For the first time ever, ten of the world’s top bartenders travelled to Cognac, France, the home of GREY GOOSE® Vodka, for the GREY GOOSE 10 tour and global cocktail competition. Among them was Canada’s own master barman Jay Jones from MARKET at the Shangri-La Hotel in Vancouver.
“The experience was spectacular on so many levels,” recalls Jay. “Not only did I have a chance to travel to France, I was given an opportunity to compete against a truly impressive group of bartenders from around the world.”
The 10 bartenders were invited to spend three days in the company of Grey Goose Maître de Chai François Thibault (only the most respected spirit makers in France hold the centuries-old title of Maître de Chai or Cellar Master). François oversees the making of Grey Goose vodka to ensure that it lives up to its reputation for exceptional taste. Over the three days with François, the group experienced first-hand the expertise behind crafting a bottle of Grey Goose vodka. They met one of the farmers from the Picardy region of Northern France who supplies the soft winter wheat used to make the vodka and they learned how the same wheat is used to make the world renowned breads and pastries of France. They visited the site where the wheat spirit is blended with spring water naturally sourced from a well 500ft beneath the limestone hills of the Grande Champagne region. And they experienced what it’s like to be a member of the tasting panel, headed up by François, responsible for ensuring that the quality of each batch of Grey Goose is exceptional.
The trip culminated with a cocktail competition organized into three qualifying rounds at a poolside bar at the Logis du Fresne, a historic manor house in the heart of the Grande Champagne region of Cognac.
The GREY GOOSE® 10:
Brazil – Marcelo Serrano (Brasserie des Arts, Sao Paulo)
Canada – Jay Jones (MARKET Shangri-La Hotel, Vancouver)
China – Yao Lu (The Alchemist, Shanghai)
France – Joseph Biolatto (Bar Le Forum, Paris)
India – Nitin Tewari (Bar Consultant, New Delhi)
Israel – Moshe Budnik (Social Club, Tel Aviv)
Mexico – Felipe Guajardo Silva (Bar Consultant, Mexico City)
Puerto Rico – Diego Díaz (Bar Consultant, San Juan)
UK – Richard Woods (SushiSamba, London)
US – Emilio Tiburcio (The Light Group, Las Vegas)
The 10 bartenders were challenged by judges – François Thibault, Global Ambassador Dimi Lezinska and US drinks writer Camper English – to create cocktails inspired by their home country. Jay’s all-Canadian cocktail North Star stunned the judges and earned him a coveted spot in the next round.
Ten then became five who set to work creating a twist on a French classic cocktail that would decide the three finalists. Again, Jay stood out as a judge favourite with his cocktail Lezinska, inspired by the Lucien Gaudin cocktail (created to honour the renowned French fencer and Olympic champion in the early 1900’s). Jay’s cocktail exhibits strong, bitter, dry and sweet personas.
After the second round, the top 3 finalists were selected – Jay Jones from Canada, Yao Lu from China and Richard Woods from the UK. These finalists were challenged to create a cocktail inspired by their experience in France so far. In this round Jay’s inspiration came from one of the most impactful moments he had had on this trip — a talk about storytelling and the presentation aspects of competitive bartending. ‘The protagonist’ was identified as one of the essential commonalities in storytelling – and it became his final round cocktail motif. The three types of protagonists were each represented by an ingredient: ‘The Hero’ – GREY GOOSE, champion of the ensemble, ‘The Dark Protagonist’ – red wine, deep & brooding complexity and ‘The Regular Guy’ – triple sec, the underestimated everyman. The Protagonist had propelling and compelling elements including ‘The Friend’ – Pineau des Charentes, familiar and reliable, and ‘The Mystery’ – ginger & orange blossom, aromas of intrigue. All ingredients were intentionally sourced from France – specifically regions visited on this trip: Cognac and Bordeaux.
Jay’s cocktail did not disappoint in the final round and he finished as runner up in this talented group of international bartenders. “I am extremely honoured to place so well against some of the best bartenders in the world – they are truly an exceptional group”, says Jay. The winning title was awarded to UK’s Richard Woods, Bar Manager of the Duck & Waffle and Sushi Samba in London for his cocktail The Borrower. Richard was presented with an engraved cocktail shaker by luxury French silverware maker Christofle and will also travel to Los Angeles in February to see one of his custom cocktails served at a GREY GOOSE pre-Oscars party.
THE BORROWER
1 oz GREY GOOSE Cherry Noir
¾ oz NOILLY PRAT Ambre vermouth
¾ oz SUZE Fruits Rouges
4 drops coriander and cardamom bitters
Method: Mix all ingredients and rest in a new oak barrel for 24 hours. Pour into a mixing glass filled with ice and stir until chilled. Use a blow torch to gently toast a piece of oak until smoking. Place an elegant rocks glass upside down over the smoking wood to capture the aroma before pouring the mixture into the glass.
About GREY GOOSE® vodka
Every step in the making of GREY GOOSE is focused on creating an exceptional vodka. GREY GOOSE is made in France from the finest soft winter wheat – the same wheat used to make delicious French breads and pastries – and pure spring water sourced from deep beneath the limestone hills of the Grande Champagne region of Cognac. GREY GOOSE is smooth and round with a gentle sweetness that fills the mouth; a hint of almond is followed by a long, satisfying finish. GREY GOOSE vodka is also available in three flavors: L’Orange, Le Citron and La Poire.
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