Last night Maison Ferrand’s Master Blender, Alexandre Gabriel, was honoured with the immense accolade of being the latest inductee into The Gin Hall of Fame at an event hosted by Gin Magazine in London. Celebrating individuals who have made a lasting impact on the gin industry.

Alexandre was selected to join this prestigious group by Gin Magazine following his extraordinary innovation within the global gin industry that began with the creation of the pioneering French gin, Citadelle. Alexandre joins the likes of Charles Maxwell, master distiller of Thames Distillers and Desmond Payne, previous master blender of Beefeater gin.

In 1996, Alexandre created Citadelle gin, innovatively distilled in his seasonally dormant Charentais copper cognac stills and patenting the ‘progressive infusion’ technique, the only patent ever given for the production of a gin.
The core Citadelle range includes the Original, Résérve and Jardin d’Éte expressions, joined by the ‘Excentrique’ range of limited-edition and seasonally changing gins, including the recently launched Vive le Cornichon pickle-infused gin.

Alexandre’s passion for creating exquisite spirits is boundless, and the fruits of his labour are appreciated by many, whether bartenders or fine spirit aficionados. He has looked into the past to create spirits for the future, with the tools to go even further in his mission for marrying heritage, terroir, passion, and time for great spirits.

For more information on Citadelle, go to citadellegin.com

Global tequila brand Patrón has announced has unveiled the judging panel for it’s Perfectionists competition set for later this month in Jalisco, Mexico.

The brand has chosen 7 leaders from different fields within the global hospitality industry as judges, who all share a passion for top Tequila and mixology.

• Ivy Mix, co-owner of Leyenda bar & Fiasco! wine & spirits shop, co-founder of Speed Rack, and author of Spirits of Latin America, joining from Brooklyn, NY.
• LP O’Brien, award-winning mixologist, winner of Netflix’s Drink Masters, CEO and founder LP Drinks and Focus on Health, joining from Washington DC.
• Sandrae Lawrence, founder and editor of award-winning media outlet The Cocktail Lovers magazine and podcast, joining from London.
• Tara Fougner, co-founder and CEO of Thirsty Media, award-winning journalist, community leader and content creator from the Bar World Top 100 Most Influential list, joining from Miami, FL.
• Giulia Cuccurullo, 2020 PATRÓN Perfectionists Global Winner and Head Bartender of Artesian, joining from London.
• Harrison Kenney, 2022 PATRÓN Perfectionists Global Winner and GM of Bar Planet, joining from Sydney.
• Ana Martorell, educator, chef and founder of restaurants Aida and OXA Cocina única, joining from Mexico City. 

Additonally, the brand has developed new challenges that the 16 global finalists will need to undertake during the week they are at Hacienda Patrón. The historical entry cocktail presentation will be replaced by three different challenges drawing from some elements of the global educational modules rolled during the entry stage last Autumn.

With their extraordinary knowledge of flavours and fondness of cocktails, Sandrae Lawrence, Giulia Cuccurullo and chef Ana Martorell will judge Challenge #1: Field to Flavor. Taking place against the captivating backdrop of Patrón Tequila’s agave farmers’ fields, the challenge brief will be shared with the global finalists on the very day, testing their creativity and their ability to thrive under pressure.

Challenge #2 – The Stories We Share – will ask participants to dig into the rich history of Mexico and find what resonates with them to create an inspiring PATRÓN Tequila cocktail encapsulating Mexican culture and based on PATRÓN Silver, Reposado or Añejo. Cocktail recipes and their stories will be prepared and submitted in advance and then presented in front of judges Ivy Mix, LP O’Brien and Harrison Kenney at the event at Hacienda PATRÓN. 

The grand finale will consist of a third challenge named Mi Mesa es Tu Mesa (my table is your table, a take on the popular Spanish expression mi casa es tu casa). The entire panel of seven, accompanied by Lauren Mote, PATRÓN’s Global Director of On-Trade Excellence and head of the Perfectionists program, will gather on this last occasion.

Championing hospitality and Mexico’s warmest sense of welcoming, Challenge #3 will task bartenders with transforming the judges’ time at the table into a truly unforgettable experience. Thinking how they can stimulate and impress the senses inside and outside the glass, and leave the judges with a lasting memory, the participants will prepare in advance to present a service of a neat serve of PATRÓN tequila alongside a perfectly paired non-alcoholic side cocktail.

Lauren Mote, Global Director of On-Trade Excellence for PATRÓN tequila, commented: “We couldn’t be prouder of having such a stellar line-up of experts joining us from all over the world for what is a much-awaited and first-of-its-kind Patrón Perfectionists global final event. Each one of the judges is a trail blazer in their industry, a vibrant personality whose passion and energy is an inspiration for hospitality professionals, food and cocktail lovers.

“Championing and inspiring people to follow their passions to be the best version of themselves is part of our brand DNA at Patrón, and I am confident that the drive, knowledge, and cultural diversity the judges are bringing to the table are going to ignite further motivation into the participating bartenders.

“I am extremely grateful to all our judges for accepting the task and I encourage the global finalists to make the most of their time with these stars,” Mote continued. “We cannot wait to gather at our Mexican brand home around spectacular Palomas and Margaritas in celebration of the global bar community in a few weeks.”

The PATRÓN Perfectionists global Final event will take place at Hacienda PATRÓN 24-30 March 2023 and will see the participation of the 16 global finalists below.

To stay up to date with the event and upcoming news, follow Academia PATRÓN – on Instagram and on the portal.

PATRÓN PERFECTIONISTS GLOBAL FINALISTS 2023

• Sweden – Jayde Henderson @jaydehendo
• France – Gabriel Pons @gabrielpons_lisavi
• Spain & Portugal – Denys Cherkasov – @denis_chequebarman
• Germany, Austria & Switzerland – Telmo Pacheco – @telmo.noidea 
• Italy – Andrea Benvegna – @mr.welcome
• UAE – Kaleb Berry – @kalebbarryy
• South Africa – Sabrina Traubner @sabrinatraubner
• Israel – Mor Koral @morko.koral 
• Greater China – Lola Lau @lolasaysgo
• Philippines – Kristina Tubig – @kristinatubig_
• Australia – Alex Boon @doonbocksaint_
• Mexico – Adam Alvarado @adamabam123
• UK – Max Macauley @maxmacauley
• USA – Logan Demmy @pour_the_oil
• Canada – @dasht______
• Wild Card winner (China) – @choni_song

North America’s 50 Best Bars has announced that the Mexican UNESCO World Heritage Site, San Miguel de Allende will host the second edition of the awards in May 2023.

The three-day spectacle, will include the Bartenders’ Feast, which takes place the night before the reveal of North America’s 50 Best Bars 2023. It will be followed by the glamorous awards ceremony itself on May 4, which will feature red-carpet arrivals and interviews, a drinks reception and of course, the countdown from No.50, down to No.1.

“We can’t wait to launch our second North America’s 50 Best Bars awards program, which will be bigger and better than ever,” said Mark Sansom, Content Director for North America’s 50 Best Bars. “This year’s celebration of the continent’s diverse bar scene will take place in San Miguel de Allende, a beautiful Mexican UNESCO World Heritage city with a renowned food and drink culture.

“Mexico’s cocktail caliber is, without doubt, one of the world’s finest, with Mexican bars ranking the highest in North America in the past two editions of The World’s 50 Best Bars” Sansom continued. “We can’t wait to get the entire North American bar community back together for our three-day series of live events.”

Following North America’s 50 Best Bars celebration will be Barra México, a bar show and cocktail week celebrating the very best in Latin American cocktail talent. Bartenders and cocktail enthusiasts worldwide will be heading to San Miguel de Allende to celebrate both seminal events in the city.

The awards gala will again be presented by the iconic ms. franky marshall.

New for this year will be a brunch event, where awards attendees will gather the day following the ceremony to share stories of success, community and reconnection.

Mauricio Trejo, Mayor of San Miguel de Allende, says: “We are pleased to be chosen to host North America’s 50 Best Bars. For such a prominent event to pick San Miguel de Allende, is proof of our world prestige in regards to our gastronomy, bars, lifestyle and luxurious experiences.

“This will not only help our international image but also support our local community to thrive. We are excited, and they have our full commitment to make this event a world-class experience,” continued Trejo

For more information, go to worlds50bestbars.com

Global Spiced Rum brand Captain Morgan is set to unveil a bold colour with its new bottle design available globally in March.

With an updated ‘Captain’ logo to ‘maintain recognisability’ and highlight the brand’s flavour, the new label also incorporates a gold brush stroke to reflect the spice and smoothness of the drink.

“This new pack design heroes the delicious spice of our liquid and character as a brand,” said Samori Gambrah, global brand director of Captain Morgan. “It will allow us the flexibility we need to show up in a dynamic way in our sponsorships, live events, collaborations and packaging around the world.

“This launch comes at an exciting time of transformation for Captain Morgan as we evolve how we communicate with our consumers.”

Parent company Diageo appointed the creative agency Bulletproof to design the new look.

Jo Smith, global design lead for Captain Morgan, said: “We wanted to create a fresher, more dynamic design that puts taste and flavour at the forefront.

“On our journey towards Captain Morgan’s new global brand world, we enlisted the help of creative agency Bulletproof, who captured the essence of the brand with the final pack we see today.”

Panamanian bartender Carlos Ferron from La Cuadra Market Bar has been crowned Global Champion in the Flor de Caña’s Sustainable Cocktail Challenge.

Representing Latin America, Ferron competed against the regional champions of Europe, North America and Asia Pacific to create the most amazing sustainable cocktails.

“It is an amazing honour to have been named ‘World’s Most Sustainable Bartender’ representing Latin America,” said Ferron. “It’s been a truly unforgettable experience, and I thank everyone who supported me along the way, especially Flor de Caña, who united us all under a single motto: sustainability because being green is part of growing.”

Taking place under the backdrop of the tropical volcanic islands of Granada in Nicaragua, the finals were judged by some of the most influential industry personalities, such as Giacomo Gianotti, owner of Paradiso Bar in Barcelona (#1 of The World’s 50 Best Bars 2022); Alex Francis, Bar Manager of Little Red Door in France (2022 Most Sustainable Bar); Julio Cabrera, Owner of Café La Trova in Miami and 2019 Bartender of the Year; and Juliane Caillouette, Managing Director at Sustainable Restaurant Association in the UK.

Judging was based on the history and inspiration behind the cocktail, the use of sustainable ingredients/techniques and the level of creativity, not to mention its flavour and appearance. Ferron managed to impress the judges with his passion and skill, as well as his sustainable cocktails “Talamanca” and “5 Generaciones”, both made with Flor de Caña 12 Year Rum and natural, home-made ingredients.

In addition to receiving the title of “Flor de Caña World’s Most Sustainable Bartender”, Ferron received the Global Champion trophy made from sustainable materials, a personalized bottle of Flor de Caña 25 Year Rum and a US$ 10,000 prize.

The other competitors were: Marco Pastanella from USA (representing North America), Tom Mchugh from Australia(representing Asia Pacific) and Dimitris Kaitalidis from Greece (representing Europe).

For more information on Flor de Caña, go to flordecana.com

Global Tequila brand, Jose Cuervo, is planning an old town take-over bar crawl to celebrate its partnership with the Arizona Cardinals.

Participating bars in the crawl include Cien Agaves, Loco Patron, Diego Pops, Montauk, Bar Stool,Giligins and Hot Chick, among others, where samples of Cuervo will be poured. There will also be opportunities to win prizes and listen to live music at participating locations.

Additionally the brand is sponsoring the TAO x MAXIM Big Game Party. one of the top parties held on the eve of the Big Game, the event features performances by Zedd, Offset, Loud Luxury, and Plastic Funk.

Themed “Catch Me If You Can” to honor 1960s mod days of glamour, sophistication and travel, this year’s star-studded party will take place at the new Southwest Jet Center in the heart of Scottsdale.

Cuervo will be pouring cocktails made using Cuervo Tradicional Cristalino and Cuervo Tradicional Plata all night long, including the Noche Electrica, Cristalino Highball and the Classic Cuervo Margarita.

Fans can visit www.tickpick.com to purchase tickets.