VinExpo 2020

After six years as a Cocktail Bandits, our work has taken us to countless conferences, expos and trade shows all over the United States. Most seem to follow a similar structure; rows and rows of 6 x 6 tables draped in brand tablecloths. Your tasting is led by a promo girl who knows less about the product than you. After the sample, you are handed a sticker or button, then on to the next booth; step and repeat. We were in search of a more engaging experience.

Upon receipt of our invitation to VinExpo Paris, we were immediately drawn by the enormous amounts of producers, winemakers, distillers and buyers who would be present. Another attraction was the addition of a section dedicated exclusively to international spirits. This year would be the first time VinExpo would include this specialty area complete with masterclasses led by international beverage professionals.

Speaking of first, 2020 would be the debut year that VinExpo was hosted in Paris and the first year Wine Paris and VinExpo co-hosted the event. This collaboration resulted in more participation from Paris area bars, restaurants and bartenders. Not to mention, Paris has its own charms making VinExpo a perfect opportunity to explore France.

Entry into the conference was fairly straightforward as bi-lingual hostesses assisted with registration. As a large group of attendees descended upon Paris Expo des Versailles, the expo venue, you could feel the energy of the over 30 thousand ticket holders.

The first expo hall featured French wine and champagne. Regions from all of France presented their unique blends attributing nuance flavors not to anything from temperature to terrier. A standout was the Tavel Wine offering from the Rhone Valley. Their Rose had a distinctly rich red color that separated their juice from the other pale pink Roses prevalent in the United States.

The amount of tasting booths was almost overwhelming. Each booth was designed to look like a custom bar or distillery tasting room. Every booth had a different look, different chairs, even different drinking vessels. The exhibitor created an experience like that of a customer in a restaurant.

We wandered through two Halls featuring international wines and liqueurs. We had the pleasure of seeing our good friends from the Italian Trade Commission, who hosted a huge section showcasing Italian wine producers.

Be Spirited

The main reason for our attendance at VinExpo was to experience the new Spirit section. VinExpo devoted an entire hall to showcase international spirits. Brand owners and ambassadors from South American and Asian were present to share their unique products.

We sampled exotic and rare spirits from Austria and Portugal. Tasting booth not only showed pride in the product but also the country of origin. Sharing their culture through cocktails. A favorite was a Sentir Mezcal. This spirit is distilled in clay pots creating a more rounded agave flavor.

Not to be out done, the bartenders of Paris served cocktails from the aptly named ‘Infinite Bar’ that stretched the length of the entire expo hall. Each bar featured an area bartender serving a classic or original cocktail sponsored by a major brand. Way to support the local bar community.

We were excited to meet Parisian bar professionals and gauge the bar scene in this major city. The spirit area was so vast, that we could have spent each day of the three day conference in this section only and still not taste all the samples. Truly impressive showing from the international beverage community. Hopefully this section of VinExpo continues to grow as the conference grows.

3 Highlights of VinExpo

Moet Hennessy Lounge – these brands are always associated with luxury. Their installation was nothing less than excellent. Their suite featured 2 full bars serving the very best from the Moet Hennessy House. The elegantly decorated lounge hummed with activity and neo soul music making it a very busy area in the expo. Platters of cheese and fruit were placed at each end of the bar creating a comfortable and creative place for attendees to enjoy. We were treated to generous pours of Moet Champagne served from what seemed like a bottomless magnum of the sparkling wine. It’s no wonder why the Moet Hennessy brand is known around the world for their phenomenal products and luxury lifestyle.

Media Lounge – This area was specially designed as a hub for media and press. This gave us an area to sit down, relax, even charge our cell phones. The lounge featured a bar with regularly rotating snacks. The lounge had a large restroom area with no lines and plenty of room to get comfortable. It was in the media lounge where we met Camille of VinExpo. Her team extended us the invitation to attend and cover VinExpo. Our chance meetings in the media lounge are what trade shows are made for.

In Expo Restaurants/Pop up restaurants – Tickets to the VinExpo are incredibly affordable. While the tasting samples are complimentary, all food purchases are separate. The expo invited selected a few Paris area restaurants to set up shop inside the event hall. Not only did the restaurants feature a curated food and beverage menu, they also designed and erected small replicas of their restaurants on the expo floor. This takes bringing the party to the customer to a whole new level. Attendees who may not have the time to venture into the city to experience authentic Parisian cuisine, could partake in a delicious meal from an actual French restaurant without leaving the expo. Brilliant way to incorporate local businesses.

Honorable Mention

Public transportation in France is top notch. The bus and train system connect the rural countryside to the fast paced city center. Public transport is also incredibly affordable and is used by the affluent and working class alike. We took a very comfortable train ride from Paris center to Angouleme on our way to Cognac Country. The train featured an on board restaurant that served everything from wine and coffee to snacks and toiletries. I felt very safe on the voyage and wondered why our American train system isn’t more accessible.

Cognac 2020

Last year, before the world took a pause, and we experienced a whole pandemic…. we had the honor and privilege of going to France to learn more about the amazing town and spirit, known as Cognac. It was an unforgettable experience.

We took the 4 hour train ride from Paris south to Cognac and it was a beautiful sight indeed, full of countryside homes and land as far as the eye could see. It was a very different vibe from the hustle and bustle of big city France.

Once we arrived at the train station, we were greeted by Amy Pasquet and she drove us to her home in the countryside of the Cognac region called Chez Ferchaud. Amy and her husband Jean Luc have a cognac “house/distillery” named after her husband and father Jean Luc Pasquet Cognac. What’s special about their cognac is that it is ORGANIC and all natural.

What is organic cognac? Firstly, cognac is a type of brandy made from distilled white wine. (White wine comes from white grapes.) Organic cognac does not use any chemicals on the grapes when they are growing. When we were driving through the countryside we saw lots of grape vines with orange grass under them, we were told that the grass turned orange from Round Up. (Pesticide) Well, Amy and Jean Luc do not use any pesticides or chemicals in their grape fields like their neighboring houses. They use all natural plants to keep bugs away from their grape vines. When we saw their grape vines, the earth below was very green and leafy. Just beautiful. It is more expensive to do, but yields a better product.

After they showed us their distillery and the fields, then put us up in this lovely home from their English neighbor. It was such a cute house for us to stay in for the duration of our trip.

The next day, Benedicte Hardy, owner or Hardy Cognac, picked us up from our place and took us to see her cognac house. It’s was really cool to see that Grey Goose was across the street from Hardy. When we first went to her office, we saw beautiful bottles of Hardy Cognac everywhere. She told us that they have custom glass makers who make every bottle. #impressive! We chatted a little more, had an espresso and headed to the distillery.

Hardy Cognac is a medium house but has so much room for growth. They have soooo many barrels that are aging and you can smell the fermented wine and cognac as soon as you walk into the place. Benedictine gave us a tour around the distillery and introduced us to her Cellar Master, Mickaël.

Mickaël let us sample some of the barrels that were aging. We tasted cognac that had been distilled from only a short time ago, to cognac that was aged for a few months, to cognac that was aged for a few years, to a cognac that was aged for a few centuries. Yes you’re reading that correctly. We tried a cognac from 1854. It was a surreal moment because we honestly thought back to that year and realized that Blacks in America were enslaved at the time they were making this juice. Now, we have the privilege to travel around the world and taste something from a time when our ancestors were in bondage. It’s moments like that, we never take for granted.

After the tour, Benedicte took us to lunch in the city of Cognac in this beautiful hotel/restaurant. The food was great, and when she was taking us back home, she talked about the importance of African Americans, and our relationship to cognac. She stated that black people kept the spirit relevant, because back in the day, most people from France, stopped drinking cognac and drank scotch for the most part. It is black people, from America specifically, that kept Cognac in business. She told us that she would travel to America often, back in the 60s-70s and frequent the black night clubs and restaurants. She always felt welcomed there. Once we arrived at our place, Benedicte gave us some delicious XO 20 year Hardy Cognac and lots of information to think about for the rest of the trip.

Later that day, Amy took us to Courvoisier to check out their production. They are a much bigger house, so they have a bigger distillation process. They were very busy receiving a wine truck while we were there as well, so they didn’t have much time. It was interesting to see how the big houses handle production.

When we left Courvoisier, we went back to the Pasquet’s home where Amy cooked dinner for us. (Actually, Amy cooked dinner for us every day, and it was amazing each time.) We enjoyed dinners with Amy, Jean Luc, and Amy’s mom because it was a time for us to really talk about issues that we face in our respectable regions, politics, and of course more spirits. The best part of our trip were these dinners and discussions we had over the week.

Later that night, we checked CVBLb out a bar in Cognac called…… we met Amy and Jean Luc’s friends that are in the industry. The cocktails were great, the vibe was even better. After a long Valentines Day full of cognac, it was time for bed.

The next day was all about Pasquet Cognac. We were up bright and early to catch Jean Luc Sr. In their distillery getting ready to finish us up the distilling process for his own cognac. Cognac Pasquet is a small house that only has one copper pot still to complete its distilling process. Their distillery is also connected to their home. Once you walk out of the distillery, there are storage rooms all around the property that have barrels of aged cognac. Amy opened a few of the barrels and let us taste some older cognacs. After spending the morning in the distillery and sampling cognacs, Jean Luc’s mom made us some homemade duck confit and it was the best we’ve ever had! There’s nothing like mama’s cooking. Jean Luc’s dad told us stories about how Italy took over France years ago, and artifacts from that war are still being found. Then he showed us this arrow from way back then in the grape vines. It was a wonderful lunch.

After lunch, we traveled down the road to a Castle and met Sophie from Cognac Expert. They have a blog on all things cognac and their name says it all: they really are EXPERTS! When we went into her home, there were hundreds of bottles of Cognac. I think that we sampled about 10 of them. #dontjudge! It was awesome to meet people that were as passionate about spirits as we are and we enjoyed the dialogue.

After we left Sophia’s castle, we went back to the Pasquet House to see the rest of the distillation process. We learned how to watch the distillate (or alcohol from distillation) and recognize when it’s the best for human consumption. When distilling a spirit, there are 3 parts to the distillate. The “heads”, which is the liquid that comes out in the beginning of distilling, it’s very harsh, and not fit for us to drink. The “tails” which is the product that comes out at the end of distillation… also very harsh. What a distiller wants is the “hearts” of the spirit. This liquid begins to appear during the middle of the distillation process and is best for human consumption. Jean Luc and his father have state of the art machinery to help identify the hearts of their distillate, they can also tell by looking at the liquid coming out of the stills. The less bubbles, the closer you are to the hearts of the distillate. It was so interesting to watch!

Our last full day in Cognac we went to yet another castle that had these wonderful vinegars that had been aged in cognac barrels. They are called La Baume de Bouteville balsamic vinegars and they tasted fantastic! They were paired with oysters and champagne and it was a wonderful experience!

After we left the castle, we went to a nearby restaurant where we had these amazing views. What I loved most about our dining experiences were the 3 courses. Every where we had food, whether it was lunch or dinner, it was 3 courses… so we could experience so much cuisine!

The Pasquets took us back to Cognac to just walk around the city. It’s so old and historic, and very chill. While we were walking we saw the Hennessy Empire and it was MASSIVE! The have a lot of real estate in Cognac, they even have boats and moats and event bridges. Can’t wait to go back and actually tour inside the space. Cognac is a beautiful city with sooo much to sip, but even more to learn.

For our last day, we went to lunch and a local restaurant and met the Pasquet’s friends from the bar we went to on the first night. The bartender brought his wife who represents a gin brand and we talked about spirits the whole lunch.

After lunch we went to the Pasquet’s tasting room and experimented with all types of cocktails. It was an unique experience to make and try everyone’s cocktails. We also had a blast, listening to Michael Jackson while making drinks (because who doesn’t like MJ around the world??)

After making and drinking all of the cocktails, we had a final snack at the Pasquet’s of pate, cheese, cognac and Pineau. We gave Jean Luc, Amy’s mom, and their 3 beautiful children hugs and Amy took us back to the train station. We spend the night in Paris and left the next morning.

We learned sooo much in Cognac, but the biggest thing was how the family spent time together and appreciated one another through Cognac. Amy and her family treated us like we were apart of their family and we can thank them enough for making the entire Cognac experience unforgettable.

If you’ve never had Cognac Pasquet, you don’t know what you’re missing! Go get you some! Cheers!

Island Time Cocktail Demo

We’ve teamed up with Anthropologie to bring the taste of the tropics into your home with a cocktail demonstration sure to give you island vibes. Grab your favorite tropical beverage and join the fun!

RSVP using the link below:

https://islandtimecocktaildemo.splashthat.com/cocktailbandits

Nightclub & Bar Show

The Cocktail Bandits are heading to the Nightclub & Bar Show for the first time. The ladies will lead a discussion on the importance of Marketing to Minorities and well as participate in to panel discussion. See event details below:

Your Go To Strategy to Working with Social Media Influencer

This panel educates attendees on how best to forge honest and genuine digital relationships, which can be molded into real-life profits and publicity. In addition, attendees learn how to engage and work with influential individuals from within their local markets to those with a global reach and best practices to assist in building and nurturing positive relationships.

Monday, June 28 • 3:00pm – 3:50pm –

https://nightclubbarshow2021.sched.com/event/j324

2021 Beverage Trends to Know to Drive More Sales

The beverage industry is constantly changing and evolving, but what do you need to know to make sure that your business stays ahead of the curve? In this presentation, we will discuss the latest trends in beverages including RTDs (ready-to-drink), RTS (ready-to-serve), spirits, draft cocktails, and growing categories like coffee and tea. We’ll cover how these categories are developing as well as provide information on which brands have the potential for growth in the future. This session will breakdown how businesses can use insights from the panel to drive their own sales by making changes within their product lineup or marketing strategies.

Monday, June 28 • 3:00pm – 3:50pm

https://nightclubbarshow2021.sched.com/event/j2th

Inclusivity Increases Profits & Guest Count

Good help has always been hard to find, but great hires may be missing from your radar. The Cocktail Bandits outline the importance of actively recruiting minority employees to create a more vibrant and comprehensive bar environment. By setting deliberate intentions to hire the best and diverse staff, you’ll be able to leverage your staff to help you with a wide array of marketing messaging and events that can appeal to a much larger audience. Learn the ways to attract qualified minority employees and increase you guest counts.

Wednesday, June 30 • 11:00am – 11:50am

https://nightclubbarshow2021.sched.com/event/jfdD

Bloom into a better you!

Spring is such an enchanting season. A transitional period after an often cold and isolating winter. Spring gives us an opportunity to bloom; an opportunity for renewal.

We’ve decided to be very intentional in preparing for this liminal season. We took time to recharge and realign ourselves with ourselves and our goals. Daily self-care is essential but sometimes you need a bit more. A weekend self care retreat can be just what you need to return to your true self. See below for our list of things to take with you on a self care trip

10 Things to take for a self-care weekend

Good book
Camera to capture the moments
Candles
Bubble bath or bath bombs
Face mask/sleep mask and quality moisturizer
Walking shoes or yoga mat
Journal
Bring something that reminds you to stay present
Comfortable clothes
Playlist of your favorite songs

For the cocktails…

While enjoying your self care weekend, it’s important to maintain your hydration with low alcohol cocktails. Seek a beverage that will refresh you as opposed to one that will knock you out. Start your day with a lovely cup of artisanal tea. While coffee may be your go-to; it’s packed with caffeine that may cause anxiety or a feeling of, ‘I should be doing something’ during your restorative stay.

We are major tea junkies and have a wide variety of fruit and herbal flavors. Make your tea extra fancy with artisan sugars like this Rose Sugar from Old Salt Merchant. Its aromatic and just sweet enough for your morning or afternoon tea.

Day drinking is definitely a thing on your self care stay. We highly recommend a light and bright Gin & Tonic preferably featuring Bristow Gin. This long drink is best enjoyed on a patio while reading your favorite book. Full of botanicals and herbs, this cocktail is romantic in its simplicity and taste. We added a pinch of peppercorns and a few raspberries for the garnish. It taste even better than it looks!

Champagne is your friend. Our Shades of Pinck cocktail is a rift of a Spritz which features Starlino Rose and Cinzano Prosecco. We garnished this bubbly beauty with dehydrated grapefruit slices. Now that the beverages are sorted, get active! Below is a list of things to do on a self care weekend.