Where did you grow up?
I was born in Bordeaux, spent the first three years of my life in Cambodia, but from the age of 4 till 25 I grew up in the vineyards between Bordeaux and Cognac, studied oenology and law in Bordeaux.
What did you aspire to be when you grew up?
Create something innovative and qualitative, the world’s best wine or spirits… My aspirations came true but I keep aspiring for more!
How did you find your way into the world of spirits?
My first serious job was with Hennessy and I spent three years in a distribution subsidiary of MH in Singapore, then came back to Cognac and spent another 7 years in sales and marketing within LVMH. This is what I call my 10 years of apprenticeship; I travelled the world and learned a lot about spirits, luxury, marketing, people etc.
Can you tell us a bit about what you’ve been working on recently? – or any other relevant event, menu, drink etc
My latest creation is “La Guilde du Cognac” and as all the brands I have created it is a unique proposition in terms of spirits and spirit (or mindset). We go back to the roots of Cognac production, select and regroup craft distillers of cognac (bouilleurs de crûs) and propose to the brown spirits amateurs a unique collection highlighting the Terroir and the taste. It is for us another application of the language of wine to the spirits world.
What do you most enjoy about working as a distiller in the drinks business?
Emotions and creations; as distillers we are alchemists and create emotion and joviality. Coming for the wine world, there are a lot of similarities with wine but they are distilled, concentrated and probably multiplied by 10.
Can you tell me FOUR of your favourite recent creations?
- La Guilde du Cognac as a concept and a range of product
- Some cocktails I revisited replacing Whisky or Bourbon by Cognac
- The new G’Vine Gin campaign and packaging
- Our new distillation site in Cognac : Adeona
What interesting trends/themes are going on in the world of mixology/spirits?
The comeback of traditional and authentic products like Cognac but also the Food Pairing with simple and elegant cocktails are extremely interesting and reinforce my ambition of breaking boundaries between wines and spirits.
What are your FOUR indispensable cocktail making ingredients?
- G’Vine Gin
- La Quintinye Vermouth Royal Rouge
- Quality ice cubes
- Selection of Citrus
What’s next?
Further structuring the production process to fulfill the demand growing tremendously thanks to our partnerships and own distribution: Renaissance Spirits. Plus, launching our new version of Nouaison Gin by G’Vine.
Find out more about G’Vine here | http://g-vine.com