Regulars at rum and other spirits events know his relaxed manner and humor behind the bar. He is one of the old hands of the cocktail scene (sorry Marc! :D) and was in the front row when the rum boom began. He has followed all the news since the beginning of Rhum Fest Paris , as organizer of the Rhum Fest Awards and from the counter of the new products bar. We had the chance to ask him about his career and experience:
Can you tell us about your career as a bartender?
My career as a bartender is made up of encounters. I come from the traditional catering trade with a BEP/CAP in Catering, a Baccalaureate in Hotel Technology and a BTS in Hotel Management with a marketing management option. In my mind, I saw myself as a restaurant manager. But one day, when I was a bar manager in a traditional restaurant, I met my bar mentor, who was a former head bartender at a palace, through a bartender friend. He took me under his wing for a few years to train me in events, spirits and consignment. Then, I met another former head bartender at a palace, who trained me as a bartender behind a bar, and I must say that it is not at all the same job between being a bartender in an event and behind a counter.
Thanks to them, I was able to really discover this profession, this passion.
It's been almost 10 years since I started my own event bar company. I work with alcohol brands to develop cocktail menus, I do consulting for bars, I give cocktail classes for the general public...
What are the basic rules in mixo?
First of all, I don't really like the term mixology, I'm a bartender, I make cocktails.
There are the basic rules that I learned when I started, the 3 S's (sweet, sour and strong). Always have a balance of taste and flavor in the cocktail.
Avoid putting more than two different strong alcohols in a cocktail, but there are exceptions like the Long Island Ice Tea.
Do not put lemon juice in a cocktail with a dairy product, but also there is an exception like in the Ramos Gin Fizz.
Finally, my basic rule is to please myself, to introduce new things to my customers. To try to make my syrups or certain other homemade preparations as much as possible.
What makes a really good cocktail in your opinion?
It's the bartender who makes the difference in a cocktail. You can have two bartenders who use the same products, in the same proportions, but who shake differently. Which will give you two cocktails with a slightly different taste.
Each bartender has their own style, their own way of working, their own world.
I understand that you have a certain fondness for rum, to say the least, can you tell us how it happened?
It's always a story of encounters. I had the pleasure of meeting Cyrille Hugon, organizer of the Rhum Fest Paris at the very beginning of the adventure. He put me in touch with a young company importing rum from Mauritius . I knew very little about this alcohol and I learned to taste it, to discover it and then to work with it.
What are the advantages of rum in mixology?
Both rum and ron are fabulous products to work in cocktails. Because of the aromatic richness of the product, its origin, its raw material, its history.
We have an aromatic palette that can range from vegetal, to floral, to iodized, fruity, smoky , round, woody... Frankly, there is something for everyone.
Are there any rules or principles for mixing a rum (or several)?
Aside from the basic rules, there isn't really any principle.
The only thing is to know your product, to taste it, to find its character, its structure and then to be able to use it in a cocktail.
Do you have an effective cocktail recipe for a beginner?
An effective and easy recipe for me is the Daiquiri or Rum Sour.
Just three ingredients, rum (originally Cuban ron ), lime juice and organic powdered brown sugar.
5cl of white molasses rum
2cl lime juice
2 tsp organic brown sugar powder
Mix everything together to dilute the powdered sugar in the liquid.
Shake vigorously and double filter.
For me, it’s a simple, thirst-quenching recipe and it always pleases.