DISHING WITH THE
COINTREAU SCION Sixth-generation family member and Cointreau brand heritage manager Alfred Cointreau talks about his favorite drinking spots, the resurgence of craft cocktails in France and why, at 4 years old, his daughter already knows how to shake a cocktail. What does being a heritage manager entail?
Part of my job is to educate people to mixing cocktails. In France, we make the most beautiful wine in the world, the most beautiful liqueurs, most beautiful Champagne—and French people do not want to mix. For example, a sidecar—with Cointreau, cognac and lemon—you mix Cointreau and cognac, so for a French person it’s, ‘Wow, what are you doing?’ If you taste a royal sidecar, I am sure you will ask for a second one, but when you are comfortable in something, you don’t want to move. It’s one of my hats—to educate the French population about cocktails.
What’s your favorite bar with the best cocktails?
Quinary in Hong Kong. Copperbay in Paris. I really like Mexican culture, and one of my favorite bars in the world is Elemento in Mexico. It’s the type of bar that preserves the Mexican culture, but also they are in the trend of the cocktails.
Do you feel that Cointreau has influenced Angers?
Bah, oui. Two years ago, we asked in the street: What is the company who represents best your region? More than 70 percent of people say Cointreau. It was not a question with choices, it was an open question! People in Angers are really proud of Cointreau, and we are really proud because it’s a family choice to preserve
LIVING GOOD
Gio
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the authenticity and to keep the distillery in the best place.
Do you hope your children will continue into the business?
Alors , I will do as my grandparents and my parents did. I will not put the pressure, but you can…influence the culture. The first one, she’s 4 years old, she already knows how to shake a cocktail; and the second one, she’s 1 year old, and I gave her a soft toy. It’s a shaker.
What do you wish people knew about Cointreau?
Bah, that it is still produced in Angers, I’m really proud of that. Do you know what is an anagram? It’s when you switch the letters. What is the anagram for Cointreau? “It’s a true icon.” Everybody knows the Cointreau bottle, but you now have a different angle to see it. That translates perfectly to what is Cointreau. Cointreau is a true icon.
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