26 September 2014: The Courvoisier Chateau in Jarnac was the venue for the culmination of Maxxium UK’s search for the most spontaneous bartender, which was awarded to Sarah Mitchell, formerly of Callooh Callay. Sarah’s winning serve, named Jarnac Jedi was made using Courvoisier Exclusif with lemon juice, gomme syrup, marmalade and apple juice.
The competition was part of Courvoisier’s Here’s to Now campaign, which inspires consumers to embrace life in the moment. Sarah went head-to-head with Federico Gisbert Johnson of the Hawksmoor Guildhall London to compete for a single sought-after ticket to Paris for a VIP overnight trip.
The prize included staying at a 5-star luxury hotel with views of the Arc de Triomphe and Eifel Tower. This was preceded by 24 hours in Jarnac where the bartenders were treated to a once-in-a-lifetime experience while staying at the Chateau including a private tour of Courvoisier’s Le Paradis cellar where both finalists were given a bottle of Courvoisier XO, signed by Courvoisier’s Master Blender Patrice Pinet.
The finalists were judged on their responsiveness and intuitive skills as they created cocktails from mystery box ingredients together with the aid of an assistant taken from an audience of 30 UK consumers who accompanied them on the trip.
The five-strong judging panel oversaw proceedings and included Patrice, Global Brand Ambassador Rebecca Asseline, Beam Suntory Communication & Trade Relations Manager Jennifer Szersnovicz, Laura Foster of Imbibe magazine and Celia Schoonraad of BarLifeUK. Due to the popularity of the drinks created, not only will Sarah’s Jarnac Jedi be served to guests at the Chateau over the next year, so will Federico’s cocktail Summer in Jarnac.
Throughout the trip spontaneous touches reminded guests to live in the moment and demonstrated how cognac can be enjoyed during different social drinking occasions and not just kept for a special occasion. As a final spontaneous twist and in recognition of his Courvoisier cocktail, Federico was invited to remain on the trip and travel to Paris.
Courvoisier Global Brand Ambassador Rebecca Asseline says: “Our finalists must be congratulated. Their quick thinking and imagination really brought their drinks to life and in the end, even though Sarah won, the decision was made to take Federico to Paris as well.
“The cocktails were amazing representations of how versatile cognac is and how Courvoisier can work so well in two very different cocktails intended for two different times of the year. These drinks will be served to guests of the Chateau, which is a huge honour. We are delighted with both bartenders’ performances.”