Marie Brizard mixes up an airport cocktail storm

Marie Brizard Wine & Spirits (MBWS) is developing a cocktail-making activation concept for travel retail following the Marie Brizard Masters Cocktail Competition in November.

“The passion and vibrancy that is evident as bartenders from all over the world come together to show their creativity in combining Marie Brizard’s liqueurs and essences with new and unusual ingredients is unbelievably exciting,” said MBWS International Travel Retail Director Kevin Baker.

[Highlights of the Marie Brizard Masters final in Bordeaux]

“It’s a perfect environment to continue to showcase to consumers – from the bar where they experienced a Marie Crusta or Marie Zest in Hong Kong, perhaps, into the airport from which they are departing for home and looking for ‘memories’ to purchase.”

The company is emphasising the importance of Marie Brizard’s portfolio to restaurant and bar menus – a message which Baker believes travel retailers should heed.

15134748_701564446665304_2520547052713240689_n
Bottoms up: The eight Masters semi-finalists prepare to take on the ‘mystery box’

“This is the 33rd year of the Marie Brizard Masters and this year has been more international than ever with finalists attending from all over the world – from Canada, to China to Croatia; Mauritius to Macedonia to Martinique. It’s representative of the massive investment Marie Brizard is making globally in order to move its brands to front of shelf,” noted Baker.

marie brizard, 2016, mama shelter
2016 Marie Brizard Masters L’Orange champion Piotr Sajdak

“The cocktail revolution, that in the past has been very Americas and Europe-based, is now global and consumers of all nationalities are being exposed to Marie Brizard liqueurs, essences and syrups. That showcasing – like travel retail – is a brilliant opportunity to engage directly with consumers and motivate them to purchase.”

Marie Brizard relaunched its portfolio at this year’s TFWA World Exhibition, including a modern interpretation of the original Anisette bottle. The company will focus on five ‘hero’ lines for travel retail: Anisette, Parfait Apry, Jolie Cherry and Cacao Chouao, all of which are being promoted as central elements of drinks rather than additional ingredients.

The final of the 33rd edition of the Marie Brizard Masters cocktail competition took place on 20 to 23 November at the Mama Shelter Hotel in Bordeaux.

Over two days of mixing, blind tasting, sensorial testing and knowledge quizzes, the 30 finalists were whittled down to eight semi-finalists. They had to create an original cocktail from a mystery box of ingredients including cardamom, carrot and chick-pea syrup. The four finalists then presented their cocktails to an audience of 150 at Chateau Labottiere in Bordeaux.

Piotr Sajdak from Salut Bar in Berlin was crowned the winner of the 2016 Marie Brizard Masters L’Orange. Piotr will work with Marie Brizard to develop a new liqueur for launch in 2017.

“Not only does this give Piotr a huge amount of kudos, but I can see the resulting new product as also having potential for travel retail as consumers seek to find products that are new, innovative and have a real story behind them,” commented Baker.

marie brizard, 2016, mama shelter

“We’re still developing the final template for the activation proposal but all the elements are there and this year’s Masters event just further underlines the potential for me,” continued Baker.

“Why? Because this year we have seen entries from all over the world including Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam and Sri Lanka, where the cocktail culture has truly exploded over the past decade and Asia is where the long-term travel retail growth is.”

Baker concluded: “Consumers often think cocktails are complicated, but they are not; they can be made very quickly and very easily. If we show that to the travelling consumer by creating theatre in the airport, we can engage directly with them to position Marie Brizard as a mainstream liquor brand, not merely a cocktail ingredient – as important as that continues to be.”

 

 

Food & Beverage The Magazine eZine