Chateau de Bonbonnet, Ars, France (November 2009) – Cognac Ferrand, the founder of the artisanal spirits movement more than twenty years ago, and producer of Citadelle Gin and Mathilde Liqueurs announce the five winners of the first ever Citadelle Gin & Mathilde Liqueurs Bartender Competition. The five winning mixologists from the U.S. will travel to the Ferrand Estate in Cognac, France in summer 2010 to distill Citadelle Gin with president and owner Alexandre Gabriel and master distiller Frederic Gilbert. Their recipes will also be included on www.citadellegin.com and www.mathildeliqueur.com.
When they arrive at the Estate, they will see the noble pot stills that create Pierre Ferrand Cognac which can only produce Cognac from November through March (per strict French AOC laws). Beginning in June the pot stills begin producing Citadelle Gin, made with 19 botanicals from a centuries old recipe. Few gins are produced in pot stills, and Citadelle is the only gin distilled in a Cognac pot still with a naked flame. Mathilde Liqueurs are the result of a more than 100-year-old French recipe made from only the freshest and finest fruits and are all natural, using no stabilizers or preservatives. Mathilde comes in five flavors: Blackcurrant, Orange, Peach, Pear and Raspberry.
The winners of The Citadelle Gin & Mathilde Liqueur Bartender Competition are:
Enzo Lim from Bobo Restaurant in New York, NY
Brian Matthys from Izakaya Ten in New York, NY
Eryn Reece from Louis 649 in New York, NY
Alex B. Smith from the Thirsty Bear in San Francisco, CA
Max A. Solano from Emeril’s Table 10 & Delmonico’s Steakhouse in Las Vegas, NV
The cocktail recipes (see below) were reviewed and judged by an esteemed group of cocktail experts including: Bridget Albert, Allen Katz, Francesco LaFranconi, Fred Minnick, David Nepove and Liza Weisstuch.
“While our spirits are crafted in France, it’s in the U.S. that we find the most innovative cocktail culture,” says Alexandre Gabriel. “For the last 20 years, my passion has been to create the best spirits we can and then we place them in the hands of these talented mixologists who turn our spirit treasures into cocktail gems. I look forward to welcoming Enzo, Brian, Eryn, Alex and Max to the Ferrand Estate – congratulations to them!”
The competition was open to all U.S. bartenders that worked in an establishment that carried Citadelle Gin and/or Mathilde Liqueurs. The cocktail had to contain both Citadelle Gin and one of the Mathilde flavors. The judges reviewed the cocktail submissions based on originality, creativity, balance and simplicity.
The winning cocktails are:
Enzo Lim from Bobo Restaurant in New York, NY
Saturday in the Park
1.5 oz. Citadelle Gin
.75 oz. Aperol
.5 oz. Laird’s Applejack
.5 oz. Green Chartreuse
.25 oz. Mathilde Pear Liqueur
Crack solid (i.e., Kold Draft) ice cubes and half-fill a Boston shaker. Fill the rest of the way with solid cubes. Add all ingredients. Stir approximately 30 times. Strain into a coupe and garnish with a lemon peel.
Brian Matthys from Izakaya Ten in New York, NY
Smoked Pear
1.5 oz. Citadelle Gin
.75 oz. Lillet Blanc
.75 oz. Mathilde Pear Liqueur
.25 oz. Mathilde Raspberry Liqueur
.25 oz. Del Maguey Chichicapa Mezcal
Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice. Stir continuously for approximately 20 seconds. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a flamed orange twist.
Brian says, “This cocktail has a great balance between the complexity of the Citadelle gin, the refreshing acidity of the Lillet Blanc, the pronounced fruit and sweetness of the Mathilde Pear with a hint of Raspberry and a bit of smokiness from the Mezcal.”
Eryn Reece from Louis 649 in New York, NY
A Currant Affair
1.5 oz. Citadelle Gin
.5 oz. Mathilde Blackcurrant Liqueur
.5 oz. fresh squeezed lemon juice
.5 oz. Cream Sherry
Pinch of ground cardamom
Add Citadelle, Mathilde Blackcurrant, Lemon, Sherry, and cardamom to a shaker tin. Shake and double strain into a coupe. Garnish with a skewered lemon wheel with 3 blackcurrants in the center, so currants lay in the bowed out center of the lemon. Lay on the rim on the glass.
Alex B. Smith from the Thirsty Bear in San Francisco, CA
La Belle Epoque
2 oz. Citadelle Gin
1/2 oz. Orange XO Mathilde
1/2 oz. Green Chartreuse
1/2 oz. lemon juice
1 egg white
5 drops Peychaud's Bitters
Combine all but bitters, shake with ice & strain into a coupe cocktail glass. With a dropper, carefully drop several drops of bitters on egg white foam, and run a toothpick through to create heart shapes. Smile.
Max A. Solano from Emeril’s Table 10 & Delmonico’s Steakhouse in Las Vegas, NV
Eau de Perfection
1.5 oz. Citadelle Gin
1.25 oz. Mathilde Pear Liqueur
1.25 oz. fresh lemon juice (strained)
1 oz. homemade four-spiced infused simple syrup (cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, vanilla bean)
1/3 tsp. fresh ginger puree
1 oz. rosé champagne of choice
Take the Collins glass and fill with ice and set the glass aside. Take each one of the ingredients except for the Champagne and place them into a pint or mixing glass. Add a generous scoop of ice and shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Double-strain (fine strain) contents into the Collins glass. Lastly, top off the cocktail with the champagne. Garnish with a slice of Bartlett pear and a fresh mint sprig and enjoy!
Max says, “This cocktail is both a variation of two of my favorite summer cocktails: The French 75 and traditional Gin Collins, with my added twists.”