Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1249
68 / the tasting panel / june 2009 I n this room, we have the new generation," announced Steve Olson, to a crowd of approximately 200 industry professionals. "If you think Grand Marnier isn't dealing with budget cuts, you're mistaken. But we decided this was not something we could cut. We needed to make this event happen." Olson's seminar at the Grand Marnier & Navan Mixology Sum- mit in Vail, Colorado, had a rapt audience. More than 800 recipes were submitted by men and women hoping to land a spot at the third annual networking event, which included a seminar/spirits tasting with Olson—one of the country's foremost industry experts—a gala dinner, mixology consulting labs, a bit of skiing and a bit more revelry spread over two days in the moun- tain resort. The group included what Grand Marnier deemed to be 100 of the fi nest bar talents in the country based on their recipes submitted online, an amazing array hired to bartend during the events and a varied contingent of distributors and industry insiders. For Jennifer Contraveos, a Chicago mixologist and a veteran of the event, the Summit is an essential networking opportunity and more. "The chance to attend allows me to do a great deal of social networking within my group of peers," she explains. "I get to see people I have met before and in turn create a stronger bond with them, hoping that we can call on each other when we need profes- sional advice or assistance in our respective markets. Most importantly, attending the summit helps me stay relevant and immersed in the cocktail evolution. I get to learn new tricks and anecdotes, I get to see some of the best in action, I can learn more about other markets and their trends and I can fi nd out what makes my competition tick." For another Chicago native, Charles Joly of The Drawing Room, being accepted and attending the fi rst year landed him a serious spot of post-event press. "I've made amazing contacts at the Summit," Joly says. On his website, www.akawinegeek.com, Olson discusses his passion for education and the future it provides the industry, and at the Summit seminar, his words continued in this vein, expressing what it means to be a bartender and emphasizing the gift of service. "Steve is an amazing speaker; if he can't hit you with some inspiration, you may be in the wrong business," laughs Joly. "As a bartender or mixologist, you should never stop learning. The more styles you can expose yourself to and the more people you can interact with, the more you will grow. Connections and networking made during events like this are an obvious answer to exposure, and the service and spirits in- dustries are driven by it. The folks at Grand Marnier have assembled an amazing team in the industry to execute this event, and it's really a tremendous honor to be selected to attend." Industry Get Together High Altitudes, Cold Cocktails A look at this year's Grand Marnier/Navan Mixology Summit by Jenny Adams / photos by Riccardo Savi Steve Olson hosts the Summit. Chicago mixologist Jennifer Contraveos with her Navan-in- spired raspberry-lime cocktail, French Expo- sé. (Far right) Charles Joly of The Drawing Room in Chicago concocts the Forbid- den Fruit with Grand Marnier as his base.