idea that a specific area of land has certain geologically homogeneous characteristics which gives a wine or Cognac produced there a unique character, aroma and flavour. The six cru are: Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies, Fins Bois, Bon Bois, and Bois Ordinaire, with the first three being considered the superior cru due to their better soils. It should be noted that the ‘Champagne’ element in the name is nothing to do with the sparkling wine also called champagne. Although the name has the same
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origin, the word refers to the chalky soils that can be found in the Champagne and Cognac regions. The base wine used to make Cognac is extremely sour, acid and thin, and if it is to be a ‘cru’ Cognac it must be made from at least 90 per cent Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche and Colombard, which the remaining 10 per cent being made up from a variety of local grapes including Le Jurançon, Sémillon,
Montils, Meslier-Saint-François, Balzac Blanc, Chalosse, SaintPierre, Bouilleaud, Saint-Rabier, Balzac Noir and Petit Noir. Of the first three grapes, which make up 90 per cent of any ‘cru’ Cognac, Ugni Blanc and Folle Blanche are considered the best varieties for Cognac production, as they both produce juice that’s high in acidity, making it the ideal the base wine for Cognac. Once ready,
the grapes are picked, crushed and allowed to ferment using the natural yeast found in the grape skins and surrounding environment of the distillery, which converts the sugar to alcohol. At this stage, the liquid is at around 7-8 per cent alcohol. This is then distilled twice in traditional Charentais style copper stills, known as alembic stills, which results in a clear eaude-vie with around 70 per cent
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alcohol. This is then aged in French oak barrels, which impart dryness, colour, sweetness from the oak sap, and all the rich hints of spice and dried fruits that can be found in a Cognac. The minimum ageing is two years, though most houses age even their basic grade Cognac for longer. This oak ageing, coupled with the soil types the grapes are grown in and the climate, are the key elements that give Cognac its quality factor and uniqueness. During the oak ageing the eaudevie reacts with the barrel and the air it contains, which causes
evaporation of both water and alcohol. The alcohol evaporates at a greater rate than the water and this results in the drop from 70 per cent to the standard ABV of 40 per cent. Once the required length of ageing in barrel has been reached, which dictates the grading of the Cognac, it is then transferred into large glass carboys or demijohns, which are known locally as bonbonnes or dame-jeanne. The next stage is the blending or marriage of the different eauxdevie, from different regions and of different ages. The youngest eau-de-vie in the blend dictates
which grading the final product will be given, so there is no real point blending very old eaux-de-vie with younger ones as the resulting grade will be for a young Cognac. This blending is key in the production of nearly all Cognac and the aim here is to produce a balanced and consistent product year-in, yearout, exhibiting a particular ‘house style’. The Cognac houses each have their own maître de chai, or cellar master, who oversees the blending to reproduce this house style consistently. They are also know as le nez, or the nose of the distillery, as it is their
nose and sense of smell and taste that set and perpetuate the house style. Traditionally, many local farmers and villagers would make their own eau-de-vie at home – a practice that was greatly encouraged by Napoléon Bonaparte when he removed the tax on home-distilled alcohol, allowing up to 20 litres of alcohol at 50%ABV to be produced tax-free. This privilège de bouilleur de cru, which literally means the privilege of being able to boil your own vineyards, was passed on from generation to generation in France until 1960. The lifting of
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‘‘Traditionally, many local farmers and villagers would make their own eau-de-vie at home – a practice that was greatly encouraged by Napoléon Bonaparte when he removed the tax on home-distilled alcohol, allowing up to 20 litres of alcohol at 50%ABV to be produced tax-free.’’
the tax helps to explain the sheer amount and diversity of local eauxde-vie that you will find across France. The grading of Cognac uses English terminology, which reflects the long British association with its production, and is set by the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac, or BNIC: V.S. or Very Superior: the youngest eau-de-vie will have spent at least two years aged in oak, although the average age will be longer. Also known as ✯✯✯ or Three Stars. V.S.O.P. or Very Superior Old Pale: the youngest eau-de-vie will have spent at least four years aged in oak, although the average age will be longer. Napoléon (after the Emperor), X.O. (Extra Old), Extra, Hors d’âge (literally beyond or outside age): the youngest eau-de-vie will have spent at least six years aged in oak, although the average age will be longer and each Cognac house will have its own standard for what the final average age of the blend is, with some of the prestige blends containing Cognacs of a very old age. As of 2018, these grades will have the minimum age requirement moved up to ten years. The Hors d’âge has been set
by the BNIC as the highest grade possible and encourages Cognac houses to use only their oldest and finest eaux-devie for this grade. Vieux (old): a grade sometimes used by Cognac houses for a grade between a V.S.O.P. and an X.O., and they may also use Très Vieille Réserve (Very Old Reserve), Vieille Réserve (Old Reserve), or Réserve de la Famille (Family Reserve) which are grades superior to an X.O., so similar to an Hors d’âge. Some of these grade Cognacs can contain eau-de-vie of 60 years age or more and reserve eau-de-vie stored in carboys from old and ancient vintages are often blended into these grades to give added flavour, aroma, power, elegance and complexity to the final blend. You may come across some older bottles of Cognac which carry the V.O. or Very Old grading, which is now no longer used, and has a minimum age of four years. Other terms you may come encounter are: Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies, Fins Bois, Bon Bois, and Bois Ordinaire: the names of the six cru of Cognac. These all have their own individual character and flavour and capture the sense of place that makes
Cognac so unique. Some Cognacs are made from eau-de-vie from one cru only, some, such as Fine Champagne, are a blend of two different cru. Single cru Cognac can also be bottled as vintage Cognac, so the product of eaux-de-vie from a specific locality in a specific year. Fine Champagne: a Cognac that’s a blend of Grande and Petite Champagne eaux-de-vie, with at least a minimum of half of which must come from Grande Champagne. Varietal: Cognac made using only one grape variety. Vintage: these are Cognacs made from eaux-de-vie from a single year or vintage. These can be some of the finest expressions of Cognac, reflecting the character of the year that the grapes were grown, just like with wine, and many Cognac houses hold vintages dating back to the 1800’s and even older. Some of these single vintage Cognacs can come from single cru, so they are ultimate expression of place and time. 20 y.o., 30 y.o (Year Old) etc.: these are Cognacs where the youngest eau-de-vie will have spent at least 20 or 30 years aged in oak.
The production of Cognac is now split amongst thousands of producers, many of whom make eaux-de-vie for the two hundred or so Cognac houses, although the four largest houses, Courvoisier, Rémy Martin, Hennessy and Martell now own the majority of these houses, whilst allowing them to continue to produce Cognac in the original house name and style. Other famous houses are Camus, Otard, Moyet and Frapin. The French have always been successful in establishing the reputation of their regional drinks and foodstuffs, be it the wines of Chablis and Bordeaux or the cheeses of Roquefort and Camembert. The source of this success is the story behind the names and the labels, the quality-factor, the true ‘origin’ of the product, which includes the soils from which it sprang, the climate it enjoyed, as well as the tradition, knowledge, skill and craftsmanship that goes into it. The story of Cognac really is one of the great beverage stories of France. For almost 500 years the aroma, flavour, quality and name of Cognac has entranced princes and paupers alike, and as it expands out of its traditional market in Europe and conquers America and Asia alike, one question remains: Will there be enough to go around?
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째 MEET 째
Maurice-Richard
Hennessy
The eighth generation of Hennessy family 18 째
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B
orn in Paris on 11th April 1950, Maurice-Richard Hennessy spent his childhood years in Cognac. A direct descendant of the founder of the Hennessy Company, he belongs to the eighth generation of the prestigious family that came to France from Ireland in 1765. The cognac gene is firmly established in his dna, along with his love for the charente countryside, vine-growing and fine gastronomy. His father was a scientist who often worked with the European Council for nuclear research. Maurice-Richard did not follow in his footsteps but chose rather to train as an agronomical engineer at the Institute for Technical and Practical Agriculture. After several years spent doing voluntary development work in Africa, he returned to Cognac in 1975 and joined the family firm. There he was given an in-depth training in all the Hennessy professions, from distillation to bottling, as well as commercial and marketing activities. From that moment on, the role he plays within the Hennessy firm developed. He began by travelling for Hennessy and then in 1979 settled in London for five years to work on the promotion of the brand in England and Ireland. At that time he also travelled regularly to the United States and Canada. So it is natural that Maurice-Richard Hennessy, with his famous name, became the incarnation of the brand in the markets. He assumes this role remarkably, being as familiar with the history of the company as he is with Cognac. He owns vineyards himself, distilling and selling his eaux-de-vie to the Hennessy firm, so he is able to answer any question at all about making cognac. Greatly appreciated in every market for his ease of contact and his extreme courtesy, MauriceRichard Hennessy is married with three daughters. He sometimes takes part in prestigious events on behalf of the brand and does so with pride and a rare elegance. Tell us about your very first experiences with Cognac MH: I do not remember some exact date! But I know that I had it first as a long drink with soda water in my late teens. How would you describe the region Cognac to someone that has never been there? MH: Cognac is a town of 19500 inhabitants surrounded by vineyard. These vineyards are the source of the white wine which is distilled to make cognac. The countryside is hilly, with
many small villages and isolated farms, many of these being several centuries old. The vicinity of the sea bring wonderful seafood, and some moderation in the climate. The light of the region has often been compared to that of Tuscany. Come and visit this still rather well hidden part of France. How has the perception of Cognac changed over the years? MH: It has not changed. The knowledgeable consumer knows how to enjoy Hennessy like it has always been done. Great long drinks, imaginative cocktails, and of course neat. But we still need to convince more people! What sort of variations/cocktails have you seen emerge with Cognac that has surprised or intrigued you? MH: Let say that there are so many talented mixologists as they are called now. I once had some X O in liquid nitrogen. That was a surprise!!! How is Hennessy playing a part in the changing face of Cognac consumption, specifically in regards to the Asian market? MH: Hennessy has been in Asia, especially in China for about 150 years. The Asian drinkers appreciate the brand and already know how they like their Hennessy. What are some of the key factors when it comes to the success of Hennessy in the Cognac market? MH: Quality, quality, quality.
What does Cognac mark or represent for the greater Asian community? MH: Like most people, the Asians respect the name Hennessy Cognac as it is considered as a rare, prestigious, high quality drink. Where do you expect new Cognac consumers to come from and how do you believe they will find their way to drinking Cognac? MH: Since its creation Hennessy has convinced and seduced customers and its success story in export is founded on the company’s dynamism and pioneering spirit. The breadth and depth of its product range give Hennessy a foundation from which to build and grow its international presence. In the US Hennessy maintains a historic market leadership through its premium range (V.S and V.S.O.P) of Cognacs, which has long been a favorite of the African-American and Latino-American communities. In Asia, the Chinese market is particularly dynamic due to the vitality of its most prestigious product range: Hennessy X.O, Paradis Imperial and Richard Hennessy. In other Asian markets such as Laos, Indonesia, Vietnam and Singapore, one can note very strong growth. South Africa and Nigeria are promising markets in Africa. As more products begin to infiltrate these markets and drinking trends diversify, how do you see the next five years panning out for Cognac and
subsequently Hennessy? MH: Market demand evolves according to each country’s characteristics. In Asia, demand follows the aspirations of consumers who have become very demanding. Consumers in Asia and Russia now focus on prestige cognacs such as X.O, Paradis Imperial or Richard Hennessy. Hennessy responds to this wish by offering ever more refined and innovative Cognacs. What will the team at Hennessy be doing to stay at the forefront of customers’ minds? MH: Hennessy V.S.O.P is driving the concept of “Hennessy Artistry” through spectacular and sophisticated experiences staged across the world’s major cosmopolitan cities. It has brought together the most exciting music across the globe, blending a variety of musical styles and genres, like an expert Cognac maker who combines more than 60 ‘eauxde-vie’ to create premium spirit Hennessy V.S.O.P. For Hennessy XO, Our APPRECIATION GROWS campaign is designed to inspire and enlighten within both personal and professional spheres of life. This year as we continue to bring our consumers a series of exclusive events with a reinforcement of the savoire-faire, originality, innovation and modernity of Hennessy X.O. Each is meticulously designed, offering consumers the ultimate experience to appreciate the charisma of originality and to know how to live life well.
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째 MEET 째
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The evolution
ofin luxury Hong Kong WORDS ° Brittany Lee Waller
B
ernard Peillon speaks luxury. This is not to be confused with French, though I’m sure you’ll agree the two are somewhat inextricably tied. Whichever you align it to; given Bernard is the CEO and Chairman of Hennessy, a company that sells more than 40 percent of the world’s cognac, about 50 million bottles a year worldwide, coming in at around 95 bottles of Hennessy a minute, it is a voice that most certainly should be heard, for both value and insight. Even Bernard himself confesses that if you are involved in finance then you should pay attention to the movements of a brand like Hennessy, a brand that can act as a barometer for economic growth. “We are a very good economic sensor and through my experience, we are clearly associated to the well being of the economy, even on a global scale. So, if Hong Kong is doing well, Hennessy will do well. If Hong Kong is expanding, Hennessy will expand and so on,” he confirms. But, Hennessy is much more than an economic indicator and, specifically to those that belong to this historic brand, its worth is something that lives outside the realms of measurement. With already a strong link in China, Drinks World Asia wanted to find out how this iconic cognac company, one with such strong loyalties to brand identity and culture, is faring in the rapidly evolving Hong Kong drinks market. Brittany Lee Waller: What gives Hennessy its unique positioning in the greater Asian Market? Bernard Peillon: It’s been in existence for almost 250 years with a restaurant presence in Asia Pacific for a century and a half. So,
it’s not like we are a newcomer, but I think we show modernity in the way that we express the brands, so that it’s not a frozen icon. If you look at Hennessy V.S.O.P with its artistry as a platform or if you look at it in terms of innovation with Hennessy Paradis Imperial and many other initiatives like the limited editions, the XO Mathusalem, I think it’s a brand that speaks in today’s terms. Being authentic and at the same time staying relevant to today’s environment are the two pillars for Asia. Then the global approach by Hennessy would be similar to the one of a luxury brand; it’s brand stature, price positioning, the way that it pays attention to detail, the sense of aesthetics and sense of
beauty are intimately linked to the world of luxury. It’s a very singular attitude in the way that we manage Hennessy in Asia Pacific and the rest of the world. BLW: What opportunities do you see for luxury brands in the Hong Kong market? BP: The opportunities are clearly linked to the Hong Kong economy. We are, in a sense, a barometer of how well the economy is doing. One accelerating factor is clearly the Chinese influence because we are a very strong brand in China. And I would say depending on the proximity of the Hong Kong economy and the influence of the Chinese consumers into
Hong Kong, including Macau next to it, explains the current dynamism of Hennessy. So, the potential is very significant. It is also extremely important in terms of the ‘shop window’. I think Hong Kong is clearly perceived, not necessarily by the Hong Kongese themselves, but by mainland Chinese as a luxury shop window with the international brands. I think you need to have a strong presence in Hong Kong so that it participates to the brand building. People need to see Hennessy doing well in Hong Kong. So, Hong Kong has a specific importance in the way that Hennessy establishes its presence in the region. It would be a mistake on our part to just
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° MEET °
look at Hong Kong for what it means in terms of its market size. It is symbolically important because of the image it projects for those consumers. BLW: And what are the challenges? BP: I think any luxury brand needs to be extremely careful in remaining true to their DNA. Sometimes luxury brands may make the mistake in trying to service immediate consumer needs by trying to craft product that is solely dedicated to say example the Chinese community. When you have such a booming environment, the temptation is great for brands to ride the wave of opportunity and try to get so close to consumers by offering brands that are less dedicated or create products that are only dedicated to those consumers. A brand should speak appropriately to the community but not come down from its pedestal. BLW: How has the voice of your brand been received in Hong Kong in comparison to other parts of the world? BP: Well, we have a strong presence in a lot of continents, including Africa which people don’t think too much about, but we are an international brand. From the very beginning, the Hennessy family has adapted to the local environment while staying true to its cognac expertise. The portfolio has a great focus here on the premium, super premium and prestige range compared to say the US. In the US it’s much more towards Hennessy VS and V.S.O.P because the market is totally different. But once you’ve said that, the unique ability of Hennessy has been to connect with the consumers. For example, in the US a very significant percentage of our customers are African Americans and are emerging Hispanics, so we absolutely need to understand those consumers so that we can speak to them in the relevant fashion. Here we need to express Hennessy in a way that people can understand and connect to the brand emotionally. BLW: How are you meeting demand when your supply of eaux de vie is over 100 years old? BP: We need shareholders to accept that today I’m buying at a level of eaux de vies which is way above what I’m currently selling, because I need to lay down those eaux de
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vies to age and prepare for the future. The core idea in managing Hennessy is to have a fairly reasonable approach. My position means that I’m looking at the world to try to decipher how it is moving and how I allocate Hennessy across the globe. For example, I have the largest inventory of eaux de vies ageing than any body on the planet by far. So it means that I have hundreds of millions worth of eaux de vies, sitting and ageing because we absolutely need to prepare for the future. If I was just worried about a short-term perspective, or in capitalistic terms just obsessed with short-term performance – I could be selling more. But, ultimately I would be jeopardising my ability to grow in the future. Sometimes I may decide to re-allocate some volume from one region to another region because either there is some opportunity or because I am trying to balance our activity so that we can still be around for the next hundred years.
Before the interview DWA asked our online audience whether they had a question for Bernard. Bernard took great delight in the opportunity of responding to a question from a consumer. Cindy Wan asks: What is something you most enjoy about the culture of Hong Kong? BP: The food. I think very few country’s cuisine provides such a wealth of taste profiles but some do and I think here in Asia Pacific, that is clearly the fact. I would say almost every meal is different because it reflects the regional culture. So, there’s this endless experience with food, and we are obsessed with food in France, but beyond that it’s the acknowledgement of the tremendous versatility of the cuisine, of the experiences that I’ve had. And I also feel that Hennessy is a very natural fit with Asian cuisine, and experts will support that. The flavours, no matter if they are delicate or if they are more spicy, or whatever they are, I think Hennessy accompanies them very naturally. This is probably one of the reasons why Hennessy is so successful in Asia for so long. So, it’s that and it’s the architectural nature of this region. I am fascinated by the freedom of creativity here.
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° VISIT °
new york’s What’s hot & happening in
BAR SCENE
Drinks World Asia takes a look at one of the world’s best bar scenes
I
n this ongoing series, I’ll highlight the very best of what’s happening in the Big Apple. Expect a snapshot of the top places to drink right now, of which bartenders you should keep an eye out for and of some of the very best libations every visitor should seek out. Enjoy!
WORDS ° Naren Young There are an increasing number of great drinking cities around the globe and while some are well-publicised beacons for visitors looking for a world-class beverage, others fly a little more under the radar. I’ve been to most, if not all, of these places and i still believe New York is the winner when it comes to delivering the best service as well as the greatest cocktail design, variety and, of course, quality. Bar openings (and closings) are never a shortage in New York City. Many of the world’s cocktail buzz words: bottled cocktails, barrel aged cocktails, cocktails on tap – gained traction in Gotham City, even if they weren’t ‘invented’ here. Check out this little window into what is happening in the world’s cocktail epicenter right now, from the best new bars, the great old bars, to the bartenders that people will soon be watching.
BARTENDERS ON FIRE: JOAQUIN SIMO – POURING RIBBONS When people talk of the ‘nice guys’ in the industry, compliments fly thick and fast for Joaquin Simo. Like many others, he originally began bartending at a student bar in his native Massachusetts. But it’s in New York City that he’s made his name and done so with a modest, humble and unassuming approach. He hasn’t worked at a lot of venues across Gotham – a
rarity these days – manning the bar at the highly lauded Death & Co. for over six years. It was at this tiny neo-speakeasy in the East Village that he developed a loyal following and national recognition, which culminated in him being crowned American Bartender of the Year at the annual Tales of the Cocktail Awards in 2012. While at D&C, he developed a friendship and a business relationship with one of New York’s most recognised bar identities: Toby Maloney. They partnered with a few others in Alchemy Consulting and went onto open Pouring Ribbons in Alphabet City. Simo remains a consistent figure behind his own bar, making perfect drinks with the jovial demeanor and encyclopedic knowledge that have garnered him the utmost respect from the highest echelons of the industry. 225 Avenue B (near 14th St), New York, 10009. Ph: +1 917 656 6788 www.pouringribbons.com
MAXIME BELFAND – SAXON + PAROLE A French native, Maxime spent a few years working at some of London’s top bars including Ronnie Scott’s and Novokov before moving to New York in 2011. Since then, he has worked at the highly acclaimed The Daily bar and has been an integral part of the team that took home the
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° VISIT ° award for ‘World’s Best Restaurant Bar’ at the 2013 Tales of the Cocktail Awards. “I will always remember the day I arrived at Saxon + Parole to do my training as it was my first time working in New York City after coming from London. The vibe from the place and the people working there was both amazing and overwhelming, I’m only 27 year old but I have been working and traveling in few places in the world, but I had never seen anything like this before. The attention to detail and the level of focus behind that bar was beyond anything I had experienced in my career. I knew that day it was a place and a team that I wanted to be part of. It’s been almost two years now that I’ve been working for the company but only feels like a few days. I always come to work
with a smile because I know how lucky I have been to get an opportunity to work in Manhattan in this very special place.” 316 Bowery (cnr. Bleecker St). Ph: +1 212 254 0350 www.saxonandparole.com
SO HOT RIGHT NOW: BOTTLED COCKTAILS Bottled cocktails are one of the biggest trends doing the rounds across America right now. They’re being made in dozens of venues and while everyone seems to think they’re onto a new concept, bottled cocktails actually have a long and storied history. When saloons were closed on Sundays, people would buy bottled cocktails to serve at home. Sadly, almost all of today’s commercial examples
JOAQUIN SIMO Photo by Eric Medsker
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masquerading as bottled cocktails are awful. But there are several bartenders who have been leading a renaissance, such as Portland’s Jeffrey Morgenthaler who has had a carbonated and bottled Americano cocktail on his menu for several years now. At Manhattan’s Saxon + Parole, the Champagne Negroni (also served by the bucket) is one of the biggest selling drinks on the menu, especially when the mercury starts climbing and people realise that sitting on the bustling Bowery provides some of the best people watching in the city. 316 Bowery (cnr. Bleecker St). Ph: +1 212 254 0350 www.saxonandparole.com
WHAT’S HOT: BENTON’S OLD FASHIONED AT PDT To the unadventurous drinker, the idea of imbibing a spirit that has been fat washed might be a little too left field - especially in today’s increasingly health-conscious world, where ‘fat’ has become a dirty word. Despite this, the technique is now being employed in bars all over the world and while it was brought to the fore by veteran New York bartender Eben Freeman, it is at the award winning PDT bar that fat washing has gained serious traction. The technique is all about adding a rich, buttery texture to the drink without actually adding any of the fat content. In this remarkable drink, bacon (from the famous
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Benton’s farm in Tennessee) is fried in a pan with the leftover juices poured into a container with several bottles of bourbon. This is stored in the fridge overnight and the fat solidifies on the surface. The fat is then scraped away and discarded and what remains is a spirit with just the slightest suggestion of swine and an unctuous texture. This is then stirred into an Old Fashioned with bitters and maple syrup in what is one of the most complex, original and sublime cocktails in all of New York. 113 St Mark’s Place (near Ave A), New York, 10009. Ph: +1 212 614 0386 www.pdtnyc.com
COCKTAILS ON TAP – EMPELLON TAQUERIA During my time at the award winning Saxon + Parole restaurant on The Bowery, we were one of the first bars in Amereica to offer a cocktail on tap. The idea piqued my curiosity when I noticed that a lot of bars and restaurants were beginning to offer wines by the glass, poured from a beer tap. It seemed like a revelation and had me thinking that this was not just a cool idea, but one that could actually translate to greater profits. Why couldn’t this be applied to pouring cocktails in this way? Turns out it was, and is, very easy to do. We began serving a Manhattan Cocktail (of course) and it remains the biggest selling cocktail to this day. Since we began serving this in 2011, I’ve since seen Negronis and Americanos served on draught, as well as Fernet Branca, vermouth, gin & tonics and dozens of other options. Several bars now even have up to a dozen cocktails on tap. At Empellon Taqueria – my new digs in the West Village – we have a Negroni Pequeño (meaning ‘little Negroni) on tap, served in a cute little half portion, hence the name. Expect to see this new wave of draught cocktails pop up in all corners of the globe in the years ahead. 105 1st Avenue (at 6th St), New York, 10003. Ph: +1 212 780 0999 www.empellon.com
BARS TO WATCH: THE DEAD RABBIT Named after a notorious gang of 1850’s New York, this bar in the New York’s financial district is the most hyped venue we’ve seen for a long time. Perhaps this is because its opening date was put back for what ended up being almost two years. Yes, you read that correctly.
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° VISIT ° The Dead Rabbit is the brainchild of Sean Muldoon and Jack McGarry, two natives of Northern Ireland who made a big name for themselves at Belfast’s The Merchant Hotel for discreet, well-informed service and an outstanding cocktail menu. At their new digs in Manhattan – a split level tavern with a rustic public house downstairs and a parlour with reserved seating upstairs – the cocktail list is more impressive than anything this scribe has seen. It’s a surprisingly diminutive venue where one can enjoy a pint of Guinness, a cup of punch or a dram from the city’s biggest selection of Irish whiskey in a
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downstairs saloon they’re calling the ‘Grog & Grocery’. Here, you can also buy a plethora of small goods to take home. McGarry heads up the parlour bar and watching him work is a lesson in grace and dexterity. He’s one of the finest young bartenders in the world today and his obscenely large 72-odd cocktail menu is the result of some exhaustive research, as he’s ensured each one is as historically correct as possible. 30 Water St (near Broad St), New York, 10004. Ph: +1 646 422 7906 www.deadrabbitnyc.com
BUTTERFLY Eben Freeman is one of the most high profile names in the bartending world today. Having carved out a name for himself at the molecular-focused WD-50 restaurant on the Lower East Side, he is now the group beverage director for the Altamarea Group, helmed by the celebrated chef Michael White. The latest bar in their growing empire takes its name from The Butterfly Club in Wisconsin, where the chef grew up. Some of the drinks are favorites of that state – such as the Wisconsin Old Fashioned – where brandy stands in for the typical
whiskey base – while others are some of Freeman’s greatest hits, such as his often imitated bourbon and smoked coca cola, which he created at the now-shuttered Tailor. Each drink is accompanied by its own illustration and an insight into some of the modernist techniques they’re employing in their execution. There’s definitely a focus on kitsch on the menu as can be seen in such drinks as the Grasshopper, although here it’s made with a clarified milk punch and a new, artisanal and delicious versions of crème de menthe and crème de cacao. There’s also a mezcal-spiked Rusty Nail variation, a Mai Tai made
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without any superfluous ingredients, a textbook Whiskey Sour and a very cool Martini using a vodka infused with slate. Located in the hip and affluent downtown neighborhood of Tribeca, the area continues to attract a growing number of high profile bar owners and restaurareurs, looking to capitalize on a huge cross section of clientele – from wandering tourists to young families and moneyed Wall St types. The room itself is not so warm or exciting, but what Freeman is putting out across the bar always keeps people’s curiosity alive. 225 West Broadway, New York, 10013. Ph: +1 646 692 4943 www.thebutterflynyc.com
CLASSIC BAR OLD TOWN BAR There are few better cities in the world to drink in solitude than in New York, especially in the winter. In Gotham, there is literally a bar for everyone, no matter what you’re into. I enjoy a finely made cocktail at one of the city’s myriad neo-speakeasies as much as the next guy. But I also love what New York does best, and that’s
classic. Whether you’re sidled up at one of the opulent hotel bars in Midtown or a saloon from the turn of the century Downtown, you will be drinking in a piece of local history. The drinks are secondary to the atmosphere and it is the characters you meet that you’ll most remember, long after you’ve savored those last drops from your dirty pint glass. For me, one of those venerable joints is the Old Town Bar; a moniker that could not be any more appropriate. For a start it was built in 1892 and traded right through the dark days of Prohibition. I like to come here during the late afternoon – just after the lunch rush and just before the happy hour crowd and tourists swarm the place. The back bar is littered with a kaleidoscope of colorful bottles that most human beings shouldn’t be forced to ingest (Smirnoff Cinnamon, anyone?). Order a cocktail at your peril. Rather, pull up a rickety stool at the behemoth 60 feet bar, wave down a bartender for a pint of Guiiness and a shot of Old Grandad, pull out a good book and revel in the fact that nobody might bother you for hours. 45 East 18th St (at Broadway), New York, 10003. Ph: +1 212 529 6732 www.oldtownbar.com
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° PROFILE °
Martell / Zhang Yu O
nly a few years shy of celebrating its 300th anniversary, world-renowned cognac house Martell has a long history of collaborating with artists. Established in 1715 and acclaimed as the largest estate in the Cognac region of France, the brand’s uncompromising pursuit of fine arts has led to several innovative and unique creations over the years. This year was no exception. Martell’s latest collaboration with Chinese contemporary artist, Zhang Yu, whose 2013.10.3 Fingerprint – Blue and White Porcelain and Martell was unveiled at Hong Kong’ s Fine Art Asia fair in October, is a perfect example of the cognac house’s avantgarde, creative philosophy. Considered a master of contemporary ink art, Zhang Yu’s celebrated series of works, entitled “Fingerprints” have taken traditional Chinese art to a new level since their first appearance in the 1990s. With thirty years experience engaging in experimental ink exploration, Zhang
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Yu is constantly trying to re-define this tradition, through new forms, different mediums, and diverse expressions. This latest piece is the artist’s first attempt with the colour blue, drawing him away from his customary palette of red, grey, black, and white. “As an artist, I believe it is no coincidence that ‘Blue and White Porcelain’ and Martell share the same kind of blue; I would rather believe it is the validation of our shared pursuit towards an advanced quality of our classics, “ comments Zhang Yu on his collaboration of the project. Also enthusiastic about the collaboration is
Martell brand ambassador, Jeremy Oakes, who believes the association of Zhang Yu and Martell will further enrich and elevate the culture of cognac and ink art. “It is truly our honour to work with Mr Zhang Yu on this collaboration, joining together to create such a magnificent project. The fingerprint represents charisma, quality, character, individuality and identity. By symbolising both individuality and identity, they signify the most recognized core value of both Martell and Zhang Yu,” says Oakes. In addition to his collaboration with the
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esteemed cognac house at the art fair, Zhang Yu was also invited to stage a traditional “ink ceremony” at the historic Chateau de Chanteloup, the residence of company founder, Jean Martell. Zhang Yu presented two phases of the ceremony, one in the chateau, and one in the Martell cellar. As part of the first phase, hundreds of delicate cognac glasses were placed on the floor in a precise pattern – a remarkable sight, set against the backdrop of the chateau’s stunning, vintage interiors. Then, instead of cognac, Zhang Yu gently filled the glasses with Chinese ink, symbolising the exchange, and unification of French cognac with Chinese ink culture. Normally closed to visitors, the Martell cellar took the stage to host the second phase of Yu’s installation. Here, the glasses were replaced with porcelain bowls, and filled with Martell cognac rather than Chinese ink. Zhang Yu mixed cognac with water, in order to resemble the making of the ink, then poured this liquid into the bowls, leaving it to eventually vaporise. On the shared origin between ink and cognac,
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Zhang Yu comments, “This is a collaboration with an in-depth exploration and presentation that we never reached in terms of the meaning of cross culture; it is a dialogue between the spirits of Chinese ink and Martell cognac. This time I go even further beyond the traditional edge in terms of the use of medium. Water being the soul of ink and the source of wine is literally the origin of all kinds. It pulls a string between ink and cognac, of East and West. It forges the core of their culture.” While the pervading atmosphere of the chateau, and the aromas of cognac added to the event’s rare ambiance, it was undoubtedly the tradition-breaking collaboration and shared attitude of Martell and Zhang Yu that made the occasion unique. Although Martell’s long established connection with the arts spans over three centuries, this collaboration was significant, as it was the first between the revered cognac house and a Chinese artist. Hopefully, it represents the beginning of a long future of many, unique collaborations between east and west and for art and culture.
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° MEET °
Gaurav
Sabharval
& his journey to the Lion City
G
aurav Sabharwal is the Managing Director of Pernod Ricard Singapore. His journey to the Lion City began when he joined IDV as a sales manager in India. 16 years on and he’s heading one of the world’s most dynamic and forward thinking drinks companies in a city that is the shopwindow for the world. Welcome to Singapore Mr Sabharwal. Drinks World Asia caught up with Sabharwal four months into his tenure to discuss his personal journey and the current challenges facing the local liquor market.
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Drinks World Asia: Welcome to Singapore. You’ve been here four months now, can you tell us a little bit about how you came to be the managing director of Pernod Singapore? Gaurav Sabharwal: Well, it’s taken 16 years. I started with a four year stint in the drinks industry with a company called IDV (International Distillers & Vintners later merged with UD to form Diageo), mostly getting sales experience. I left the company to form a jewelry retailing business. It was completely different, a 360 degree change for me and a fantastic three year journey, after which I rejoined the drinks industry with Diageo. I then stayed with Diageo for almost three and a half years. About seven years ago, I happened to meet the then CEO of Pernod Ricard India, who mentioned that they were looking to set up the International Brands business in South Asia. Pernod Ricard India is a big business with significant local brands alongside the international brands such as Chivas and Absolut. It seemed to be an exciting opportunity to do something new and different which involved the setting up of a new business.When we started, the market share for Chivas and Johnnie Walker, which was really the mainstay in that part of the world [India], was less than 20 percent. Now we are almost at 45 percent! Today, India is also among the top markets for The Glenlivet (starting from scratch) and a strong growth driver for Absolut in the region In July 2013, I moved to Pernod Ricard Singapore. DWA: Was it an easy decision to make the move to Singapore? GS: Singapore as a city was a pretty easy decision. Businesswise, Singapore is a mature market and that, of course, is really good. But the question was more: is this the right place to be in because things are already set? After four months I can see that the consumer and the consumption are both extremely dynamic. Currently, I believe Singapore is going through a lot of change when it comes to consumption, which I believe is a little more inclined towards traditional drinking, but this is changing. The exciting part now is taking it to the next level. DWA: What do you see are the main drivers for Pernod Ricard in Singapore? GS: I think it’s a very exciting chapter. Given our portfolio of brands, we certainly know that there are opportunities for us to look at and that is what’s going to drive us forward. Today the consumers are demanding better products and are willing to pay when they perceive the value; and Pernod Ricard is in a very good
position to focus on that. We can see that with brands today like Chivas 18 Year Old, or The Glenlivet, even Martell Cordon Bleu; they have been ahead of the market for the last couple of years and I see that trend increasing. I believe that companies like us will bring in not just new brands, but also new drinking results, new drinking occasions, and associations. In the modern bars, the cocktail bars, brands like Absolut have been at the forefront. So there’s this big spirit portfolio push that we are pursuing here. Finally, there is this whole aspect of luxury wherein we suddenly see champagne,
for example, as a very exciting category with G.H.Mumm and Perrier-Jouët. We see people being extremely discerning, looking at brands like Royal Salute or Martell Chanteloup Perspective. I believe that discernment is what makes it more exciting and more sustainable in the long-term because the people here will be more loyal. DWA: How do you see the cognac market in Singapore developing? GS: Cognac is indisputably very big in Asia, and Singapore, for that matter, is not behind. As a
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° MEET °
category by volume consumption, it’s the second biggest, not far behind whisky. Cognac is probably the category which has been around the longest and it’s been driven by traditional businesses and entrepreneurs, and of course it has become part of the culture. There is a section which sees cognac as traditional, and you see some other categories now emerging strongly in Singapore. On the other hand, it’s very interesting, as I see it, that cognac is almost part of the culture for Singaporeans, which is quite mindboggling. At every occasion there has to be cognac and there’s no other category, which leads me to believe that there is a very strong inherent sense of affinity to the category. The interesting part is that now we have started to see a shift in the consumer profile. There was a period last year where cognac growth was probably the lowest among the categories and it was sliding towards stagnation. But at the same time, what I’m seeing in Singapore right now is the emergence of new types of entertainment places. I’m not talking about discotheques, I’m talking about very high energy bars, which in a way could be unique
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to Singapore. That’s what we are seeing now, the consumer profile shifting. There are now a greater number of young adult drinkers in their 20s who have also started enjoying Martell, and dare I say that Martell really signifies cognac in Singapore. It’s not just the market leader – it’s an integral part of Singapore’s drinking culture; I have never seen such brand strength in any market with that kind of fascination. Going ahead, I see this as extremely exciting because now there are these younger set of consumers who are obviously not shying away from cognac. All that needs to be done is to give them the right triggers. It is up to
brands like Martell to rejuvenate the category slightly. We already have these new sets of consumers coming, just give them the right triggers, and I think it would be there for the next five to ten years. DWA: What triggers are Pernod Ricard creating for these consumers? GS: Martell has just recently launched Martell VSOP Elegantology, which is about associating with contemporary elegance in today’s music, fashion, and drinks. It’s actually bringing about the three tiers that appeal to young adult drinkers. It’s in its early stages now; it started off
in markets including Malaysia and Singapore. For the cognac consumer who may want to move beyond VSOP, there is Martell Cordon Bleu as the next discerning choice. It’s probably the most loved XO here in Asia, a very strong brand leader; and it’s within Cordon Bleu that we are now looking at bringing the next level of the cognac experience to our consumers. For example in Singapore, we have been associated, for four years now, with the visual arts, in particular with photography. We present the Icon de Martell Cordon Bleu as an annual national award, which is today highly recognized.
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Gastronomy is another aspect that Martell Cordon Bleu is strongly associated with, taking consumers to even greater heights of discernment, Because of its smooth finish, Cordon Bleu pairs excellently with various cuisines and the natural flavours of the ingredients accentuate the tasting notes of Cordon Bleu. To encourage the art of pairing Martell cognacs and food, Martell has launced a special gastronomy signature called Pure Gourmet. Pure Gourmet is a gastronomy approach that is inspired by Martell’s creation of its cognacs, thus focusing on the freshest and purest of ingredients as the basis of cuisine that is paired perfectly with each cognac from the Martell range. Of course, Martell is also about the business community and the entrepreneurs which the brand has been working closely with. I would say that the business community here has greatly helped to build Martell into the brand it is today in Singapore. Our Martell XO marque thus fits really well in terms of the future trends and how Martell is placed in terms of taking it forward. I believe the future of cognac is extremely positive in Singapore. DWA: What is the message you want told about Pernod Ricard for the readers of Drinks World? GS: I’m going to share with you a conversation I had with one of our customers who runs one of the leading modern bars in Singapore. He says, ‘You know what? I’m not very happy. I think this place can do much better.’ His point was that he wants to upsell and he wants people to have the next level of drinks now. I believe this is a challenge that a lot of customers will face and will continue to face. I said to him, ‘You know, this is a great stage to be in. If you are ready to experiment, in Pernod Ricard you have not just a company but you have a group of people who would come along with you, not just to support you, but also to work along with you and create
programs, bring in products, and see what we can do together.’ What it implies is it’s not just about getting the best DJ in the world to play at your place; it’s about how we can help you get people who usually spend 50 dollars to spend 75 and go back happy. It’s not about just pricing, it’s about getting your products, it’s about getting the drinks experience. We would like to bring that about in your place. We have the ability and we are already doing this with a few other partners. DWA: It’s a good way to increase turnover. GS: Exactly. Another aspect is the staff. It’s not just about bar training, the bartender is not there to just sell bottles. It’s about the experience, it’s about the product, it’s about the knowledge. I guess it’s that next level of education and skill set that Pernod Ricard will certainly help its customer with. The best thing is that these are not just statements, beacause I certainly believe that Pernod Ricard in Singapore is the market leader. It’s not just about Martell, it’s about Chivas, it’s about Absolut, it’s about The Glenlivet. And not to forget Champagne. That’s the sort of portfolio we have today
which gives us, and gives me, the confidence to talk. DWA: Are you executing the Maison training programs through here? GS: That’s exactly the program that we intend to kick off in Singapore. What I’m saying is that at the end of the day, we are the market leaders, and it stems more from a perspective of saying that ‘What have we done right? Can we do it better?’ And we believe the answer for us is yes. Training, getting the staff to look at products from a slightly different light, and talking to the consumers not about price deals but about saying, ‘This is the new thing that I bought, this is the better thing that I bought. You may want to taste it.’ And that’s what I believe Pernod Ricard is going to
do in the near future. That’s what the Maison program delivers. When I look back at the experience in India, I realize it’s really a phenomenon that doesn’t happen overnight. It’s about consumers really getting exposed to it. We respect that the bartenders know how to create drinks; we’re just showing them the new trends. We’re not going to teach them how to make drinks. With these bartenders, what these guys want to know is, ‘What are we going to do after 3, 4, 5 years?’ What are their expectations and aspirations? Some of them want to own their own bars. This program is also about imparting soft skills such as how to talk to a consumer, how to open up a conversation and finally to ensure an experiential evening for the consumer.
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° FEATURE °
Dilettantes
& Connoisseurs
W
hether you are a dilettante or a connoisseur, there is a joy in exploring the mystery of why a particular blend of aromas and sensations speaks to you more than another. Martell’s creations tell the story of its style through the years – particularly recognisable, it speaks to all those who call for excellence, like Jean Martell, the founder of the House.
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The elegance, complexity and balance of the Martell style are the result of specific decisions and precise strategies. Martell Cognacs contain eaux-de-vie from the Borderies, the most exclusive terroir in the region. During the ageing process, these elegant eaux-devie develop a wonderful aromatic harmony, with candied fruit and sweet spicy notes. These eaux-devie from the Borderies form Martell’s signature style. Drawing on its extensive expertise and experience, Martell has developed its own unique distillation method. This includes the distillation of clear wines only, without the lees, to achieve elegant eaux-devie. Martell ages its eaux-de-vie in finegrain oak barrels, to release subtle woody aromas from the soft, delicate tannins. The choice of wood helps to create the typical elegant style of Martell Cognacs. These practices comprise the basic method, but they are just the tip of the iceberg; for the
Martell style has evolved over three centuries of experience and passion. Martell’s men and women have worked tirelessly to further their knowledge and refine their methods in pursuit of ever-higher ideals of quality. It is these people who hand down the know-how, the experience and the memory of flavour: the spirit of Martell. Three terms encapsulate the sensations of a Martell tasting; elegance, complexity and balance.
ELEGANCE Martell Cognacs are exquisite. Their subtle aromas and silky sensations flatter the palate.
COMPLEXITY Martell Cognacs reveal a multitude of aromatic notes, on the nose and in the mouth including; floral, fruity, spicy, woody, toasted and vanilla.
If you pay close attention, you will discover new nuances on every tasting. This diversity is the mark of great Cognacs, which always have something new to offer.
BALANCE Martell Cognacs are well structured yet round, powerful yet light. Their subtle aromas mingle exquisitely to create a rich, harmonious bouquet, with no dissonant notes. From the first impression on the nose to the lingering finish on the palate. The impression is of total harmony. Clearly, such quality demands ceaseless effort, with the particular challenge of harnessing natural forces through human expertise: nurturing the vines, harvesting the crops, processing and distilling the wines to produce the eaux-de-vie, ageing in barrels and blending the eaux-de-vie.
A MAN OF CHARACTER Jean Martell was born in 1694. He came from Jersey in the Channel Islands, where his family had been prominent since the 13th century. His father was an important merchant and navigator, but died five years after the birth of his son. Jean Martell learnt about commerce from a Guernsey merchant at a time when the Channel Islands played an important role in trade between France and England. In 1715, at the age of 21, he set up his own business and moved to Bordeaux in France. Like many merchants at the time, Jean Martell exported and imported a range of merchandise. These included eaux-de-vie, but also wool, linen, tea, coffee, spices and more. Starting up the business was challenging, and the young Martell applied all his efforts. But the distillation of local wines was developing in the Charente region, and great quantities of “burnt wines” were being exported to Northern Europe and Britain. Jean Martell spotted an opportunity, and wasted no time. By 1721, he was already exporting 200,000 litres of Cognac in casks to England. By selling only the finest quality Cognacs, he gained the trust of his clientele. In 1726, he married Jeanne Brunet, the daughter of a prominent Cognac merchant, and moved to Cognac it self, in the Gatebourse district on the banks of the river Charente, where he built his home. This beautiful house, in which the Martells took up residency in 1728, is a symbol of Jean’s success, dedication and shrewd decision-making.
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gold swirling pattern. The carafe was conceived in the form of a drop, enveloping and protecting the precious elixir within. Like a jewel, its timeless design embodies the creativity and excellence of the House of Martell. L’Or de Jean Martell is the culmination of Martell’s 300 year quest for perfection.
TO THE EYE Intense amber with hints of shimmering mahogany.
ON THE NOSE
QUINTESSENCE OF THE MARTELL STYLE
Fresh citrus notes: bergamot and orange peel. A full-fruit harmony of dark berries and blackcurrants. Gingerbread aromas: clove and cinnamon, subtly embraced by sweet vanilla. Oriental forests, with woody notes of agarwood (oudh), myrrh and rancio.
A symphony of aromatic notes, remarkably orchestrated by Martell, in a truly harmonious performance. A complex blend: L’Or de Jean Martell celebrates the interplay between the subtlest nuances of several hundred eaux-de-vie,
IN THE MOUTH
some of which have aged like hidden treasure for over a century in the Jean Martell cellar. Its finesse comes from Borderies, Martell’s most exclusive terroir, whose old eaux-de-vie develop rich, exquisite aromas. The prestigious jewelled decanter was designed by the Cristal de Sèvres craftsmen, drawing on the tradition of hand-blown crystal. It is highlighted with a delicate
Champagne eaux-de-vie give it strength and structure. An exquisite, lingering finish with the “peacock’s tail” effect found only with the very best Cognacs.
A silky-smooth and subtle attack, followed by richer, more substantial flavours. Harmonious notes of blackcurrant and undergrowth encounter gingerbread and orange peel. The very old Grande
SERVING L’Or de Jean Martell should be served at very special occasions.
“L’Or de Jean Martell is the quint-essence of the Martell style. There is perfect harmony between the power of Grande Champagne and the finesse of Borderies. The aromatic palette is incredibly rich, a true marvel. A unique balance, a sensation of fulfillment, a moment of intense emotion” Benoit Fil, cellar master
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CHÂTEAU DE CHANTELOUP, COGNAC A grand manor house in the Anglo-Norman style, in Charente, can come as quite a surprise! The Château de Chanteloup acquired its current form at the beginning of the 1930s, under the guidance of Maurice Firino Martell, the owner at the time. His wife Elisabeth, originally from Normandy, missed her native region. Out of his love for her, Maurice completely redesigned the house. It was also a tribute to the founder, Jean Martell, who came from Jersey. Originally, Chanteloup was a 16th century fortified farmhouse bought by Théodore Martell, the grandson of Jean Martell, in 1838. He turned it into a charming country retreat with landscaped grounds, vegetable garden, orangery, stables and chapel. Today, the property is a very special place, where Martell welcomes its guests. Its beautiful, peaceful surroundings are home to wild deer, and swans on the pond. The generously proportioned interior is impressive, especially the entrance hall, with its grand stone staircase and magnificent chandelier. The décor harmoniously combines contemporary and period furniture, along with works by famous artists. The library is furnished on a Chinese theme, and includes some rare publications. The sixteen bedrooms have spectacular views over the parklands. Chanteloup is a place to appreciate the company of others. While remaining authentic, the old orangery has been adapted for business meetings, and fitted with high-tech equipment. During the European Heritage Days, Chanteloup opens its doors to present the history of the house to the public. Martell contributes to the local Cognac community by welcoming many well-known personalities to Chanteloup. Martell is a business that values its tradition of hospitality and takes pleasure in perpetuating the art of fine living.
MARTELL CHANTELOUP PERSPECTIVE In late August last year, Martell announced the launch of the Martell Chanteloup Perspective, an ultra prestige grade Cognac that takes its name from “Chanteloup”, the family house that has been under Martell ownership since 1838. The beautiful landscape over the Cognac countryside as seen from the Chanteloup belvedere; and within the iron gates and the confines of its mysterious walls, there has lain the finest know-how in Cognac making for almost two centuries. The new Cognac was blended using four main growths: Grande and Petite Champagne, the Fins Bois and the Borderies; with all eaux-de-vie having completed their ageing precisely in the cellar of the historical estate. “The Chanteloup Perspective symbolizes Martell’s heritage and legacy in Cognac making, and opening a bottle is like opening a doorway into our past and to our future at the same time,” says Xavier Beysecker, managing director of Pernod Ricard, Hong Kong, “and launching here in Hong Kong, we offer Cognac lovers a rare insight into the secret cellars of Martell as a tribute to the historical house where only the best is created!”
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° PROFILE °
Hennessy Singapore growing its local presence
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ith appreciation for fine cognacs on the rise, Hennessy Singapore is looking to grow its local presence in the coming year.
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With many events and programmes in store for 2014, Hennessy is set to make a bigger impact here than ever before. Spearheading their plans for the new year is a newly restructured team, committed to meeting market demands. Among their objectives are widening Hennessy’s distributorship here, as well as cultivating a deeper appreciation for our exquisite selection of cognacs, especially those from the prestige range (Hennessy X.O, Hennessy Paradis & Hennessy Richard). Kickstarting the year is an exclusive launch party for Hennessy VSOP Privilege Collection IV at the Butter Factory, showcasing Hennessy’s youthful, dynamic edge. This will be followed by a Hennessy XO dinner to mark the Lunar New Year. Hennessy Singapore is also organizing a series of intimate dinners throughout the calendar year as part of our Appreciation Grows platform, celebrating Hennessy’s Spirit of Conquest. There will also be exclusive dinner events where guests will have the opportunity
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to savour two of Hennessy’s finest cognacs, namely the Paradis Impérial and Richard Hennessy, emphasising the harmonious relationship between great food and fine cognac. In continuing Hennessy tradition, special editions of Hennessy XO and VSOP will be launched for 2014. The Hennessy XO Exclusive Collection 7, which features a carafe designed by Tom Dixon, exudes total modernity while maintaining Hennessy’s iconic carafe silhouette. The Hennessy VSOP Privilege
Collection IV, on the other hand, features a bottle that is finished in a deep, rich red which transitions to bronze at the neck, in tribute to its legendary blend. With so much in store for the coming year, Hennessy wants to excite Singapore’s cognac connoiseurs, and surprise the palates of those savoring cognac for the first time. But most of all, Hennessy wants to bring Singapore’s appreciation of cognacs to new heights.
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° PROFILE °
Hennessy
Exclusive
VII
Collection
by Tom Dixon H
ennessy is pleased to unveil its groundbreaking collaboration with renowned British designer Tom Dixon and an innovative new design for Hennessy X.O, THE ORIGINAL. A pioneer and a true original, Tom Dixon’s commitment to innovative design and manufacture and vision of “illuminating and furnishing the future” has produced numerous iconic pieces: Mirror Ball, Copper Shade, Beat Light and Wingback Chair. His pieces are in permanent collections across the globe including the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, Museums of Modern Art New York and Tokyo and Centre Beaubourg (Pompidou), Paris. Among awards and nominations he was named the Design Museum’s ‘Designer of the Year’. An entirely self-taught talent, Dixon uses the diversity of his own experience to recast familiar objects in a compelling new light. Yet for all its modernity, Mr. Dixon’s work is clearly anchored in a sense of continuity. “To me, an innovator needs to think beyond ‘now’ and look for connections between different worlds,” says Dixon. “I see a clear distinction between fashionable objects and long-lasting ones. Timeless pieces tend to build on the past in a way that hasn’t been seen before.” Hennessy X.O Exclusive Collection by Tom Dixon honours the celebrated Cognac’s history while moving its aesthetic into new territory.. A unique, contemporary rendition of the house’s traditional carafe, Hennessy X.O Exclusive Collection by Tom Dixon is a distinctive and harmonious study in light and materiality, shape and finish. “The Hennessy X.O carafe is a timeless object that I wanted to treat in an original, modern way,” explains Dixon. The Exclusive Collection X.O carafe by Tom Dixon nods to tradition while showcasing state-of-the-art technique. Through the process of tessellation, the designer has created a striking visual tribute to the more than 100 eaux de vie composing the Hennessy X.O blend. Like a modern mosaic, multiple reflections of light on faceted copper reference the luxury of cut crystal and recall the rich materiality and generosity of the Cognac itself. “I was inspired by the way precious objects are mounted, specifically the crystals in the geological museum in London,” explains Dixon. “For me, great design is about progressing within an experience. The layers of that experience should come together in one seamless object.” In the designer’s hands, the Hennessy X.O bottle remains immediately recognizable, yet feels completely new.
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A collectible in its own right, Hennessy X.O Exclusive Collection by Tom Dixon stands out like a vivid copper gem encased in a faceted gift box the first one the house has ever produced in matte metal Created by Maurice Hennessy in 1870 for his circle of friends, Hennessy X.O (“extra old”) marked the creation of a new style of cognac, one that was robust, rich and incredibly long-lasting. Hennessy X.O is characterized by a deep amber colour, the result of a long ageing process in specially selected barrels. A complex, multifaceted blend of about a hundred eaux de vie, Hennessy X.O reveals its flavours slowly, in generous, rounded notes of spice and black pepper balanced by notes of dry and candied fruit. Although its incomparable quality has remained unchanged since its creation, Hennessy X.O continues to surprise connoisseurs and cognac lovers today, whether it is enjoyed straight, on the rocks or with a splash of sparkling or still water.
DIXON ELEVATES X.O Tom Dixon also brought his unique perspective to Hennessy X.O in visibility items inspired by the artist’s fascination with how precious objects are displayed in museums. Dixon chose to make the X.O bottle the center of attention by framing it in a graphic, almost mechanical-looking grip that recalls the mounts used for gems and minerals. “I am captivated by precious objects and how they are held in position in different contexts,” he says, noting that the display is essential to making sure that the star object is perceived properly. By securing it in metallic settings, whether for visibility items or for service elements, the designer frames the X.O bottle like a precious gem- a nod to both Dixon’s design universe and the inherent richness of Hennessy X.O.
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Hennessy
V.S.O.P reveals its fourth
Privilege Collection edition HISTORY
Inspired by a cognac created in 1817 in response to a request from the future king of England George IV, Hennessy V.S.O.P has built its reputation across nearly 2 centuries. Today Hennessy V.S.O.P has become established as the world’s favourite V.S.O.P cognac, and is recognised for its harmonious and well-structured blend. Characterised by its well-loved aromas, balance and long lasting finish, Hennessy V.S.O.P easily matches every tasting occasion, whether enjoyed on the rocks, as a long drink or in a more creative mix.
TASTING NOTES A Crescendo of Aromas… On the nose, the first fragrances perceived are soft spices such as vanilla, clove and cinnamon. Then, delicate toasted notes follow, arising from the maturation in oak barrels.
A Natural Balance of Strength and Smoothness… On the palate, the natural balance of strength and smoothness creates a harmonious blend in which maturity combines with vigor. The structure is softened by a suggestion of fresh grape character. A Long Lasting Finish… The highlight of tasting Hennessy V.S.O.P is the long lasting finish, revealing the natural balance of the blend - testament to a superior cognac.
I live a life without limits. Anything is possible. I dare to pursue my dreams. My ideas have no boundaries. I am red cognac. Colour of my origins. Colour of my forefathers. Of the earth where I was conceived. Of the grapes which gave me life. Of the barrel in which I flourished. Now I await you. Resplendent in the purest of vessels. Echoing the deep red variations within. I am steeped in history. A perfect reflection of the heritage inside. Timeless. Everlasting. Follow me, towards the light. Discover my secrets. The mastery of the vines. The challenge of ageing. The craft of blending. Uncover my essence. Four letters of legend since 1817. Feel my long-lasting finish. Experience my rich and mellowed aromas. Appreciate my harmonious balanced blend. Now the journey ends. Yet a new life begins. Follow the lights of my legend.
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° FEATURE °
Careers “
after Bartending
Event Bartenders, proclaimed the Doug Coughlin character in Cocktail, are the aristocrats of the working classes”. This exclamation was the opening to the official blurb promoting one of the fascinating seminars at Tales of the Cocktail earlier this year. The seminar, Stepping Out from Behind the Bar, was an examination of the career options for those in the spirits business, and got me thinking about the varied choices available to young, passionate bartenders today. WORDS ° Andy Gaunt
When I reflect on how my career started, I never imagined the possibilities that the drinks industry could offer. Like many students in England, I passed the summer holidays serving pints of ale in the local pub, before delaying ‘real life’ by bartending in the Greek Islands, and somehow finding myself managing a cocktail bar in Sydney. It was here, in a bar that took training seriously, that I discovered my passion for the drinks industry. Like many bartenders today, I couldn’t see what long term career options there were, and on my return to London, stepped from one side of the bar to the other for an attempt to work less late nights but still enjoy the life of bars! I joined Diageo as a
sales rep, back in 1999, and my first surprise was that I was the only person in my entire team that had ever worked behind the bar… here we were selling spirits to bars, and to me it seemed obvious to have some idea of what it is really like to be on the other side! Over the next 10 years, I had the fortune to travel all over the world with Diageo, learn and hone sales, marketing and leadership skills, and found myself heading up Diageo Asia Pacific’s luxury business unit. Sitting in board rooms across Asia, I often thought back to those days mixing Golden Dreams to holiday makers in Greece, reflecting on how many directions you can go to make a life long career in the world of spirits!
Audrey Fort, one of the panellists at Tales tells me “In preparation for the seminar, I conducted a poll among a panel of 100 international bartenders, asking them what would be their dream job after being a bartender. The top 2 most popular answers were owner of a bar and brand ambassador. Moving to the branding side is mostly forgotten, whereas it offers an array of very interesting jobs, whether on the importing or wholesale sides… and it’s a great business school for any further move into brand or bar ownership”. Audrey, for those that don’t know, was responsible for the marketing and brand creation of French luxury spirits, G’Vine Gin, Excellia Tequila and June Liqueur.
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“I host events across three countries, get to work behind new bars; have new experiences daily, and; through an award winning portfolio, I get to educate and inspire others on a regional scale... I love my job, I still get butterflies talking about it” Hannah Waters
Regional Brand Ambassador | SEA Portfolio Markets DIAGEO Asia Pacific
It is an exciting time for the bar industry in Asia, and bartenders are the new generation of tastemakers. Being part of the explosion of cocktail culture in the UK at the turn of the millennium, I have seen the opportunities for skilled young bartenders first hand. This was a time pre ‘Brand Ambassadors’, and the rush to make a name for yourself led many bartenders, who seemingly had pulled just a few shifts at famous bar x or cool bar y, to set up as a “consultant”. A few of the best, who had the necessary experience, have since made great careers, such as Sam Jevons and Pete Kendall, who were early pioneers in Asia and are still leading the industry today based in Hong Kong. Today, however, the perceived glamour of ‘brand ambassadorship’ seems in reach, with many highly skilled ex-bartenders roving the region, or the globe, not only bringing their brand message, but also truly adding value with years of experience being passed down to young bartenders. As much as it might seem an easy jump from the bar to ambassadorship, famous names like Angus Winchester or Jacob Briars, have cut their teeth over the last 15 years and have learnt their trade the hard way, before the days of the internet and social media.
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Gary Regan, himself one of the greatest bartender mentors, points out, “The biggest mistake I see among young bartenders is that many people try to run before they can walk. It’s essential to put in a few years of learning how to make drinks, and how to interact with guests, before starting to create new cocktails, and before entering competitions etc.” Fortunately, there has never been more training available to bartenders. Programmes like Diageo Bar Academy are investing serious dollars into providing a strong foundation of knowledge, as well as providing recognised qualifications, and spending the time to build this base, and to understand what you are most skilled at, will prove invaluable in the long run. The influence of bartenders over consumer choice, has led to a plethora of competitions for bartenders to enter. The promotion of the winners, and their subsequent success, seduces the next generation to enter with the dream of travel to distilleries, or being the next Tim Phillips or Antonio Lai. Of course creating a name for yourself through competitions helps with future jobs, but also can open new career direction. It was only 12 years ago that Claire Smith, then an enthusiastic bartender in the UK won a Belvedere competition. Today, she is responsible for creating Belvedere’s new vodka ranges in her role as Head of Spirit Creation.
We are at a golden age of craft products, of course, and applying talents of flavour creation and liquid understanding is a natural course for bartenders as we are seeing around the world by the scale of bartender made bitters, liqueurs, spirits, beers and wines. Working as a bartender helps hone extensive spirit knowledge, but also gives you a working knowledge of the on-premise, its trends and business practices, as well as selling skills and people management, which is extremely valuable on the importing and distributing side. John O’Toole, who runs Universal Exports in Hong Kong, is testament of this, and there will be many opportunities as more companies like Proof and Co open up, specializing in premium crafted spirits, and the bigger companies look to take on people with a real understanding of the modern on-trade. With the ever-growing consumer interest for cocktails and spirits, writing and documenting what is going on, is becoming more of a career opportunity. The influence of the internet and the ease of writing a blog, or even producing an on-line TV show, looks like an easy way of doing business. As Audrey says, “There are only a handful of people who can make a decent salary out of writing. Don’t consider that because you know how to make a cocktail, you can actually write!” Having said that, if you have a flair for
writing (or ranting on Facebook!), it is a great vehicle to share an opinion, promote yourself, and help change things, and publications like Drinks World Asia and others will always be looking for talented young writers with something to share. So, when you are reflecting on what you are going to do in the years ahead, take heart that there are more opportunities than ever before. Staying within operations and moving to management or ownership, flexing your presentation and coaching skills to move to training or ambassador roles, honing your sales and marketing skills in building drinks brands and seeing the world, creating a legacy by founding your own product, all the while commentating on the world of drinks in your own or others media platforms – the options are almost endless! The number one dream for bartenders, the dream of your own bar, comes with many challenges however; legal & accounting, attracting investors, getting the structure of the shareholder agreements in place, finding and retaining talent and marketing your venture. As a result a varied career path, and the experience to be gained on all sides of the bar will pay off in the long run when you come back to that dream of opening your own place as an older and wiser soul. Good luck!
Andy is still building his knowledge and skills before opening his dream beach bar!
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Visit www.aperol.com to find out more Aperol cocktail recipes. Enjoy Responsibly.
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° FEATURE °
The
ICE Age WORDS ° Naren Young
T
o many people, ice is just frozen water. A prehistoric compound that doesn’t require any degree of contemplation. In a bar, it’s just something that makes drinks cold, right? Not according to many of today’s mixologists, who have begun to treat ice with such reverence that it can form the very foundations of their bar program. The Violet Hour in Chicago made some serious noise when they opened in 2007 with seven different types of ice. Yes, seven. Man, I remember the days when I started bartending and there was only ever one type of ice machine. One.
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Another Chicago bar – The Aviary – went quite a few steps further when they opened their doors with almost 20 types of ice. Now, I hear you asking yourself, “How is that even possible? Do that many types of ice even exist?” Well, apparently yes, and they have a full time ‘ice guy’ whose sole task is to research and develop new and unique types and shapes of ice. Even their iced water comes with hand chiseled ice. To be honest, I hadn’t really thought much about the use of ice until I moved to the U.S, where nowadays, no bar worth their ice pick would open without a quality ‘ice program’. At the sadly gone Bayswater Brasserie in Sydney, we had a very good Hoshizaki machine and were one of the few bars using crushed ice across a gamut of drinks. We used ice sphere moulds for some single malt service but that was about the extent of our own ice program. The most common ice machine now used in New York is the Kold Draft, which makes almost perfect 1” x 1” cubes and they now have a new split bin machine, which can make these cubes as well as crushed ice with the simple flick of a lever. This is what I now use. The Hoshizaki that is prevalent all over Europe is not yet available here (although I’m told it’s on the way). At Saxon + Parole and The Daily in New York, we would buy large blocks of ice on a weekly basis from a local company called Hundred Weight, which they can custom cut to anyone’s specifications. We would store these in a chest freezer in the basement and would typically go through 10” x 10” block on a busy night. We hack away at this with an ice pick and carve it – very quickly and roughly – into something that could fit into our crystal rocks glasses.
Typically we reserve these for classic ‘rocks’ drinks such as the Negroni, Old Fashioned and Manhattan and for any high end whiskies, such as single malts. For this level of ice service, we have to pay homage to Japan, where they’ve been using large format ice for decades. This, from my research over five trips to the country, stems from two main factors. Firstly is the fact that due to congestion in the likes of Tokyo and Osaka, many bars don’t have ice machines. As a result, most of them use hand carved ice in their drinks, even at the most rudimentary, working class bars. They simply don’t view ice as something reserved for the most top tier craft cocktail bars, like most of us in the West do. If you ask for a simple whisky and soda highball, chances are you’re going to get a long, crystal clear ice ‘spear’. Secondly, Japan has had a very serious and progressive whisky-making tradition since the 1920s and specialist whisky bars are littered throughout their major cities. They are one of the biggest consumers of whisky in the world and as such, they hold the spirit in very high reverence. And with that level of respect comes a certain respect for serving it in the best ways. And that means the highest quality ice. When someone is paying a premium for a single malt whisky, including my all time favorite – the Yamazaki 18 Year – then it deserves to be served on superior quality ice. As more people in the bar industry began travelling to Japan, myself included, they began to see what an impact using perfect ice could have on a guest’s experience. “Why hadn’t I thought of that?” seemed to be the common rhetoric as it all seemed so simple. After all, it’s
just frozen water, right? New York’s first modern speakeasy – Angel’s Share – was the first cocktail bar using such ice and when Milk & Honey opened in 2000, owner Sasha Petraske was widely quoted as saying he took many of his ideas from that venerable bar; one that is helmed – not surprisingly – by an all-Japanese team of bartenders. I highly recommend a trip here to anyone visiting New York and they have a killer list of Japanese whiskies. At Saxon + Parole, our Japanese bar manager, Masahiro Urushido, is a master at carving perfect ice spheres from scratch and is flown around the country to teach people how to do so. Clearly, ice carving is in huge demand and many bartenders, cocktail geeks and home enthusiasts have indeed taught themselves to carve ice with the help from our friends on YouTube. At the very pinnacle of this is the ice diamond, perfected by the most famous Japanese bartender in the world right now: Hidetsugu Ueno. One particular drink that is experiencing a huge comeback is the simple highball. In today’s ingredient-driven cocktail world, the joys of this classic family of drinks have been somewhat forgotten, passed off perhaps as too easy, too boring. But for anyone that really appreciates the actual taste of the base spirit in a mixed drink, then the Highball is one of the best ways to accentuate this. High quality whiskies – such as those made by Suntory – when paired with good quality bottled soda and cold, hard, pristine ice, is a beautiful marriage. Neyah White, who works as the West Coast ambassador for Suntory, is a huge proponent of this Highball renaissance. “First of all, it is an authentic drink. The idea of a big glass of whisky with water (high ball = high bowl = tall cup) goes back hundreds of years to the beginning of whisky itself. Even more interestingly, New York barman Patrick Gavin Duffy, who was widely attributed to popularizing the highball in the late 1800s, claimed that this was the first Scotch cocktail to get any traction and was responsible for the first cases of Scotch to be imported into New York. This is probably accurate as it coincides with the introduction of blended whisky after the phylloxera epidemic and the perfection of the column still”. At the end of the day, all we’re collectively trying to do is make better drinks and make them quickly. Any bar can implement a few simple things to improve their ice program, while also paying homage to one of the world’s great simple mixed drinks: the Highball.
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° MEET °
Jeff Mosher J
eff Mosher’s love affair with cooking began amid the flying flour and lively camaraderie of a local pizzeria in Oberlin, Ohio at just 14. The thrill and adrenaline rush of working on the line hooked Jeff, who also loved the hands-on nature of the work. In December Jeff left his kitchen at the world renowned Robert Mondavi Winery, where he is Winery Chef, and headed to Singapore, Hong Kong and Mainland China for a short working holiday.
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How did you end up at Robert Mondavi Winery? Jeff Mosher: When I heard about the job at Robert Mondavi Winery I was the executive chef of Julia’s Kitchen at Copia. This was in the fall of 2008. Copia was a food, wine, and art center in downtown Napa. My job was to run the fine dining restaurant at the facility. While I very much enjoyed my job there, Copia was having financial trouble and I was not sure if it was going to remain open much longer. I decided to apply for the position at Robert Mondavi Winery. I was still involved in the interview process when Copia closed in November 2008. When I was offered the Winery Chef position a couple of weeks later I immediately jumped at the chance. Why did you choose to become a Chef? JF: I have always like cooking, ever since I was a child. My grandmother was an excellent cook and I always enjoyed the smells and flavours coming out
of her kitchen when we would visit for the holidays. I got my first restaurant job when I was 14 and worked in restaurants to help put myself through college. When I graduated from Oberlin College with a degree in politics I did not know what I wanted to do with my life, so I moved to San Francisco and got another restaurant job. After working in a few different restaurants I landed at the Campton Place Hotel and got to work with some very talented people. That is when I decided to seriously pursue cooking as a career. How important is wine to menu development? JF: Here at Robert Mondavi Winery we start with the wines first and then build our dish around the flavour profile of the wine that it is going to be served with. This is the opposite of a traditional restaurant approach and has really enhanced the way I think about food and wine interacting. What is your most memorable foodie incident? JF: When I was working at Copia in the summer of 2008 we did a dinner with many famous chefs, Charlie Trotter, Alice Waters, Gary Danko, and Jean-George Vongerichten. It was a real pleasure to work with them all and the dinner went very well. After dinner I was able to sit with Charlie Trotter and Alice Waters. We had some wine and talked about food for a couple of hours. It was truly inspirational. How do you get your inspiration? JF: Inspiration comes from all over. Sometimes it comes from walking in our culinary garden and seeing something growing which sparks an idea for a dish. Sometimes it is from the wine, like when I try a new vintage and it makes me think of a particular food or flavour. Sometimes it is from conversations with colleagues, or from reading cook books and seeing what other people are doing.
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What is your favourite food to eat? JF: That is a tough one since I love some many different foods. The menu I did on this most recent trip to Asia encompassed many of my favourite things; pork belly, salmon with curry, raw fish, duck confit, and braised beef short ribs. When I am eating with my three boys our favourites are probably pizza and tacos! Favourite kitchen equipment or gadget? JF: My favourite thing these days is the cryovac machine, or vacuum packing machine. It allows us to preserve our food longer, is great for marinating food, can create amazing textures in fruit through compression, and is an integral part of sous vide cooking, which we do a fair bit of here at Robert Mondavi Winery. What is your favourite cuisine to cook? Why? JF: Here at the winery our cuisine is based mostly in French techniques. That is what I am most comfortable cooking. I love the respect for ingredients inherent in modern French cuisine. We use ingredients from many different cultures, such as curry spices, kaffir lime leaves, soy sauce, etc, but the way we use these ingredients is rooted in French technique. At home I cook from many different cultures. I love Thai food, Indian food, Japanese food, Mexican food just to name a few. I enjoy all foods as long as they are cooked with respect and good techniques.
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Best piece of advice you would give an up and coming chef? JF: Work hard and take notes. If you want to learn something and you are not finding it at the place you are working then search out the answer on your own. When I was first working in San Francisco I felt a little in over my head since I had not gone to culinary school. I would go to the library at the University of San Francisco on my days off because they had a good cook book section and read cook books for hours. Photocopy recipes and go home and try them out for my friends. This was before the internet was big, so that was not a resource for me. What is going to be the next big thing in the food world? JF: I see a lot of people cooking over wood these days. It is a real back to basics approach. It takes a lot of skill to get the fire right to be able to cook different things on a wood fire. There is definitely a movement in America for old world styles of cooking, such as Artisan cheese making and charcuterie.
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° FEATURE °
presents
First Edition
of
La Maison
Cointreau in Asia
C
ointreau invites Singapore’s most visionary mixologists for Asia’s first ever Cointreau cocktail competition
Cointreau, the French orange spirit brand established in France (Loire Valley) over 165 years ago, presented its first ever Asia-edition of its cocktail competition, La Maison Cointreau. The competition brings together Singapore’s most adept and visionary mixologists to create, wow and inspire with Cointreau, the original and premium triple-sec. Inspired by Cointreau Privé in Paris, La Maison Cointreau was first launched internationally in New York City, with the aim to introduce Cointreau as the avant-garde & Parisian style spirit that enables mixologists to be ‘Cointreauversial’ and explore limitless cocktail variations using Cointreau, the heart of cocktails. As an exclusive, by-invitation only competition, La Maison Cointreau sought out the best in innovative talent that the Singapore’s cocktail
industry has to offer by scoping from the Lion City’s renowned hotel bars to bespoke hidden gems. These selected mixologists from some of Singapore’s most well regarded bars will go head on to best demonstrate their skills and creativity while preserving Cointreau at the heart of each of their concoctions. The 10 mixologist finalists in Singapore are: • Alex Tan, Bartender at CMPB • Aron Manzanillo, Head Bartender at Raffles Singapore • Bannie Kang, Bartender at City Space Swissôtel The Stamford • Barnaby Murdoch, General Manager and Cocktail Director at Bartini • Jaimaica Sunshine, Beverage Supervisor at The Ritz Carlton, Millenia Singapore • Kino Soh, Bartender at Bar Stories • Mike Cheong, Bar Supervisor at
WOOBAR W Hotel Singapore • Mohammad Irwan, Head Bartender at CUT at Marina Bay Sands • Mohammad Ashur, Bar Operations Manager at Lucha Loco • Steve Leong, Bartender at Bitters and Love Owner and chef of awardwinning restaurant Tippling Club, Ryan Clift kicked off La Maison Cointreau at a creative workshop for the 10 finalists on November 12, 2013, as the creative consultant. Together with highly acclaimed mixologist, Zachary de Git, they inspired the finalists to push boundaries and make cocktail history through La Maison Cointreau. The inaugural cocktail competition was held at Tippling Club, where the ten mixologists were provided with the entire
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Rémy Cointreau International wines and spirits portfolio as well as 59 different ingredients such as Wasabi, Coconut Jam (Kaya), Chilli Padi and Turmeric Powder, to compete on two fundamental challenges using Cointreau as the heart. The first, the Respect Challenge, tasked the mixologists with creating an iconic cocktail that demonstrated elegance and
displayed technique and respect for Cointreau’s rich heritage. The second, the Create Challenge, pushed the mixologists to explore and be ‘Cointreauversial’ by crafting a masterpiece that truly exhibited the avant-garde spirit. The winner of Asia’s first-ever La Maison Cointreau was selected based on the best overall score on the two challenges that were
rated on the following criteria - flavour, aroma, presentation, techniques and use of Cointreau. Both challenges were presided by a professional judging panel comprising of Mr. Alfred Cointreau, Heritage Manager and sixth generation of the Cointreau family, based between Angers and Paris, France, Ms. Elisabeth Tona, Marketing Director of Rémy
Judges: Alfred Cointreau, Elisabeth Tona, Ryan Clift
Cointreau International, Southeast Asia, Middle East and India, and Mr. Ryan Clift, prized owner and chef of Tippling Club and Creative Consultant for La Maison Cointreau. The winner of Asia’s La Maison Cointreau was awarded prizes worth SGD10,000, including a trip to Dubai, during which the champion will get a once-in-alifetime opportunity to tour leading bars and meet with the community of mixologists in the city. Mr. Alfred Cointreau, Heritage Manager of Cointreau said: “I am very honoured to be here in Asia, in Singapore to represent the Cointreau family and to be at the very first La Maison Cointreau in Asia,” “La Maison Cointreau is an idea that is very close to my heart as it helped to carry on the vision that my great-great grandfather, Édouard Cointreau had in bringing great cocktails to consumers. I have no doubt he would be very proud to see that Cointreau continues till today as the heart of cocktails that keeps inspiring the next generation of mixologists.”
Finalists Alex Tan Alex Tan of the Contemporary Melting Pot and Bar (CMPB) is a freethinking bartender with one and a half years of experience behind the bar at Maison Ikkoku Cocktail Bar. Alex sees the cocktail culture in Singapore as undergoing a renaissance, where cocktails are reimaged with spices and inspired by desserts such as crème brûlée. With the privilege being under the mentorship of Mr. Ethan Leslie Leong, Alex has honed a balance of flavours in his cocktail creations. Having thoroughly studied the history behind spirits and liqueurs, Alex appreciates the passion and effort behind the creation of Cointreau. CMPB’s top three Cointreau cocktails include the Long Island Tea, the CMPB Sling and Cointreau’s Seduction.
Respect Challenge
Pompadour’s Pink
Ingredients: Cointreau, Pink Grapefruit Crème Liqueur, Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice, Grenadine Syrup and Egg White
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Create Challenge
Passion in a Jar Ingredients: Cointreau Infused with White Moscato Tea, Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
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Aron Manzanillo Aron Manzanillo found his calling in bartending in 2010, when he started serving personalised cocktails for guest at Raffles Courtyard. He has since risen to become the Head Bartender at Raffles Hotel’s Long Bar and a finalist in highly acclaimed bartending competitions. Aron’s bespoke cocktails are inspired from his personal reinterpretations of his surroundings, and his favourite recent cocktail trend is the rediscovery and revivial of classic and forgotten cocktails. Aron describes Cointreau as luscious, elegant and distinct - and names the Singapore Sling, Cosmopolitan and his special concoction, Kaffir and Curry Leaf Margarita, as the top three Cointreau cocktails in Long Bar.
Respect Challenge
Femme Fatale Ingredients: Cointreau, Whispering Angle Rosé, Fresh Grapefruit Juice
Create Challenge
Guilty Pleasure Ingredients: Cointreau, Beetroot Reduction, Fresh Lime Juice, Soda
Bannie Kang Bannie Kang, bartender at City Space at Swissôtel The Stamford, is a popular and rising newcomer in Singapore’s bartending scene. Bannie had learned the skills of the trade hrough bartending courses in South Korea, and since her move to Singapore, she has actively participated in cocktail competitions including the National Cocktail Competition 2012 and Diageo World Class 2013. Seeing the infinite possibilities behind cocktail concoctions, Bannie frequently visits supermarkets and explores video-sharing sites in search of new ingredients and inspiration for her next creation. Bannie’s favourite Cointreau cocktail served at City Space at Swissôtel The Stamford is the Teapolitan, for which she infuses TWG tea into the classic Cosmopolitan. The classic Cosmopolitan and Margarita are also in the top three cocktails served at City Space.
Respect Challenge
Pruning Cointreau Ingredients: Cointreau, Rémy Martin VSOP, Passion Fruit Purée, Spice Powder, Ginger Sugar, Whole Egg
Create Challenge
Blossom in Gin & Cointreau Ingredients: Cointreau, Pink Blossom Gin, Grape Apple Juice, Lemon Juice, Garden Syrup, Garden Herbs
Barnaby Murdoch General Manager of Bartini and Cocktail Director of WWW Concepts Group, Barnaby Murdoch holds a decade of bartending experience in Europe and Singapore. Famed in the Singapore cocktail circuit, Barnaby respects the integrity of base spirits and seeks simplicity to enhance and balance cocktails. Barnaby has handcrafted 12 refreshingly innovative signature cocktails for Bartini. Exploring the complexity of Cointreau’s heritage and old pedigree creatively to growing customers’ requests was one of Barnaby’s pioneering cocktail memories. He lists Bartini Hacienda Margarita, Vanilla Rose Cosmo and Cosmopolitan as Bartini’s three most recommended Cointreau cocktails.
Respect Challenge
Create Challenge
Senõr Angers
Pierrot’s Courage
Ingredients: Cointreau, Blanco Tequila, Pink Grapefruit, Fresh Lime Juice, Agave Syrup, Egg White
Ingredients: Cointreau, Bartini Grog, Pineapple Juice, Passionfruit Sugar, Absinthe
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Jaimaica Sunshine Alfonso Jaimaica Sunshine Alfonso has six strong years of bartending experience, previously at No. 5 Emerald Hill Cocktail Bar and currently heading the Beverage Department of The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore as Beverage Supervisor. Jaimaica has won multiple awards as a bartender, including being crowned the champion of National Cocktail Competition in 2012 and winning the Cocktail DNA Award at the 2013 World Cocktail Championship. Jaimaica draws inspiration for her cocktail creations from the kitchen, where she pairs her passion for cocktails with her love for food. Her first cocktail memory was her reinvention of the margarita by mixing freshly squeezed juice from green mangoes from the Philippines with silver tequila and Cointreau, shaken and poured into a glass rimmed with a salt and sugar. The top three Cointreau cocktails served at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore are the classic Cointreaupolitan as well as the ‘Vanilla Orange’ and ‘Chocolate Mandarin’, which are served hot.
Respect Challenge
Create Challenge
Cointreau Odyssey
Guilty Pleasure
Ingredients: Cointreau, Rémy Martin VSOP, Botanist Gin, Peach Liqueur, Lemon Juice
Ingredients: Cointreau infused with fresh Rhubarb, Bourbon infused with dried Figs, Peach Purée, Elderflower Foam
Kino Soh Kino Soh is a bartender at Bar Stories, and has three years of experience behind the bar at The Disgruntled Chef and Toca Me. As there is no permanent menu at Bar Stories, every cocktail Kino concocts at the bar is personalized to each guest’s palate and requests. Kino foresees that the cocktail culture in Singapore will only get richer as more knowledge and experience become transferred into the country by fellow foreign bartenders who are increasingly drawn here. She believes that the wide access bartenders in Singapore have to imported seasonal fruits and special Asian produce is a major advantage that will bring the industry to the next level. Bar Stories’ most popular Cointreau cocktails include Cointreau Energy Fizz, Cointreau Mule and Clockwork Orange.
Respect Challenge
Cointreau Sunshower Ingredients: Cointreau, Mount Gay Eclipse Rum, Calamansi Juice, Orange Syrup, Egg White, Fresh Ginger
Create Challenge
12 Days of Cointreau Ingredients: Cointreau, Bruichladdich Scottish Barley, Orange Juice, All Spice Liqueur, Passion Fruit, Truffle Oil
Mike Cheong With two years of experience behind the bar, Mike Cheong is a relatively newcomer to the cocktail scene. His youth and freshness to the industry is reflected in his interest in one of the latest innovative trends in cocktails – molecular mixology. Previously from Oyster Bar, Mike’s talents behind the bar have brought him to become Bar Supervisor at WOOBAR at W Singapore – Sentosa Cove. Mike names Naz Bunga Arjuna as his most respected mentor, who had first spurred him to join the bartending scene and taught him not just how to mix cocktails but also important people skills. Mike finds his creative inspiration through conversations and flavours, and tries to be controversial in his concoctions. He identifies the Cosmopolitan, White Lady and Side Car as WOOBAR’s top three Cointreau cocktails.
Respect Challenge
Reminiscence Ingredients: Cointreau, Fresh Lime Juice, Apple Juice, Cinnamon Powder, Fresh Orange Peels
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Create Challenge
The Queen of Burlesque Ingredients: Cointreau, Home-made Ancient Citrus Syrup, Fresh Lime Juice, Fresh Starfruit Juice, Burlesque Bitters, Lemon Berry Meritage
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Mohammad Ashur Mohammad Ashur has worked in popular establishments such as Venom, Centro, Thumper, Le Noir and Buyan, before his present position as Bar Operations Manager at Lucha Loco. Naming his customers as his muse, his creations are inspired by interactions with his guests, and their surroundings. He sees the cocktail industry moving back to basics, with increased emphasis on crafted spirits as well as fresh and homemade ingredients. For the effortlessly chic Cointreau lady, Mohammad Ashur would whip up a classic Magarita using 100% agave tequila, organic agave syrup, fresh lime juice and a float of Cointreau on top. The top three Cointreau cocktails served at Lucha Loco are Sangria, Margarita and Cointreau Mojito.
Respect Challenge
Create Challenge
Cointreau CruStar
Cointreau Passion
Ingredients: Cointreau, Rémy Martin VSOP, Maraschino, Cherry Juice, Lemon Juice, Sweet Orange Peel Smoke
Ingredients: Cointreau, Mount Gay XO Rum, Lemon Juice, Rich Simple Syrup, Fresh Passion Fruit, Spicy Cointreau Foam
Mohammad Irwan Mohammad Irwan has four years of experience in bartending and currently serves crafted cocktails behind the bar at Marina Bay Sands’ CUT by Wolfgang Puck. Irwan works closely with the kitchen where he draws inspiration from various dishes, herbs and spices. He sees cocktail-pairing with dishes as an upcoming trend. Winner of G’Vine Connoisseur Singapore 2013, Irwan identifies the White Lady and Side Car as two classic Cointreau cocktails that everyone should learn to whip up at home. The top three Cointreau cocktails at CUT by Wolfgang Puck are Peace on Earth, Angels and Politicians and Who’s Your Daddy.
Respect Challenge
Flames of Cointreau Ingredients: Cointreau, Octomore 6.1, Rémy Martin VSOP, June Liqueur, Lemon Juice, Orange Bitters
Create Challenge
S Class
Ingredients: Cointreau, Octomore 6.1, Infused Sugar, Lime Juice, Orange Bitters
Steve Leong Steve Leong is a bartender at Bitters and Love, with six years of experience behind the bar. Aspiring to reach the standards of celebrated mixologist Dale Degroff, Steve Leong draws inspiration for his cocktails by observing how each customer is dressed, as he believes it reflects upon their taste and mood. Having been mentored by renowned bartender Din Hassan, Steve had learned not only skills and techniques behind crafting a good cocktail, but also important people skills and life philosophies. Bitters and Love’s three most recommended Cointreau cocktails are Ginger Mojito, Corpse Reviver #2 and Breakfast Martini.
Respect Challenge
Cointreau Hops Ingredients: Cointreau, Pink Grapefruit Juice, Runny Honey, Botanist Gin, Asahi Beer
Create Challenge
One Cointreau for the Road Ingredients: Clarified Butter Cointreau, Wild Turkey 81, Home-made Cinnamon Orange Syrup, Quail Eggs, Chocolate Bitters
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째 MEET 째
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Made in
ANGERS
DWA speaks to Alfred Cointreau in Singapore
A
lfred Cointreau, 27, is a member of the sixth generation family that still runs the Cointreau heritage brand today. He caught up with Drinks World Asia (DWA) to discuss what it’s like to be involved at each stage of Cointreau production, his role promoting the brand as a global ambassador, the cocktail scene in Asia and the Cointreau Academy. Drinks World Asia: Tell us a little more about your personal story, and the various factors that led up to our meeting here today. Alfred Cointreau: Just like the Cointreau brand, I was born and raised in Angers, in France. When you look on the Cointreau bottle you’ll see “made in France”, but above all, it is made in Angers. As it happens, when my mother was pregnant she took a trip away from Angers, but just days before I arrived, my father hurried her back to Angers to be sure I was born in the same city as Cointreau. This link to Angers is very important to the family; all of our relatives were born in Angers, and will continue to be born there… DWA: So, it’s a really strong part of the family traditions… AC: Yes, absolutely. And we are very proud of that. After 165 years, Cointreau is still always distilled
and made in Angers. It’s a unique distillery in the world; the deep roots of the brand are there. I’m both proud and respectful of that and make a point of going back to Angers often, not least because my family still lives there, including my grandmother. I grew up in a very normal family, surrounded by my cousins, my brother, my sister. We have a family tradition that when a new member of the family is born, we give the baby his or her first bottle at six months old, and in the baby bottle we put a dash of Cointreau. That’s the first brand experience! My mother is both a teacher and a cocktail master, so she taught us how to mix cocktails and how to use bar tools. But I also undertook a classical education, as my mother was very keen for me to have formal qualification too. I did it, but at the same time, I was often found trying my hand behind the
bar, especially at the Buddha Bar in Paris. I joined the company two and a half years ago because I want to continue to be part of this sixth generation of Cointreau makers, and continue to strengthen and deepen the history and legacy of both the Cointreau family and the brand. I spent my first year at the distillery in Angers, and then took on the role of global ambassador, with the official title of Cointreau Heritage Manager, because of course, as part of this sixth generation, I understand the history, the family and the unique point of view. DWA: If you had to sum it up in a sentence, what does Cointreau mean to you? AC: For me, Cointreau is truly unparallelled, not only because we select the finest ingredients, but also because Cointreau is really at
the heart of the cocktail. When you look back at the history of cocktail making, Cointreau is the heart of more than 350 original recipes. All around the world, in the US, in Europe, in Singapore the top recipe creator remains Cointreau. DWA: What is your perception of how the bartending community views Cointreau? AC: All the bartenders know Cointreau, of course, because they know the classical cocktails. But sometimes the bottle sits at the back of the bar, unused, because they perceive of it as “a grandmother’s liquor”. A key part of my job is to explain to them that what was good for your grandmother is still good for you today! We have classical recipes, but we are also a very modern brand and often bring an unconventional touch. As a brand, Cointreau remains really involved
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° MEET °
in the bartending community and continues to build a really good connection with the bartenders, as we have since the beginning. DWA: In your role as the global ambassador, you’ve obviously spent some time in Asia. What are your thoughts on the Asian cocktail scene? AC: So far I’ve only been to Shanghai and Beijing besides Singapore, and I am really impressed when it comes to the level of cocktail innovation - I didn’t expect the level to be that high. There are so many passionate guys with great bars, nice atmospheres, serving perfect drinks, so there’s huge potential. And they’re not just serving drinks, but they’re really selling a story too, which is great. I think the cocktail future here in Asia is really bright, maybe brighter than much of Europe. There are positive influences from places like Japan and Australia – and some American bar influence too – but what I most love about Asia, especially in Singapore, is the “cocktail of cultures”. You have Indian, Malaysian, Chinese, Japanese, all blending together like a cocktail and it works really well. What’s really important to see is the bartenders working with local products - with ginger, with chai, with lime. Bartenders in Asia don’t need to import a lot of products to make interesting and exotic drinks.
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Which is lucky for them, because I tell you in places like New York, Berlin, and especially in Paris, it can be tough to find things like passion fruit when you need them! DWA: What cocktail are you enjoying at the moment? What have you seen or had around the world that you’re particularly enjoying? AC: At the moment, I am enjoying Cointreaupirinha! DWA: Is there something you’ve seen of late that’s really interesting, that made you think ‘I wish I’d thought of that’? AC: What I like to do when I go into a new bar is just to say, ‘can you create something?’ I don’t ask for Cointreau, I just go to the bar and say, ‘just impress me,’ and so far in Asia I’ve always had a nice surprise. It has been really good nice glasses, good recipes without too many ingredients, just three or four maximum, well balanced, and always using local ingredients. What’s actually really impressed me has been the use of ice. In China, they work with a big block of ice, crush it by hand, and they make an ice bowl by hand. To me, that is just amazing - I’ve never seen anything like that in Europe. DWA: The Singapore sling is an important drink in this country and clearly Cointreau is a key
ingredient in that. Do you have any particular thoughts on that? Is that something you were well aware of before you arrived in Singapore? Is that something the family and the brand are very aware of? AC: For sure we know the history of the Singapore Sling. It’s a classic cocktail with Cointreau, so definitely. But I certainly didn’t expect the level of the cocktail culture here and it’s really impressive. DWA: What’s your message to the bartending community? What do you want to ask them to do for you, for the family, and for the brand, and what are you going to do for them? AC: I just want to tell them to keep their personality and stay who they are, and always walk as they walk today - with the best ingredients, and with ingredients from around the region behind the bar. There are a lot of different products available - every day there is a new brand on the market! - but they need to make sure they keep the best behind the bar. To mix a good drink and serve a good drink to your customers, you need the finest ingredients. Cointreau is definitely the best, never doubt about that. So in summary : Keep the best behind your bars. DWA: And what can they expect from Cointreau in return?
AC: Cointreau is present all over the world and we work with really strong teams in each country. Especially in Singapore, we’ve had a very good team in place since 2009. But we really welcome people to also come to Angers; I am the MC for the Cointreau Academy where we run 2-day courses, to teach people about Angers as a distillery and really discover Cointreau. I think the best way to truly understand a brand and to appreciate the quality is to properly experience it, with your own eyes, to touch it, to taste it. And you also have the opportunity to meet the Master Distiller, Bernadette Langlais. DWA: Have you had many people from Asia attend this? AC: Yes, we have more and more people visiting us from Asia which is really good – bartenders in general, since the course is really focused on the bartenders. But we also use it to train the Cointreau sales force, and we regularly invite journalists down, because it’s the best way to understand. You can only learn so much from reading the best way is ‘on the ground.’ I spend as much time as I can at the Cointreau Academy and I love it because, since I travel so much, at the Cointreau Academy for once the the world comes to my place instead!
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° MEET °
Bartenders talk Kino Soh from Bar Stories
When I first tried a fresh fruit cocktail the flavours blew me away. That’s when I knew I wanted to be a full time bartender. I want to prove to my family and Asian parents that bartending is a career. I love the tag line Cointreauversial, I can relate to it with my look and hairstyle! I use to think a mixologist was a glorified term, but now I’m changing. Mixologists are people who are innovative with their cocktails. But I’m a bartender because I tend my bar. I love when my guests become my friends… I recommend bartenders keep a fountain of knowledge. For me that’s my iPad. As a bartender it’s important to keep studying and to keep learning! I love people coming from overseas and setting up bars in Singapore, it lifts the industry. Singapore bartenders should take pride in local ingredients!
Steve Leong
from Bitters & Love
At age 18 I looked at bartenders like they were actors on a stage and I knew that’s what I wanted to do. Cointreau has very beautiful flavours, balanced between bitter and sweet. Perfect for cocktails! My mentor Din Hassan told me the most important thing is that we take care of people who come to our bar. I don’t like that people call themselves a Mixologist when they cant even make a margarita. I get satisfaction in my job when guests remember my drinks and me - I feel that’s important. My tip is to be humble and not to forget your role in your customers’ night out.
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Gin Jubilee
° FEATURE °
C
elebrating all things Gin with inaugural East Imperial Gin Jubilee – redefining Gin & Tonic. We gathered a word class line up of Singapore’s best bars and bartenders, mixing brilliant G&Ts with their favorite Gin brands. 16 venues, 2 pop ups, 16 bartenders & 12 Gin Brands.
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This month long festive (Nov 2013) l culminated in one week (Nov 1623) of the public voting for the best G&T in Singapore. The winner of the inaugural East Imperial Jubilee cup was Mark Thomas from B bar Bacchanalia. Fridge events included two food pairing dinners, master class in all things Gin & Tonic, Sensational Pop Up G&T bars on Club Street and Ann Siang Hill (Pistola & Tanqueray)
WHY DID WE LAUNCH THIS GIN JUBILEE? To celebrate all things Gin – so many new expressions of gins on the market that people have to taste to understand how far Gin has come To celebrate the bartenders and venues – so many inspirational bartenders with amazing creativity working in so many new bars – really to showcase all the venues and to get people across different venues to experience this renaissance of all things Gin And finally to showcase how East Imperial is redefining G&Ts back to tradition and letting the Gin do the talking
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SINGAPORE’S BARTENDERS PAVE THE WAY FOR A WORLD CLASS ENDING? Season Six Sees Largest Collective of Singapore’s Upcoming Bartenders Compete
D
iageo Reserve WORLD CLASS has returned to Singapore’s shores for the sixth year running and is already making local history. For the first time since the global bartender training programme launched here in 2009, local bartenders have secured the first three of eight places at the National Finals to be held in May 2014. Local bartenders – Louis Tan formerly of Horse’s Mouth; Peter Chua of 28 Hong Kong Street and Mark Graham Thomas of Bacchanalia – outperformed the highest number of participants ever recorded in the local programme. DRINKS WORLD ASIA
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The first semi-final hosted at Bitters and Love, was judged by an esteemed panel including guest judge Luca Cinalli from London’s acclaimed Nightjar and focused on Mid-Century Mediterranean Mastery. Bartenders were challenged to represent Mediterranean food and drink in their cocktails, inspired by the classic icons of the Mediterranean in the 50s and 60s such as Bridget Bardot and Jackie O. Awarded first-place, Louis Tan presented ‘The Wolf’s Peach Illusion’, created from Tanqueray No. TEN, cherry tomatoes, lychee liquor, lemon juice, basil syrup and pineapple. The cocktail was described by the judges as being ‘perfectly balanced and well composed, and the flavour of the cherry tomatoes shone through, creating a Mediterranean inspired cocktail that was clean and refreshing on the palate’. Inspired by the historical nickname given to the humble cherry tomato in the 16th Century when the Spanish considered this new fruit to be both evil and poisonous, ‘The Wolf’s Peach’ provided the perfect inspiration for Louis. Second-place was awarded to Peter
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Chua of 28 Hong Kong Street, whose cocktail, ‘Calypso’s Mercy’ was created from a combination of Don Julio Blanco, dry vermouth, a homemade bell pepper and coriander syrup with fresh lime, gomme syrup, and absinthe. It was poured into a glass rimmed with seaweed salt. His inspiration to create ‘Calypso’s Mercy’ stemmed from the sensuality and passion for which the Mediterranean culture is often 2 famed. He impressed the judges with his showmanship and confidence, and went the extra mile during the tasting, requesting that the judges enjoy his drink blindfolded to ignite their senses. Second time participant to the World Class programme in Singapore, Mark Graham Thomas head mixologist of Bacchanalia, secured third place with his presentation of ‘Mezes’ (the Greek word for savory). Taking a different perspective on the Mediterranean theme, he opted to showcase a more savory approach, which combined a Tanqueray No. TEN infused emulsion made with two types of truffle and homemade pesto, Tanqueray No. TEN, apple
liqueur and lemon juice, along with a feta and Parmesan cheese syrup. Mark was calm, cool and collected in front of the judges, preparing a menu that showcased his drink concept and ingredients. The judges enjoyed his presentation and the balance of salt, sweet and citrus notes in his cocktail was commended. “I am heartened by the overall skill, knowledge and showmanship demonstrated at the first semi-final. World Class has been instrumental in the growth of the burgeoning cocktail scene locally over the past five years. We have continually invested in providing Singapore’s bartenders with a career asset through the programme, by training, inspiring and educating them – ultimately, opening up doors for them to pursue a career in the industry, commented Niamh Henry, Brand Manager, Diageo Reserve Brands, MHD Singapore. “World Class is as much about transforming fine drinking experiences and cocktail culture around the world and in the home, as it is about discovering and nurturing the next generation
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° FEATURE ° Winners: Previous page: 1st place Louis Tan - The Wolf’s Peach Illusion On this page: 2nd place Peter Chua - Calypso’s Mercy Next page: Mark Graham Thomas - Mezes
of bartending talent,” added Ms. Henry. In addition to becoming one step closer to represent Singapore in the Global Finals in July 2014, Louis, Peter and Mark, have been awarded a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Sydney and Taipei respectively, visiting leading World Class bars and meeting with the industry’s finest and most respected bartenders. The Global Winner of Diageo Reserve World Class 2014 will embark to a life-changing experience as he or she will travel the world, guest bartending at the world’s best bars, meeting godfathers of the industry and inspiring the next generation. As part of the 2014 Diageo Reserve World Class programme in Singapore, no less than seven
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renowned bartenders will be visiting the lion city from all five continents. Visiting bartending legends will include: Cross Yu, Diageo Reserve World Class Asia Pacific winner 2013, Jeff Bell from PDT, New York, Luke Ashton from Vasco Bar, Sydney and David Rios, current title holder of global Diageo Reserve World Class Bartender of the Year 2013. Each will visit Singapore to share their bar skills and secrets, as well as learn from our 2014 cohort through a series of intimate masterclasses. For more information on Diageo Reserve WORLD CLASS, please follow the ‘Global WORLD CLASS Finals’ Facebook page www.facebook.com/ GlobalWorldClassFinals.
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AGED AND ENJOYED THE WORLD OVER
R
on Zacapa® Centenario from Guatemala is a rum of impeccable quality and complexity and is regarded as one of the finest in the world. The story of ultrapremium Zacapa starts literally from the ground up. From the sugar cane of the volcano-shadowed lowlands, to an ageing process which takes place 2300 meters above sea level, each aspect of production takes place under the watchful eye of Master Blender Lorena Vasquez.
There are two varieties of Zacapa: delicate and complex Zacapa 23 and expressive and balanced Zacapa XO. While Zacapa 23 is best enjoyed neat or over one large ice cube, Zacapa XO is at its’ best neat in the signature Riedel Zacapa glass. As Adam KG Brewer explains, “Zacapa is the embodiment of a distinct place, culture and climate. The complexity of the flavour of Zacapa is deeply rooted in its provenance and the skilled attention to detail, which goes binto every aspect of its
production.’’ The tropical climate and lowland volcanic soil of Guatemala yield an ultra-high grade sugar cane and, unlike most rums that use molasses, Zacapa is created from the concentrated first pressing of sugar cane or ‘virgin sugar cane honey’.
DIFFERENT FROM THE START - VIRGIN SUGAR CANE HONEY Most rum is produced from molasses, a thick, sticky and bitter by-product of sugar cane. Ron
Zacapa® Centenario is created from the first pressing of sugar cane which is aptly known as ‘virgin sugar cane honey’. As its name would suggest, this syrup-like liquid is rich, sweet and luxuriant in texture and in turn lends a distinctive smoothness to Zacapa. Zacapa 23 and Zacapa XO are both produced exclusively from sugar cane grown in the rich volcanic soil of the Guatemalan south coastal lowlands. The climatic conditions, average temperature of 24°-30° C, and
ultra-fertile soil combine to yield a raw product of incredible quality. The sugar cane grows in the shape of a thin, long reed, very similar to bamboo, and takes 12 months to ripen, when the ‘zafra’ or harvesting begins. Although some of the harvesting is done mechanically, much of the work is still done traditionally, by hand. To ensure freshness, immediately after the cane is cut, it is transported to the mill to begin extraction of the sugar cane juice. The cane is weighed and analyzed to determine its quality based
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° PROFILE °
on the content of sucrose, fiber and levels of impurity. The cane is washed and then chopped and pressed, allowing all of the juice to be extracted. The juice obtained from the milling is subjected to heating, clarification and filtration; these processes separate the juice from the fibrous solids, also known as bagasse. The bagasse is used in the boiler as an energy source to power the whole production process. The juice is heated to evaporate the water, leaving the‘virgin sugar cane honey’. The complexity and attention to detail that goes into the production of Zacapa 23 and Zacapa XO is reflected in the intriguing multilayered profile of these ultra-premium rums. Master blender Lorena Vasquez oversees each stage of production to ensure unparalleled quality and consistency. The fermentation process begins with a yeast strain that transforms the sugar in the ‘honey’ into
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alcohol. The whole fermentation process takes approximately 120 hours. The ‘wine’ is then distilled in one column with copper fittings in a continuous distillation process. Heated by steam until it reaches a point when the alcohol evaporates, the alcoholic vapor passes through condensers where it is liquefied. After distillation Zacapa travels to the ageing facility 2,300 meters above sea level, a location known fondly as the’ ‘House above the Clouds’. The fresh mountain air allows a slow maturation, enabling the development of the deep aroma, full color and rich flavor of Zacapa. Based on the Spanish sherry system, the Zacapa Sistema Solera ageing process allows Master Blender Lorena Vasquez to carefully blend rums of varying ages and personalities in her crafting of super-premium Zacapa. Zacapa 23 blends rums between six and 23 years of age while Zacapa XO takes rums
from six to 25 years. Zacapa is aged in casks that have previously stored robust American whiskeys, delicate sherries and fine Pedro Ximenez wines. The final ageing of Zacapa XO takes place in French oak cognac barrels. Lorena blends the differently aged rums to allow the younger rums to take on the characteristics of the older ones. The barrels are left to age until Lorena decides that the process needs to be repeated. It is the skill and attention to detail of the Master Blender that is principally responsible for the creation of these exceptional rums. Each bottle of ultra-premium Ron Zacapa® Centenario is carefully wrapped with a handmade petate, a band woven from dried palm leaves. This petate is a work of art handcrafted by women from Guatemalan communities from Quiché, El Progreso and Jocotán located in Chiquimula and makes each bottle of Zacapa unique and special.
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째 FEATURE 째
Pioneers, Pirates Prohibition
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Y
o-ho-ho and a bottle of rum! Children learn that song. Drunks sing that song. No one understands that song. Which makes it quite a bit like its subject. Like the song, most people know what rum is; they know that it’s made from sugar, and that it’s mostly made in the Caribbean. Rum is probably the most complicated and diverse category of spirits, with a wealth of enjoyment to share with those brave enough to follow in its footsteps, or, perhaps more accurately, to follow in its wake.
WORDS ° John O’ Toole
YANKEE RUM OR STINK-E-BUSS Rum is a delightfully simple word for an entire category of spirits. Usually defined as any distillate deriving from sugar or its byproducts. The first rudimentary rum was likely made in the East Indies, what the world knows as rum comes from the Caribbean. The mystique and romance of rum came later; in the beginning it was industrial waste. Sugar Cane, discovered in the East Indies (thus the first rums) was a wonder plant for the Europeans, which grew terribly pretty much anywhere in their vast Empire the old powers used to plant it. That is,
until the British found Barbados. Sugar Cane took to the Caribbean islands like oil catching fire, which was a good thing; the islands couldn’t grow Europe’s other vices like coffee and tobacco at all. The only problem with this massive growth in sugar production was all the extra waste. When Sugar Cane is refined from a pressed juice into the white and brown crystals we know so well, there is a considerable amount of runoff called molasses. Some industrious fellow realized there was enough sugar to ferment the molasses into alcohol, and anything that can be fermented can also be distilled… Rum historians (and many brand
owners) will argue about the first rum distilled ad infinitum, but it doesn’t really matter. Barbados is the most likely candidate, but within several years, everyone was making rum. Of course, no one called it that yet. Early rum, like every early spirit, was fiery, brutal stuff. Aged for as long as it took to get from the still to one’s mouth, it would usually be served at a walloping 160 Proof. The names abound for it: Kill-Devil, Rumbullion, Aguardiente, and, of
course, Stink-e-buss. Like the spirit itself, no one today really knows why Rumbullion stuck. The word allegedly means, “a great party/uproar” which sounds about right. By 1658 or thereabouts, the matter was settled, and rum was officially born.
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° FEATURE °
THE RUM REVOLUTION & RUM REBELLION Bourbon may be the official spirit of the United States, but it certainly wasn’t the first. As rum took the island colonies by storm, it didn’t do so well back in Europe. They wanted all the sugar, but they really weren’t fans of this new Kill-Devil stuff. The gentry had their Claret and Brandy, the poor had their Ale and (later) Gin, but the good Northern colonists, in what would become the USA, had little of either. Barley did not grow very well in the early colonies (which is why they made Rye and Corn Whiskey instead of malt); beer and whiskey were in short supply. So when boats full of cheap molasses would land in America’s ports, there was really only one solution: make rum. The finest rums were made in, oddly, New England. Boston,
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Bourbon may be the official spirit of the United States, but it certainly wasn’t the first.
Providence, and New York all had dozens of distilleries, most right at the ports, reducing transport costs, but the finest rum came from a town called Medford. Medford Rum was the best known in its day, and it remains famous today because of a hardscrabble Silversmith, Paul Revere is famous for yelling “the British are coming!” but he likely wouldn’t have been so loud had he not asked for something else earlier at the tavern: “several stirrup-cups
of rich, tawny, Old Medford Rum.” The revolution would never be the same. It wasn’t just the American Colonies that got a taste for stinke-buss, there also turned out to be great demand for the stuff in Australia. Unlike those American chaps, though, some of the old Australian rum survives, Bundaberg for example. And while Rum added fuel to the American Revolutionary War, it was in Australia that rum, for a time, toppled the Great
British Empire. The Rum Rebellion overthrew the British Governor – for a time – but as the currency in the colony at the time was rum itself, this rebellion didn’t last too long. When these nasty rebellions settled down, as did rum; which was replaced by American Whiskey, Beer, and later, Gin and Vodka. The hardscrabble history of rum did it no favors during America’s Temperance movement and Prohibition, when it was
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dubbed “Demon Rum.” Accurate or not, the name stuck. Not until Bacardi created their signature dry, white rum – to compete with gin – and drinks such as the Daiquiri, Cuba Libre, and Mojito, was rum able to lift itself up by its bootstraps and walk back into the party.
BUT WHY ALL THE RUM?! The beauty of rum – then and now – is that it can be made anywhere, in multiple methods, aged or not, as long as it is distilled from Sugar Cane or its by products. Unlike Cognac, Scotch, or American Whiskies, there is no international body setting standards or rules of rum production. Anyone can make
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rum, it is the most democratic of spirits, and because of this, it is the most varied. Rum experts will divide styles of rum into several categories, such as British, French, and Spanish, or many more. But the truth of it is that there are as many styles of rum as there are producers and distillers. Each rum is a very unique product. Even some that seem near identical on the surface are deeply different. Even one distillery’s rums will vary greatly. Some rum is distilled to be bottled as white rum – such as Bacardi – light, dry, and very fresh. Others are designed to be aged for certain periods of time. With other spirits, the distillate will be the same for
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all (or almost all) of the distillery’s offerings, often the only changes are the details of the ageing. Distilleries will produce different rums for different end products, some designed to be fresh, some lightly aged, and some greatly aged. With some of the great aged blended rums, three or four different styles of distillates may be blended with different levels of age. Or not. That variety has become rum’s greatest weapon in the modern age of refined spirits, the cocktail renaissance, and global trade. Rum offers new experiences for imbibers everywhere.. The category may best be summed up by the intense – and intensely profitable – rivalry between the great Donn the Beachcomber and Trader Vic during the height of America’s Tiki craze. So hellbent were they on guarding the exact rums used in their recipes, both would pre mix the drinks themselves in opaque, labeled bottles, and share with barmen only the amounts to use, not ingredients. In today’s world of openness, that seems pretty greedy, but then again, it’s a Pirate’s life for rum.
Some good bottles for you to try: Gosling’s Black Seal Rum A truly unique rum, known globally as the key ingredient along with Ginger Beer in a Dark ‘n’ Stormy. Though very dark from the ageing process, it does not have spice added. Rather, the intense conditions in Bermuda create a remarkably dark rum redolent of coffee, vanilla, and oak. The original, champagne and black wax bottle lives on in the Gosling’s Family Reserve “Old Rum” a blend of rums no younger than 16 years old, it is an exquisite sipping rum. Bacardi and Havana Club Yes, they are different rums, but they are both “Cuban Style.” Meaning light, fresh, dry, and (mostly) un-aged. Named for Don Fecundo Bacardi, they are combined because, in many ways, Havana Club is Bacardi. Over time, of course, the flavors have diverged. Bacardi becoming ever drier, cleaner, and less flavorful, with Havana Club embracing the more natural rum flavors. Their aged products differ even more, with Bacardi’s aged offerings focusing on light-bodied, gently
oaked styles, and Havana preferring darker, more robust oak and toffee flavors. Pampero Founded by Luis Toro and Alejandro Hernandez in 1938, Ron Pampero is fairly young by international rum standards. Made in Venezuela, the Pampero rums start from a fresh but full-bodied and heady base. Aged rums such as the Aniversario have strong notes of coffee, caramel, cinnamon, is full-bodied, and mildly sweet for old rum. Ron Zacapa High in the hills of Guatemala, huge barrels sit, absorbing mountain air and refining the wonderful Ron Zacapa. Using the Solera system of aging – a process where barrels are stacked and blend downwards as they are filled and emptied en masse, originating with Sherry – Zacapa is a unique product, and a very good one. Their flagship 23 Year is a stellar example. Velvety smooth with just-right sweetness and medium body. Best enjoyed on it’s own over big block
of ice. The XO is a bit sweeter and more mellow, like a Cognac. Though getting difficult to find, their youngest offering, the 15 Year is worth seeking out. Fresh, lively, but with the characteristic Zacapa notes and nose, it is a great find for any rum lover. Leblon Though the brand led a campaign to “legalize Cachaca” as a distinct category from rum, Cachaca is a spirit similar to Rhum Agricole, in which the fresh pressings of Cane juice – not only molasses – are fermented and distilled to create a powerful, aromatic spirit. Traditionally aged in native Brazilian wood, Leblon is aged in White Limousin Oak (the same as Cognac.) An excellent cachaca, Leblon has a spicy, fruity nose, with flavors from raw sugar to allspice to bananas. It makes a fine Caipirinha, Brazil’s national cocktail.
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° PROFILE °
Everyone has a story
T
he BACARDÍ brand and family’s story can be summed up with one word: “Untameable.” With more than 150 years of uncompromised passion triumphing against extraordinary odds, BACARDÍ is the rum brand with tales where the truth is better than any fiction. Fearlessly honoring its legacy, the brand with “Irrepressible Spirit” written in its DNA, today announced the launch of “BACARDÍ Untameable Since 1862,” a new global marketing campaign that tells the stories behind BACARDÍ rum, its origins in Cuba and inspires consumers to embrace life and live boldly to showcase their own “Irrepressible Spirit.”
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The campaign materials embody the true grit and determination that sustained the rum brand and helped it thrive. The advertising will feature headlines such as, “We Remember Prohibition – It was a Blast;” “Some Men are Kicked Out of Bars – Others are Kicked Out of Countries;” and “Earthquakes, Fire, Exile, Prohibition – Sorry Fate, You Picked the Wrong Family.” The ads offer snapshots of the BACARDÍ history during prohibition, exile from Cuba, and showcase how the Bacardí family had the original irrepressible spirit to overcome earthquakes, fire, war and revolution—none of which could defeat their spirit, because “True Passion Can’t Be Tamed.” The campaign is designed to engage millennial consumers to pursue their passions no matter what—much like the Bacardí family did—encouraging camaraderie and strength of character.
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“BACARDÍ Untameable Since 1862” will be supported by strong digital executions and on-ground activations. The television spots— named “Procession,” because of the frame-byframe timeline and sequence of events viewers experience—were directed by award-winning Dante Ariola, star actor Jordi Mollà and has voiceover of actor Jason Isaacs. The ads, filmed on location at the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ouro Preto, Brazil, are highly stylized and have a blockbuster movie feel. The ads exude a realism that commands attention—engaging consumers to feel that with every sip, the BACARDÍ brand story is their own. “BACARDÍ is known for its passionate drive, regardless of circumstance, convention or expectation. The campaign pays tribute to the brand’s enduring popularity, continuing ingenuity and connects with consumers as it inspires them to ignite the bold, ‘Irrepressible Spirit’ within us all,” said Dmitry Ivanov, Senior Global Category Director of Rums for Bacardi. “Taking a global creative approach with the ‘BACARDÍ Untameable Since 1862’ campaign allows us to focus all of our marketing resources against a single powerful idea; an idea that’s completely ownable to BACARDÍ as it is rooted in the brand’s history and the Bacardí family’s attitude to life.” The BACARDÍ portfolio of light and dark rums globally will be united under one BACARDÍ creative look and feel. Every market in the world will have the same BACARDÍ swagger in its branding, marketing campaigns, advertising and visual identity for these rums. All markets will also feature the bigger-than-life, “untameable” BACARDÍ attitude. Along those lines, the new campaign pays tribute to Don Facundo Bacardí Massó, who had the vision, 151 years ago, to blaze a new path and add steps never before used in rum making to create rum as the world knows it today. With the same pioneering soul of its founder, and in remembrance of its humble origins
TV ad “Procession”
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and beginnings in Santiago de Cuba in 1862, BACARDÍ rum will face the future with a bat logo inspired from the past. Looking deep into the BACARDÍ archives to uncover the treasured, authentic, artisan bat designs over the past 151 years, the new logo is a creation inspired by BACARDÍ bat hand-drawn designs from the early 1900s. It stays true to the integrity of the original symbol, which in Cuban and Spanish heritage represents good luck, good fortune and family unity. The BACARDÍ word mark has also been updated, influenced by the Cuban Art Deco style from the late 1920s to early 1930s. The most famous example of this Art Deco style is the former Bacardi sales office in Havana known as El Edificio Bacardí (The Bacardí Building). To this day, the 11-story building remains crowned by a BACARDÍ bronze bat and emblazed with the Art Deco stylized typeface. “This campaign ushers in a new era for BACARDÍ rum, with a deeper focus on its provenance to showcase the unfailing determination of the Bacardí family and invites consumers to share in it,” said Ivanov. “This idea infuses the BACARDÍ brand with the authenticity of its origins, celebrates the incredible quality and craftsmanship of our rums and showcases a universally resonant attitude. In essence, ‘BACARDÍ Untameable Since 1862’ is a salute to the Bacardí family’s incredible heritage, to pursuing your passions, and to an extraordinary rum.” Using creative digital formats, fans will be able to discover and share the “Irrepressible Spirit” of BACARDÍ rum for themselves, with access to artifacts from the brands 151-year history and behind-the-scenes photography and video footage from the ad shoot, offering a truly immersive experience. For more information on “BACARDÍ Untameable Since 1862,” BACARDÍ rum and cocktail recipes, visit bacardi.com.
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The
Bacardí Story I
t’s the story of how, back in 1862, one man had a vision, kept going until he made it a reality. It’s the story of how each generation followed their passion for rum in a different way and turned a small Cuban business into a world-famous name, and a family-made rum into the WORLD’S FAVOURITE RUM. THE STORY OF DON FACUNDO BACARDÍ MASSÓ Fate didn’t hand Don Facundo Bacardí Massó an easy start. Don Facundo travelled from his birthplace of Sitges, Spain to work with his brothers in Santiago de Cuba. There he saved long and hard while working in their general store. Eventually in 1844, Don Facundo was able to establish a mercantile shop of his own. Less than a decade later, disaster struck. In 1852, an earthquake tore through the city, wrecking churches and triggering landslides. The earthquake, aftershocks, and subsequent cholera outbreak claimed the lives of one in three inhabitants of Santiago de Cuba, including Don Facundo’s son Juan and daughter María. Devastated, Don Facundo fled to Spain to keep his family safe. When he returned to Cuba, the store that he had saved so long to create was looted, and with economic conditions at rock bottom, he had no choice but to le for bankruptcy. But for Don Facundo in this
darkest of times, there was an opportunity. In the mid-19th century rum was viewed as nothing more than a cheap, sugary firewater, but Don Facundo knew it could be much, much more than this. With bankruptcy bringing a chance for a fresh start, there was nothing to stop him pursuing his passion. He persevered, spending all of his time developing and distilling at home, never losing sight of what he instinctively felt rum could be. And finally, in 1862, he was ready to unveil the drink that he had strived for. Don Facundo’s light-bodied, refined rum was the product of the secret recipe and rum-making process that he perfected over ten years.
THE STORY OF THE RUM Making rum is a hot, sticky business - particularly if it’s the first time you’ve tried. And it takes a long time to get it right. So when Don Facundo Bacardí Massó had the idea for a lightbodied, refined rum, the task
called for some creative thinking. Watching a friend making boiled sweets and brandy, Don Facundo figured that the same equipment could be put to a different purpose, and he started to experiment. There was no guidebook for working like this, and a lot of trial and error followed. With the equipment eventually mastered, Don Facundo then set about improving every aspect of the production process: he tried local Cuban yeasts before settling on a particular strain, he tasted and tested until he found the best molasses for fermentation, and he bought American white oak barrels to rest his rum bases in. Finally, he had the perfect combination of ingredients to make sure that every glass of BACARDÍ tasted the way it should. It took ten years, but by the time he’d finished, Don Facundo had a new standard for the entire rum industry.
THE STORY OF THE BAT In the tropics, the abundance of fruit and heat means there are a lot of bats. The original BACARDÍ Distillery had colonies of them, hanging from the rafters and nesting in the darkest corners of the roof. Don Facundo Bacardí Massó’s wife, Doña Amalia, was well aware of the positive symbolism of bats. To Cuba’s extinct native people, The Taínos, bats were regarded as the possessors of all cultural goods. To the Spanish, they were thought to bring good health, fortune, and family unity. More importantly, Doña Amalia was a woman ahead of her time. She had already worked out before anyone else that if her husband’s rum was going to reach a wider audience, it needed a strong visual identity. She was aware that a huge number of Cubans couldn’t read or
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° PROFILE ° 1896, Emilio was separated from his family, and exiled to prison in Spanish North Africa.
write, but if they saw a logo they recognized they could still order their favorite drink. So from that point on – thanks to Doña Amalia – every barrel of BACARDÍ BAT came stamped with the black outline of a bat burned into its head. Everyone – from all walks of Cuban society – could identify the sign and be safe in the knowledge that where they saw the bat, their rum was guaranteed pure and light-bodied, and could only be BACARDÍ. And it’s the same to this day – there’s still a bat on every bottle.
THE STORY OF EMILIO BACARDÍ’S FIGHT FOR CUBAN INDEPENDENCE The Bacardí family history is rooter firmly in the fields and streets of Cuba. As the first member of the family born in the country (and Don Facundo’s eldest son), Emilio Bacardí Moreau was heavily involved in the battle for Cuban freedom. Between 1868 and 1898, Cuba fought three liberation wars against their Spanish colonizers. In 1895, during the final war (The War of Independence), Emilio set up an independent trading company. He then used his role as a businessman to covertly raise funds while travelling, and to liaise between the revolution’s New York headquarters and the field commanders in the hills outside Santiago de Cuba. This act of passing on communication was highly dangerous; had he been caught, Emilio would have been sentenced to death. However, occupying Spanish forces could never prove Emilio’s involvement so, in 1879, – unable to pass a death sentence – they threw him in prison instead. Following a second arrest in
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THE STORY OF EMILIO’S CIVIC DUTIES Cuba’s wars of independence finally ended in August 1898. Emilio Bacardí Moreau returned from prison to find his hometown of Santiago de Cuba devastated: unemployment was rife, and the city’s infrastructure was on the brink of total collapse. Despite this, the BACARDÍ company had survived. The chaos of the war years and his time in prison had done nothing to dent Emilio’s enthusiasm for politics, and both local people and the American military (who had fought alongside the Cubans) viewed him as having a cool head. So, at the end of the war, Brigadier General Leonard Wood appointed him Mayor of Santiago. The pair worked on everything from public education to street cleaning, in a campaign to get Santiago de Cuba rebuilt and working again. The program proved so successful that, when elections were introduced in the country in 1901, Emilio became the first Cuban to be freely voted in by his
fellow countrymen as Mayor of Santiago. He went on to become a senator in 1906, and devote the rest of his life to building everything from hospitals to public parks, for the people to enjoy. Throughout wars, prison, politics, and the family business, Emilio worked towards the same goal – that life was good, but could always be improved.
THE STORY OF US PROHIBITION October 28th, 1919, was bad day for good times. The US congress passed the Volstead Act - better known as PROHIBITION and it became illegal to make, transport, import, export or sell alcohol in America. Selling the rum wasn’t an option, but destroying it was just wrong. It was Don Facundo’s son-in-law Enrique Schueg who came up with a solution. As boss of Bacardi, Schueg announced the sale of 60,000 shares in the BACARDÍ U.S. Bottling Company. Following this announcement the company was closed down with each shareholder given one case of rum per share by way of compensation. The new shareholders were happy, Schueg had spread the word about BACARDÍ, and not a drop had been wasted.
saloon’ by Fortune Magazine. And when the Americans arrived, the bars were waiting. At El Edificio Bacardi new arrivals would often be greeted by ‘Pappy’ Valiente – a legendary salesman – who made sure guests tasted mojitos, daiquiris and Cuba Libres the way they were supposed to be made, in the bar’s authentic black and gold Art Deco surroundings. And in case the new arrivals had left anyone behind, the BACARDÍ company printed up a series of specially designed postcards that they could send home to show exactly what was so special about Cuba; and just what they were raising a glass to.
THE STORY OF FACUNDITO For Don Facundo’s grandson, ‘FACUNDITO,’ nothing mattered more than throwing a party. When he staged his annual event at Villa Elvira, he invited everyonw - literally the entire population of Santiago de Cuba. Facundito supplied the food, music, and enough BACARDÍ rum for everyone. If the house got too full, they’d just open the gates and let the party spill out onto the streets. And if anyone couldn’t make it, the party could come to them.
THE STORY OF PROHIBITION TOURISM
Emilio Bacardí Moreau
If you were trying to make alcohol in America, Prohibition was clearly terrible news for business. But if you were making rum somewhere close by - somewhere hot, with beautiful beaches, the best nightlife and a plane delivering yuou straight from the U.S.A. - it suddenly didn’t seem so bad. Soon after Prohibition kicked in, tourists were heading to Cuba in vast numbers. An airline even ran advertisements telling customers to ‘Fly to Cuba and bathe in BACARDÍ rum’, while Havana was named ‘The unofficial United States
Facundito
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The most popular musicians of the day (some personal friends of Facundito) were put in an open top car and driven around the city, playing to the crowds. Sadly, Facundito died young, but his epitaph in e New York Times summed him up: ‘One of the most popular men in Cuba.’
THE STORY OF INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION In 1910, Enrique Schueg - Don Facundo Bacardí Massó’s sonin-law, and the third president of the BACARDÍ company - decided to expand outside of its native country. This had never been done by a Cuban company before, and Schueg first opened a facility in Barcelona, then beat harsh up
tariffs by the setting up shor in the heart of Manhattan. In 1928, in their riskiest expansion, he sent his nephewin-law Pepín Bacardí Fernández to Mexico to set up a new operation. The early days in Mexico were tough, and after two years Fernández had died from pneumonia and been replaced by Schueg’s son-in-law Pepín Bosch. Charged with closing down the underperforming Mexican operation, Bosch instead borrowed 100,000 pesos from the National City Bank of Mexico and in 1931 opened the company’s first distillery outside of Cuba. He invested his own money into a fleet of trucks to speed up the nationwide delivery process and employed Texcoco
Top photo: Enrique Schueg - Don Facundo Bacardí Massó’s son-in-law Bottom photo: Bacardí family portrait
Indians to weave locally-popular wooden baskets around the glass rum bottles Bosch’s faith, local knowledge and refusal to quit paid off, and within a year, 80,000 cases of BACARDÍ had been sold in Mexico. Bosch went on to manage the company’s US operations and to open an additional distillery in Puerto Rico in 1936. These were undeniably turbulent years for the company, but through invention and expansion the family stuck to the task, creating Cuba’s first multinational company and ensuring that whatever the future held in Cuba, the company would carry on.
THE STORY OF THE COMPANY’S EXILE FROM CUBA Pepín Bosch wa Don Facundo’s grandson-in-law. After difficult 1940s, caused by World War II hitting American wholesalers, Bosch turned around the BACARDÍ company’s fortunes while overseeing operations in Mexico. Throughout the 1950s, he doubled rum sales in Mexico, and grew the company. Then in 1960, Cuba’s revolutionary government seized control of all foreign-owned properties on the island. Even BACARDÍ, by this time an icon of Cuban patriotism, was targeted by the government. is was a huge shock to a company that was Cuban-owned, well run, organized, and philanthropic. In total, 400 privately-held properties were confiscated without compensation. The BACARDÍ Cuban assets were put in government hands; army officers headed to the Havana headquarters with an expropriation document to seize the company’s assets. However, the building the army arrived at was actually just the sales office. The real office was on the other side of the country in Santiago de Cuba. This didn’t
save the BACARDÍ company from being seized, but the mistake did give the BACARDÍ Master Blenders sufficient time to destroy the secret yeast strain used to make BACARDÍ rum. The family kept the recipe, but lost almost everything else – distilleries, breweries, offices, warehouses, ageing rum stocks, and even their family homes. All of their assets in Cuba were illegally confiscated without compensation by the Revolutionary government, and the family went into exile. But Pepín Bosch came to the rescue. It turned out that back in the 1950s he had registered the BACARDÍ trademark outside of Cuba. So, having already opened up in other countries, BACARDÍ could legally continue to produce their rum worldwide. For thirty years these companies he had registered abroad were beyond the reach of the Cuban government, and could carry on making rum, until they were reunited into one company in the early 1990s. Foresight, planning – and a healthy dose of luck – all combined to make Pepín Bosch the company’s savior.
THE STORY OF THE BACARDÍ FAMILY More than 150 years and eight generations later, BACARDÍ is still a family-owned business and is still making rum. The project that Don Facundo Bacardí Massó started in a small tin roof distillery in Santiago de Cuba has taken the ideas and passions of its founding family worldwide. But under current chairman Facundo L. Bacardi – the great-great grandson of founder Don Facundo Bacardí Massó – much remains the same: the signature strain of yeast is still in use; the family recipe is still a closely guarded secret; and the spirit which saw Bacardi through every challenge is still in every bottle of rum that it makes. THE BACARDÍ LEGACY LIVES ON.
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Q &A
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WHO IS SAILOR JERRY AND WHAT’S THE CONNECTION BETWEEN NORMAN COLLINS AND SAILOR JERRY RUM? Norman “Sailor Jerry” Collins, born in 1911, revolutionised the tattoo industry blending the traditional bold line Americana and Japanese technique and design. Over time, his work made him a legend in his own right and his visionary style influenced an entire generation of artists. Today, many artists take cues from his iconic work. Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum was inspired by the desire to preserve the legacy of Norman ‘Sailor Jerry’ Collins and his work. Rum has always been the spirit of choice for revolutionaries and visionaries, people like Sailor Jerry and people like us. Sailor Jerry spent half his life as a sailor and the other half tattooing them. So naturally, when producing a spirit that bears his name, spiced rum – credited to be a sailor’s invention – was the natural choice. To ensure the rum maintained the same high quality standards of other products in the range, Sailor Jerry Limited partnered with William Grants & Sons, a family company who have been distilling and blending premium spirits for over 125 years. This expertise is now put into selecting the finest rums, sourcing the best spices and blending a classic, rich and smooth Spiced Rum which lives up to its namesake’s unyielding standards of craftsmanship. WHAT SPICES ARE USED IN SAILOR JERRY and ARE THEY NATURAL? Yes the spices used in Sailor Jerry are natural. The blender uses a combination of 100% natural spices and flavours to achieve the unique, distinctive flavour of Sailor Jerry. The exact recipe we, of course, keep close to our chest but the predominant aromas and flavours are Vanilla and Cinnamon. WHERE DO THE SPICES COME FROM? Did Norman Collins divulge the secret of how he developed the first purple ink to use in tattoos? I don’t think so... Our recipe of spices is one of the things that make Sailor Jerry unique - and we’re not giving that away in a hurry.
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° PROFILE ° WHERE IS YOUR DISTILLERY? Sailor Jerry is made of a blend of rums distilled from a mix of blackstrap molasses and high test molasses at some of the finest distilleries in The Caribbean. For us, the secret is in crafting the perfect blend of these carefully selected rums to which we can then add our spices. Just as you won’t hear blended Scotch revealing which distilleries they source their whiskies from, we don’t name the individual distilleries we select our rums from to make Sailor Jerry. IN WHAT KIND OF STILLS IS SAILOR JERRY DISTILLED? Sailor Jerry is made of a blend of rums from some of the finest distilleries in The Caribbean. To achieve the unique Sailor Jerry profile, the rum character needs to be subtle enough to allow spices to add their flavours but equally contain enough complexity to ensure the rum characteristics come through. The majority of rums in the Sailor Jerry recipe are therefore column distilled, as this gives us a neat and robust base for blending. Our blender wants it this way as its better for them to bring through the flavours the spices and other natural ingredients deliver after blending. THERE IS NO AGE STATEMENT ON THE BOTTLE – HOW LONG IS SAILOR JERRY AGED FOR? We don’t age our rum as the spices overpower any woody characteristics. Back in the day, sailors would either age their rum for a long period of time or add spices to round off the rough edges, rarely both. To achieve the unique Sailor Jerry profile, the rum character needs to be subtle enough to allow spices to add their flavours but equally contain enough complexity to ensure the rum characteristics come through. That said, the blender’s skill in adding spices is best shown off by using a robust yet subtle rum that allows them to show off the spiced flavour, not the wood’s characteristics. Of course, we do need to comply to local laws and where it is necessary, we will use rum aged for a year (Canada) or two (Australia). Sailors adding spices to their on-board supplies to put some kick in their rum (rums back in the day were also pretty harsh so it was needed!). While all the harshness is gone, our recipe is a nod to those times of old and allows a genuine taste of bygone days. We believe he would not have appreciated being turned into a caricature so we don’t – and won’t be dressing any one up as ‘The Sailor’. WHERE IS THE RUM BLENDED? After careful selection from distilleries in the Caribbean, the rums head for our blending houses in Scotland or New Jersey, USA. Here our blenders combine the rums and add the recipes of spices and other natural flavours before bottling. WHAT KIND OF MOLASSES DOES SAILOR JERRY USE TO MAKE ITS RUM? Sailor Jerry uses a mixture of high test and blackstrap molasses but what comes out of the stills is a clean, consistent liquid that is almost identical, regardless of which type of molasses is used. Our strength is within the proprietary blend of spices that we add to the liquid off the stills to make Sailor Jerry taste the way you know and love. IS THERE LIME IN SAILOR JERRY? Lime oil is an ingredient we add to Sailor Jerry to give a little bit of balance to the warm, wintery and earthy flavours of the spices. It doesn’t give the rum any citrus kick, but will come more to the fore if you are looking to mix a Sailor Jerry drink with limes – after all many a great rum cocktail has lime in it. WHAT IS THE NOSE AND TASTE OF SAILOR JERRY? On the nose, Sailor Jerry brings forth aromas of intense vanilla, dry butter toffee and subtle cinnamon notes. The taste rounds out into a bunch of good, strong spicy flavours coming along with the warm spice of cinnamon and nutmeg with rich vanilla. The finish is long and dry with a hint of burnt toffee.
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° DRINK °
Cocktail Club
Heavy Punch • 1 ½ parts Sailor Jerry Spiced • 1 part pineapple juice • ½ part port • ½ part simple syrup • ½ part fresh lime juice • 4 dashes of bitters Combine ingredients, shake and strain over crushed ice. Garnish with fresh grated nutmeg.
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Cocktail Club
Hellfire • 1 part Sailor Jerry Spiced • 2 dashes hot sauce • ¼ of a fresh lime • Pilsner beer or favorite lager beer Shake Sailor Jerry with lime and hot sauce, and strain into a beer glass full of ice. Top with beer and squeeze ‘n drop a lime wedge garnish * Top with ½ desired beer and ½ ginger beer (if available) for an extra kick.
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Cocktail Club
Jerry Mojito • 3 parts Sailor Jerry Spiced • 1 part simple syrup • 4 lime wedges • 5-8 mint leaves • 1 cm fresh ginger • Dash of bitters Muddle ginger with lime wedges, mint, and simple syrup, in a highball glass. Fill with crushed ice and add other ingredients. Churn and top with more ice, and garnish with a mint sprig.
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Cocktail Club
Old Ironsides • 2 parts Sailor Jerry Spiced • 4 parts pineapple juice • Soda water Build in a rocks-filled highball or rocks glass. Top with soda water and garnish with a lemon wedge.
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Cocktail Club
Rockabilly Juice • 2 parts Sailor Jerry Spiced • 2 parts black tea (iced tea) • ½ part lemon juice • ¹⁄³ part Orange Curacao Build Sailor Jerry and other ingredients in a rocks-filled mixing glass. Shake vigorously. Serve in a rocks-filled highball glass and garnish with a lemon wedge. *Try infusing your own tea flavors.
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° PROFILE °
EAST IMPERIAL Superior Beverage Collection Explore to Rediscover I
nspired by a family recipe from 1903, we tracked down the original, handpicked ingredients. Wanting to keep production traditional as well, we designed a small batch production method and a cold filling process, just like they used back in 1903. We then worked with the best bartenders from across Asia and the most skilled distillers from all over the world to create the highest quality range of mixers on the market. But take a sip and we’re sure you’ll agree that it was all worth it.
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DESIGNED TO COMPLEMENT THE BEST OF THE BEST East Imperial was designed to be one thing: the ultimate accompaniment to the world’s most premium spirits. We wanted to bring the experience back to its roots and create genuine tonic water, not a mass produced soft drink. The finest gins and other spirits are painstakingly crafted and small batched by artisanal distillers who use the most subtle herbal notes, intricate recipes and skilful distillation. It’s a real shame when all that hard work and exquisite flavour is crushed by those mass market mixers. In fact, it’s more than just a shame. It’s a travesty. That’s why East Imperial Tonic lets the gin do the talking, not the other way around. It is the only way that one is able to experience everything from the strong front end juniper
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notes on traditional dry London gins to the complex herbaceous floral notes of the new American and European brands, lovely things no gin connoisseur would want to miss (understandably, of course). Because when you’re enjoying the world’s most premium gin, you definitely don’t want to taste sugary, inferior tonic.
THE FINEST BLEND OF INGREDIENTS At East Imperial, tradition and quality are particularly important. All of our products are made using only the purest ingredients, sustainably sourced from Asia and East Africa, home of the original tonic water. The handpicked Javanese Cinchona that we use originated from the very same Javanese genus that was employed by the founder’s great
grandfathers when they lived in Singapore and East Africa at the turn of 1900s. Of course the lineage alone is impressive, but did you know it takes seven years for our Cinchona trees to grow, plus the scraping, air drying, smoking and processing takes a further seventeen days? That’s what it takes to put the finest tonic water in your tumbler. We use all natural ingredients with no artificial flavours, sweeteners or preservatives. This practice provides the best tasting product with the added benefit of being good for you.
HAND CRAFTED, SMALL BATCHED AND COLD PROCESSED At East Imperial we are designers and craftsman, first and foremost. Ingredients and craft are crucial to us; we believe in balancing
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the little things in order to make the perfect beverage. After all, what is a perfect moment without a perfect beverage? We cold blend the natural cane sugar and water just as original tonic water was produced in 1903. By not using heat in our tonic water blending, we end up with a much richer and more viscous profile, one that we’re sure you’ll appreciate. And we use less than half the sugars of traditional soft drinks so 30 calories per bottle.
THE PUREST SPRING WATER To keep with the spirit of discovery that is at the heart of East Imperial, we travelled the world to find the purest, unfiltered spring water. This gives East Imperial that authentic taste of the original tonic waters made at the turn of the last century from the purest springs in East Africa and East Asia.
OUR BUBBLES AND BOTTLES We worked hard to create the perfect carbonation, with bubble size, longevity, quantity and softness that is similar to champagne. We developed a champagne-like bottle to keep our beloved bubbles just right. Not to mention, it looks rather fetching too. We believe that a 150ml pour creates the perfect gin and tonic that is cold, refreshing and fascinating on the palette. The perfect pour.
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Edrington announces plans to develop The Macallan Estate in Speyside and create the
WORLD’S FINEST DISTILLERY E
drington, Scotland’s premier producer and distributor of global spirits brands has announced plans for a an iconic new Speyside distillery and visitor centre for The Macallan, the world’s most prestigious Scotch malt whisky.
The company will work with the world- renowned architects Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners to build the new distillery and visitor centre. Edrington plans to invest over £100 million in The Macallan estate to sustain the craftsmanship, attention to detail, and innovation that have become the hallmarks of the brand. The Macallan is recognised around the world as the ultimate marque of excellence and innovation , and the new facility will embody these characteristics in a design that complements the natural beauty of the area and The Macallan Estate. Creating a site of major architectural significance in the heart of Speyside will consolidate The Macallan’s position as one of the world’s leading luxury spirits. Over time the distillery is expected to deliver additional capacity to meet the growing demand from existing and new international markets.
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Ian Curle, chief executive of Edrington said: “This is a confident investment in the future of The Macallan and its home on Speyside. Our plan for the estate includes a contemporary distillery that embodies the international style of The Macallan and builds on the brand’s tradition of quality and craftsmanship. As this long-term investment develops it will bring significant employment and economic benefit to the local community.” Ken Grier, Edrington’s director of malts said: “As a leading luxury single malt, it was imperative that we selected an architect that understood and respected the importance of the history of The Macallan but had the experience and skills to create a building that is inspirational in its interpretation of contemporary luxury. In selecting RSHP, we have chosen a partner that shares our values and pushes the boundaries of style and quality. “Easter Elchies House plays an integral role
in the history and future of The Macallan. The proposal from RSHP will retain the integrity and importance of Easter Elchies House and the estate in the future. We are confident that this will give international visitors an outstanding impression of both The Macallan and Scotland and will build on the brand’s position as the definitive luxury spirit.” Graham Stirk, senior partner, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners said: “We are delighted to be working with The Macallan to realise their vision for the new distillery. This is a rare and fascinating project set within a great parkland estate. Our aim will be to reveal both the mystery of the place and the process, within this dramatic setting. “ Subject to receiving planning consent, work on the project will begin in autumn 2014 and is due to be completed in spring 2017.
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The Macallan celebrates eight decades with Sir Peter Blake, the godfather of British Pop Art with limited edition unique art piece
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he Macallan’s exclusive art piece titled, The Macallan and Sir Peter Blake celebrate eight decades, pays homage to Sir Peter Blake, who last year marked his 80th birthday1. Ranging from 52% to 62% ABV2, the eight very special whiskies in 5cl miniatures contained in an oak box offer a journey through the character of The Macallan from the 1930s through to the 2000s. Each section celebrates each decade and features a backdrop and artefact designed, inspired or chosen by Sir Peter Blake. The collection is complete with labels designed by Sir Peter and a small book of illustrations and text about Sir Peter’s life.
Sir Peter has a long-standing relationship with The Macallan, having designed the label which adorned the first 12 bottles of the highly collectable Macallan 1926, bottled back in 1986. For this project he has teamed up with art director, David Holmes, designer of the earliest Macallan advertising campaign and creative force behind the brand’s most recent Royal commemorative limited edition bottlings, celebrating the marriage of William and Kate in 2012 and more recently the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. The wooden box is designed to represent eight decades in the life of Blake and also The Macallan. The artefacts* contained within the incredible box, sourced by art director Stuart
Newman following Sir Peter’s guidance, represent the four elements of water, fire, air and earth, as a direct connection to the whisky making process. Commenting on the project, Sir Peter Blake, said, “This piece is a reflection of my approach to my work, taking inspiration from the last 80 years, be it from my own art collection or my own actual work. This project has brought together an outstanding team who have truly brought this wonderful idea to life. Working with The Macallan has been great fun and this project allowed me to explore different ideas to create something special, unique and highly creative.”
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Limited Edition ‘Whisky Cask’ turntable marks the 40th anniversary of a modern icon
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inn and Highland Park collaborate to toast 40 years of exceptional music performance at home.
It is 40 years since the birth of Linn and the Sondek LP12 turntable truly changed the world of hi-fi forever. To mark the anniversary, the makers of the best sound systems in the world have joined forces with Highland Park, the makers of the best spirit in the world to stimulate the senses of music and whisky lovers alike.
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Both pioneers in their field and united by their Scottish roots, these globally renowned companies have combined their expertise, craftsmanship and passion for excellence to create a Limited Edition, Sondek LP12 Turntable. This limited edition collaboration features Linn’s highest performance turntable which has been encased in a beautiful wood plinth, crafted from the solid oak casks used to mature Highland Park’s award winning whisky. The turntable has also been paired with a special bottling of Highland Park 40 year old, designed exclusively for Linn. The highly collectable offering brings together two powerful passions – music and whisky – allowing fans to appreciate the sounds of classic vinyl with the perfect dram in hand. Linn is a British technology and manufacturing success story. The company is renowned for designing and making the best music systems in the world, producing everything in-house at their factory just outside Glasgow. The iconic Sondek LP12 turntable is the product on which the company was founded and it remains the benchmark for turntables worldwide. Designed by founder Ivor Tiefenbrun, it was his passion for music and commitment to excellence that inspired him to create the turntable. Highland Park is crafted at one of the oldest single malt distilleries in Scotland, situated on the remote islands of Orkney. Highland Park
Single Malt Scotch Whisky has long been regarded as one of the best whiskies in the world. It is the attention to detail and the commitment to time honoured distillation practices, long forgotten by the mainstream industry, which set this whisky apart and clearly puts it in a class of its own. Angus Lawrie, Marketing Director for Linn, said: “We’re delighted to be working with such an established and quality driven brand to mark this special occasion. Both Highland Park and Linn have a strong heritage in their respective fields. We share the same values in terms of passion, innovation and exacting standards to ensure we continue to make world-leading products” Gerry Tosh, Global Marketing Manager for Highland Park, said “Working with Linn and helping to produce such a special version of their iconic Sondek LP12 Turntable is a great honour. Not only have we helped create a great looking piece of kit, the density of our hand selected, Spanish oak casks has also added to the already impressive sound quality. The joining together of Linn and Highland Park, makes perfect sense and has created a powerful sensory platform that will appeal to both the whisky lover and the music lover – this is sure to be a highly sought after offering that will be desired by both our fans from all over the world.” There are just forty Limited Edition Sondek LP12 Turntables available worldwide. These can be ordered through Linn’s global network of specialist retailers, priced £25,000.
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The Macallan
M
Mastery in the Power of Three An exquisite creation born of a collaboration between three masters: The Macallan, Fabien Baron & Lalique
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he Macallan presents M: a masterpiece born of a collaboration between three masters of their crafts. The Macallan has partnered with renowned creative director Fabien Baron and crystal masters Lalique with a single objective: to create the world’s most sophisticated single malt whisky, contained in a beautifully designed and meticulously crafted crystal decanter.
Brought to conception by creative director Fabien Baron; brought to life by Lalique’s mastery of crystal; and brought to purpose by The Macallan’s sublime and highly complex whisky, M is the ultimate reward for the most discerning of whisky connoisseurs. Just 1,750 crystal decanters of M, each engraved with its own individual number, will be released worldwide in 2013. Capturing the expressive aesthetic of Fabien Baron’s illustrious creative vision, M’s tall, slim dimensions and geometric form challenge the perceptions of traditional decanter design. Its sharp, angular facets gave inspiration to the name M itself, selected by Baron as a typographic representation of the decanter’s striking design. Its six striking facets are Baron’s homage to The Macallan’s heritage, reflecting the six pillars at the heart of its ethos: The Spiritual Home – the breathtaking 390-acre Macallan Estate where every drop of M is created; the distillery’s Curiously Small Stills, whose unique shape gives the spirit its fruity, full-bodied character; The Finest Cut, the 16% of the new make spirit, the smallest figure in the industry, selected for maturation; Exceptional Oak Casks, acquired and cared for without thought to the cost, infusing every drop with distinctive aroma and flavour; Natural Colour created solely through the interaction between spirit and wood; and The Peerless Spirit, marking The Macallan’s unsurpassed place in the hearts of the world’s most discerning consumers. Lalique has drawn on 150 years of mastery, and its long standing relationship with The Macallan brand, to bring refinement and flawless clarity to M. Fashioned in highest grade crystal, each hand crafted decanter unites proven tradition with striking originality; exuding beauty, integrity and expression at every glance.
Interwoven with rich dried fruits, spices, orange citrus and wood notes, M’s whisky is the creation of its third master, The Macallan, drawing on its classic full flavoured tradition. With a rich natural colour, complexity and sumptuous intensity never before seen in a single malt, every drop is laden with character absorbed from the Spanish sherry oak casks that nurture it through its maturation process. M’s spirit brims with individuality. David Cox, Director of Fine and Rare whiskies at The Macallan comments: “The coming together of three such masters has resulted in a truly beautiful creation, which specifically showcases the vital influence of The Macallan’s exceptional sherry seasoned oak casks and the craft of the Whisky Maker. The natural colour of M is stunning. A single malt of the most exquisite complexity and character, M will set a new standard in the world of decanters to become the iconic representation of The Macallan.” Silvio Denz, President and CEO of Lalique comments: “We have been delighted to have worked with our friends and long-time partners, The Macallan – with whom we have collaborated since 2004 – to realise this exquisite piece. The decanter styling is utterly unique in the world of decanters, and our masters of crystal have relished applying their most complex skills to this project to bring it to life.” Fabien Baron, Founder and Creative Director of Baron & Baron comments: “You don’t have the opportunity to work on a product at this level of quality every day – it has been an absolute pleasure collaborating with The Macallan.”
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Coming up ALL ABOUT CHAMPAGNE UNDERSTANDING THE TERROIR
We talk to Thibaut Le Mailloux the Communication Director of the Comite’ Champagne
WE MEET THE WINEMAKERS BEHIND RUINART & MUMM CHAMPAGNE & SINGAPORE The who, what where?
WORLD CLASS Continues in Singapore
BARTENDERS TALK We hear from more of Singapore’s Finest
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Meet The Family.
Discover Another Side Of
Your friends at Jack Daniel’s remind you to please drink responsibly. JACK DANIEL’S is a registered trademark of Jack Daniel Distillery, Lem Motlow, Prop., Inc. Find us on Facebook. DRINKS WORLD ASIA
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