Today's Interview is going to be in english, since Audrey is from france and my french language skills are not as well as Audrey's in english....
1. Who are you and what do you do?
1. My name is Audrey FORT. I’m the marketing & business development director of the French company Eurowinegate, specialised in creating innovative and ultra-premium products always linked with the vine. You might know some of our own products - G’Vine, the first gin made from grape and vine flower -, but also some great projects made for and with major companies. The only one we can disclose is Cîroc vodka, owned by Diageo, the world’s leading spirits company.
2. How did you slip in into bartening?
2. Two years ago, after a pretty long time in the perfume industry, I had the opportunity to enter the spirits world with my current position and discovered the bartending world. Thanks to our premium products, I have the chance to visit only very qualitative bars where the art of bartending is at its top and where bartenders can be compared to great chefs with an unlimited creation.
3. For you, what is most important in a bar - can be anything
3. There are so many bars around the world, and as many discrepancies in their quality. For me, a good bar, where you want to spend time and come back, is a place that uses mostly (if not only) fresh ingredients and where there is a good bartender who listens or is able to identify your expectations and employs his/her skills to fulfil your wishes.
4. In which bar do you feel most comfortable?
4. Though the place, atmosphere and crowd of a bar are not my first criteria, I prefer small cosy places where you can appreciate a cocktail quietly and be able to talk to the bartender and to your friends. The Hopper’s Bar in Frankfurt and the Grand Hotel’s bar in Bordeaux are one of the places I really like.
5. What is your favourite spirit?
5. That may not surprise you, and I apologize for this conventional answer from me, but my favourite spirit is gin. It’s such as great and complex spirit, including many different variations according to the formula, that you can use with every ingredient and in all kinds of cocktails and, and even sip neat on ice for some of them …
6. What drink do you drink in which atmosphere?
6. I would drink a simple G&T in a simple bar, the safe value when you’re not sure about the bartending quality, but would easily let me advised by a skilled bartender to discover new spirits and cocktails. In a festive atmosphere I would go for a French 75, whereas in a more intimate bar I would prefer having a Side Car.
7.What is essential for an ideal bar atmosphere/ what is a perfect bar atmosphere?
7. The perfect bar atmosphere to me would be a place not too crowded, where you can enjoy a discussion at the bar, with some nice music and shattered light, such as the Hotel Costes in Paris. And the most essential element to create this atmosphere is again the bartender, his/her friendliness and skills that invite you to have not only 1 but some drinks.
8. What makes a good bartender?
8. As I said, a good bartender should first be able to prepare nice drinks with fresh ingredients. Then he/she must be able to identify your wishes whenever you don’t have a precise idea or when you want to be led and discover something new. Finally, a good bartender must be friendly, communicative, and more important than anything else, love his/her job and be proud of it !
9. Do you have any idols?
9. That’s a tricky question ! I have the chance to get to know many excellent bartenders and I don’t want to create any animosity or jealousy, especially because I still have so many bars to discover. But I have to say that I was really impressed by one of your German bartender, well-known now and many times awarded. We organised a bartenders training for G’Vine in Hamburg (ah, you’re getting close) and I gave some recipes to the guy behind the bar (now you know it’s a man) who, not only got it immediately but arranged the cocktails in his own way, and the result was just brilliant ! I tasted some other drinks of his own creation later on and was never disappointed by the subtlety and originality. Last indication : this guy works in a cosy bar with the name of an animal in French. Thank you Herr M.
10. What do you think about shochu?
10. Shochu is a spirit I am not so familiar with. A few years ago, a Japanese chef of a tiny restaurant in Paris, made me taste a traditional shochu. It was clearly different from the sake you’re used to drink in the Japanese restaurant. I would curious to taste a nice cocktail made with shochu now. Any advice where ?
11. What is your favourite quote or advice for our readers?
11. “Croquez la vie à pleines dents” : this is what I used to say this summer in New Orleans at Tales of the Cocktails. Meaning “Enjoy life at the fullest” !
Thank you very much for these detailed answers Audrey! If you want to get in contact with Audrey - She is on Facebook : click here
or check out the homepage of G-Vine: click here
to get to know the product other than a G & T way I will post my creation "Nippon No Mori" tomorrow......
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