Canada’s Bar Stars Go to France: Kevin Brownlee, Pour Masters Champion

Canada’s Bar Stars Go to France: Kevin Brownlee, Pour Masters Champion

The renaissance of cocktail culture rests on two important pillars: the growing appreciation of high-quality spirits like Grey Goose Vodka, and the elevated skills, creativity and passion of bartenders.

For the past seven years, the annual Grey Goose Pour Masters competition has offered education, inspiration and fierce competition for Canada’s bar stars. The 2015 finalists, from a pool of 43 of Canada’s top bartenders, competed at Le Logis, the home of Grey Goose in Gensac-la-Pallue, France, to become Pour Masters champion.

Their challenge was to create an original cocktail with Grey Goose Vodka using up to five ingredients found on the Le Logis property and in the local area. Kevin Brownlee, of Vancouver’s AnnaLena, took top honours. Below is his cocktail recipe for Due South.

Place of work

AnnaLena, Vancouver

Specialty

“I take pride in my ability to connect with guests and create a comfortable environment for them”

Philosophy

“It’s less about what goes in the glass or on the plate, and more about the relationship we can establish with guests”

What works in cocktails?

“I like drinks to smell a certain way and taste another”

On Pour Masters

“The staff at Le Logis were truly genuine and it can’t go without saying how much of a positive impact they made”

GG-Due-South-drink_

Due South

2 parts Grey Goose L’Orange Flavoured Vodka
1 part Fino sherry
1/4 part lillet blanc
2 dashes rhubarb bitters
lemon zest and orange zest

Put all ingredients in a mixing glass and stir. Fine strain into a martini cocktail glass.

This is a sponsored post paid for by our advertising partners. For more recipes and holiday entertaining ideas visit spiritbygreygoose.com.