Olivier Monin

MONIN ÂME: SYRUPS WITH SOUL

The MONIN story is one that stretches back more than 100 years, and tells of the determination of three generations of men.

Olivier Monin, current president

Despite now proudly positioned as one of the leading producers of syrups in the world, MONIN started from humble beginnings.

“It all started in the horse and carriage days of 1912 with my grandfather, Georges Monin, distributing local spirits, Armagnac and Cognac out of his cart,” relays Olivier Monin, current president of MONIN Inc. and grandson of Georges.

And so the business continued in this modest manner until the late 1920s/early 1930s when, as the story goes, Georges hosted an intimate dinner party for his family. When Georges’ brother-in-law asked for an after-dinner drink, the obliging host grabbed his best cordial. However, when Georges poured the liquid, he found it dull and lacking in flavour and aroma. He moved on to each of the other cordials behind his bar and was afforded the same disappointing result.

This inspired in Georges a desire to create a cordial that tasted of vibrant fruit and could be used to flavour anything, from cocktails, to coffee and even water. After years of trial and error, Georges finally created a syrup that met his standards, marking the turning point for the MONIN brand.

It was Georges’ son, Paul, that steered the company towards syrups when he took over in 1945 and it is the third generation president, Olivier Monin, that has made the MONIN name known across the globe.

Olivier is proud of the growth he has seen since he first took the reins in 1993.

“We now distribute our syrups in 150 countries, and we have roughly 150 flavours. This is because we’re trying to grow and develop new products that appeal to each of our customers.”

Indeed, MONIN is serious about meeting the needs of each of its markets. So much so, that they appoint a beverage innovation director in each region - a resident trained bartender whose job it is to liaise with MONIN about the local customs and flavours to help develop new syrups and recipes. It’s in listening to its health conscious consumers that MONIN has moved to release its first sugarfree prototypes in the American market by the end of the year/start of 2019.

This is a big move for the sugar syrup brand, which prides itself on its dedication to producing 100% natural syrups.

“We’re thrilled to launch this interesting range, which is not only 100% natural, but with no sugar and no sugary taste. There is another twist that will make it very unique, but I can’t reveal too much.”

So, does the current Mr Monin himself have a favourite flavour of these innovative syrups?

“I think almost every week it changes. Right now, my favourite is the Yuzu Fruit Puree. I’m also excited about the release of our new Saffron and Peppercorn Syrups, which are on the cards for 2018.”