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Crucible and Grand Marnier debut bartender programme
Grand Marnier has teamed up with London-based creative hub Crucible on a training programme for bartenders throughout 2018.
Grand Marnier will launch monthly training sessions at London creative hub Crucible
The Grand Alchemy Training programme aims to “inspire and challenge bartenders to create innovative cocktails” with the orange liqueur.
Grand Marnier will invite up to 10 bartenders each month from June until the end of the year to cocktail training sessions at Crucible under the guidance of director Stu Bale.
Led by consultant Geoff Robinson, the programme features a series of challenges for bartenders to “celebrate the alchemy and core values of the brand”.
Crucible, which launched last year in Haggerston, is designed to be a co-working space and lab for bartenders to meet and collaborate, featuring gadgets including a centrifuge, rotavap, homogeniser, ice-cream maker, water bath and dehydrator.
“Grand Marnier contains 51% Cognac, which means that it brings an intriguing twist to cocktails and drinks, giving a multi-layered flavour to classic serves,” said Bale.
“It is a spirit like no other, and its deep-rooted history of alchemy lends itself to many of the techniques we use in our lab. We challenged the bartenders to see the variety of ways that Grand Marnier can be used from distilling, to separating, whilst also ensuring that the core element, that it is a base, not an enhancer, is kept front of mind.”
Nick Williamson, marketing director, Campari UK, added: “2018 is an exciting year for Grand Marnier, communicating the unique principles of alchemy that created the liquid and inspiring bartenders to use Grand Marnier to create innovative cocktails.
“The bartender programme is designed to educate and encourage, as well as show our commitment and recognition of their role in our new vision for the brand. London’s Crucible really impressed us, engaging with how Grand Marnier can be used creatively.”
Earlier this year, SB spoke to Stu Bale, the driving force behind Crucible, on his journey from pulling teeth out of corpses to serving Corpse Revivers in bars.