Despite the jet lag, Alfred Cointreau, scion of the 150-year-old Cointreau liqueur brand, shows few signs of fatigue as he fields interview questions on a number of issues.
Recently in Bangkok for business, the 27-year-old seemed right at home in the plush lobby bar of a five star hotel where Life met up with him.
As Heritage manager of Cointreau for four years, the Frenchman seems to have become accustomed to conducting interviews with journalists from around the world after arriving in their country for just a few hours.
Oozing a sense of confidence far beyond his tender years, he candidly shares his rather smooth transition from a stint in the advertising industry, to entering the family business.
“I received a warm reception by our employees, and was grateful for that,” began Cointreau. “I do believe they appreciated a younger member of the Cointreau family taking an interest in the business. Before I joined, everyone told me that I had to be prepared for the pressure I would experience from the staff to prove my worth.
“However, all the pressure I had imagined evaporated the instance I started working at the distillery. I can say they welcomed me with open arms.”
Cointreau admits, however, that to be at a managerial level at his age, still raises a few eyebrows, especially when he travels for business abroad. People meeting him for the first time expect him to be older in years, “more like middle-aged and with a few grey hairs.”
Having a grounded and approachable personality very much sets the mood for a cordial conversation that ensues between him and his clients. A typical conversation would go something like:
Client looking rather perplexed: “Oh, so you are Mr Cointreau?”
Cointreau: “Yes, I am he. However, I am just plain Alfred before being a Cointreau, so please call me Alfred. I am a simple guy who is here for work.”
The young executive confesses that due to the nature of his work, which requires him to stay up late nights, exchanging ideas on the latest cocktail recipes with top bartenders in the country, he sometimes doesn’t sleep a wink. Not one to complain, however, he even seems rather thrilled to be put through the grind, “Working with bartenders is a great way to understand our consumers, it’s worth the gruelling extra hours, because I get to see the evolution of the cocktail culture in the various countries that I travel to.”
Cointreau seems to take the constant travelling in his stride. He has mastered the art of being organised and prioritises his time well and said he manages to chill out prior to each trip.
Part of his job is being brand ambassador for the company, which requires him to meet distributors and bartenders across the globe, initiating competitions for the latter whenever possible. Initiating business opportunities is also part and parcel of his job description during his travels.
Back home, he plays host to guest bartenders from around the world who are interested to learn all about the minute details about what has made Cointreau a liqueur of choice for so long. Having worked in all departments of the company, and played a tangible role in each stage of the production process of the French orange-flavoured liqueur, means talking about the family business comes rather naturally.
One of his biggest passions is the art of preparing mixed drinks. At home he spends a large portion of his time learning about cocktails and the liqueurs and spirits used to create them. It is only natural, therefore, that Cointreau is most comfortable in the company of bartenders. Cointreau is very passionate about the creativity that goes into coming up with the perfect cocktail, while bartenders are only too happy to impress him with their latest innovations.
While in Singapore, he was pleasantly surprised when presented with a concoction of coffee, lime and Cointreau, the taste of which he described as being “heaven on Earth”.
When asked to assemble a cocktail for the Asean region, he reflects for a moment and says: “I would say the blending of coffee and lime with Cointreau, sparkling water and a glass of crushed ice. Now this would perfectly compliment the tropical weather in this part of the world.”
Cointreau predicts that margaritas and shots of tequila will continue to be popular alcoholic drinks in 2015, while his favourite drink comes of no surprise — Cointreau.
