PRESS RELEASE
13.01.2021
COGNAC BARTENDER CONTEST: AND THE WINNER IS…
The Cognac sector is betting on its digital presence and cocktail competitions to showcase its talents, in what is currently a difficult context for all bartenders. The Cognac Bartender Contest, organised in partnership with Spirits Hunters, has just crowned Antony Bertin, bartender at the Aquarium Bar in Dinard, Brittany, the winner, in recognition of his “Terre Lune” cocktail.
This free contest was launched last November by the BNIC (Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac) and Spirits Hunters. For four weeks, bartenders based in France were offered the chance to submit an Instagram video of themselves creating a Cognac-based cocktail, which represented a great opportunity for this community to share their expertise on social media (@cognac_official and @spiritshunters_mag). Two winners were chosen each week and, at the end of the competition, a jury consisting of bartenders and spirits experts* crowned the grand winner: Antony Bertin and his “Terre Lune” cocktail.
©SpiritsHunters
This talented 32-year-old bartender is head of the Aquarium Bar in Dinard and briefly told us his motivation for taking part in the competition: “I decided to participate in the Cognac Bartender Contest because Cognac is a spirit that I particularly love on its own and in cocktails. (…) I enjoy filming my creations as much as I do working behind the bar, even if I still consider myself to be an amateur filmmaker. Taking part in this competition is a fantastic way to combine my two passions.”
Antony Bertin will receive a grand prize of 1,000 euros from Spirits Hunters and, as soon as the health situation permits, he will be invited to Cognac to meet the people behind this spirit.
©AntonyBertin
Recipe
[Earth Experience]
In a metal tumbler, add:
50 ml VSOP Cognac
10 ml hazelnut syrup
30 ml White Penja Pepper Cordial
20 ml verjuice
60 ml toasted chestnut oolong tea
Throw the cocktail to chill and mix the ingredients.
Fill the globe-shaped glass.
[Lunar Experience] In a soda siphon, add 50 ml of toasted hazelnut-infused VSOP Cognac. Leave in the fridge for 24 hours.
Then, fill the lunar glass, adding 1 dry ice cube to “freeze” the Cognac.
Serve under a bell jar.
Similarly, the Cognac Bartender Contest will also be launched in the United Kingdom in February 2021.
* Bartenders’ Contest jury
Sophie Liu – China
Wine and spirits tutor and Cognac Educator in Shanghai
David Boileau – France
Cognac Ambassador at the BNIC (Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac)
Stanislas Jouenne – France
Bartender and Cognac Educator
Philippe Jouhaud – France
Member of the BNIC (Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac) Communication Commission
Adal Marquez – Spain
Bartender and Cognac specialist
Yasutaka Nakamori – Japan
Bartender and Cognac specialist at Bar Doras, Tokyo
Sother Teague – United States
Bartender, writer, creative director and co-owner of Amor y Amargo, New York
Alexandre Vingtier – France
Spirits expert and Cognac Educator
Tyler Zielinski – United States
Journalist, bartender and drinks expert (Condé Nast Traveler, Departures Mag, PUNCH, Imbibe Mag, Maxim, Liquor.com, Whisky Advocate, Maxim, etc.)
About the BNIC
The BNIC, or Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac, represents, develops and preserves the Cognac Protected Designation of Origin, both in France and abroad. In the 160 countries where Cognac is sold, this AOC provides consumers with a guarantee that they are buying an outstanding wine spirit. Comprising an equal number of members from the winegrowing and commercial sides of the industry, the BNIC is a coordination and decision-making body which brings together almost 4,500 winegrowers, 110 professional distillers, and 270 merchants operating within the appellation. The BNIC defends the interests of Cognac producers and consumers, with an unwavering commitment to everyone with an interest in this appellation.
