Raising the bar USA’s simon ford is inspiring a whole new wave of bartenders by jack Robertiello

Simon Ford is running a little late. At one seminar, hosted by Ford, a a brand ambassador culture that influ- Most people would with his schedule bartender in the crowd mutters his ences U.S. bartenders, and expanding a this sultry July Saturday in New Orleans: amazement that the man who helped broader interchange between them and he’s wrapping up the final details for the close last night’s latest party is sharp and their UK counterparts. most anticipated bartender party of the ready to lead the panel. Ago Perrone, Now there’s talk that his portfolio year, complete with a surprise wedding; co-panelist and head bartender at The will expand: Absolut , which he preparing for the rehearsal of a major Connaught Hotel bar in London, says propelled as sponsor of the bartender TV awards event; chasing down visa snafus there must be a twin somewhere. competition, On the Rocks, may be calling that threaten to derail a working vaca- Everyone burns the candle at both on him to help invigorate the brand at bars. tion through Russia, China and Mon- ends at the annual five-day drink ex- There’s also talk of Jameson golia; and fielding phone calls and text travaganza, Tales of the Cocktail, but angling for more bartender attention and messages from international bartenders few take on a workload comparable to the recent surprise deal Pernod Ricard has seeking tickets, invitations and infor- the 38-year-old Brit. Ford’s already got made with Avión . In every case, mation—all this with a sketchy Internet plenty to do as director, trade outreach there’ll be lots of work for the slew of am- connection and the inevitable discon- and brand education at Pernod Ricard bassadors Ford has assembled. nects that make any New Orleans event USA, but his record indicates that the The rumpled rep even gets credit a challenge. company’s faith in him is well-placed. from many observers for helping trans- And that’s just part of today’s sched- Among the accomplishments to which form Tales from an industry insider ule. Since Wednesday, Ford has also he can lay at least partial claim is the cocktail celebration to an international been planning a major bartender event resurgence of at high-level cocktail bartender and consumer drinkfest. The in New York, spoken at three seminars, bars, the resuscitation of birth in 2008 of the Plymouth-spon- dropped in on others and hosted and in the U.S. market and the personal- sored landmark “Bartender’s Breakfast” bartended at a dinner and cocktail bash, ity shift of Beefeater from an old man’s to close Tales helped cement its interna- to say nothing of the late-and later-night brand to a bartender favorite. He’s also tional reputation, and now bar folk flock been instrumental in helping establish from the UK, Italy, the Czech Republic, parties he’s attended. Photographs by Jennifer Mitchell Raising the bar

At Tales of the Cocktail, Ford (left) hosts the Spirited Awards and a few hours later greets attendees at the Bartenders’ Breakfast

Australia, New Zealand, Russia and else- they don’t reach the average bartender. Simon Says... where to swap tales and reignite friend- Ford would be the first to admit that his ships. His plan—to bring bartenders at focus has been to develop relationships The spirits industry has changed consider- Tales the brand experience—is now ap- with the influencers among the cocktail ably, especially on-premise, since Simon parently everyone’s goal. scene, those who are likely to develop Ford first came to the U.S. Here are the top cocktail recipes and menus for chain 10 improvements he’s seen since: Favorite teacher and local restaurants alike, who operate Ford’s influence is key; so well-known is consultancies or travel for other brands, 1. Dale DeGroff now gets paid what he he among bartenders—as a jovial host of rather than the mass market. Super-pre- deserves (I hope). serious educational seminars, or as a visitor mium trends aren’t often built at the local to their bars, or as a friend—that during bar, even though the cocktail renaissance 2. Customers don’t have to drink blue Tales, young bartenders eagerly approach continues to reach smaller cities and bar- drinks in steak bars. him hoping that they’ll be on his list when tenders not part of the “in crowd.” his next event comes to their town. Charlotte Voisey, portfolio ambas- 3. Menus offer more than just Cosmo- “What I do best, I think, and what I sador, William Grant & Sons, noted politans, Appletinis and Chocolate love to do is educate bartenders about the model Ford had crafted in building Martinis. products and spirits and bartender bartender relationships when she came knowledge—the return on that can’t to the U.S., and credits him with a gen- 4. It’s not just that are getting be calculated,” Ford says as he waits to erous helping hand. “Simon is still what launched and there are lots of exciting be interviewed for a documentary on a brand ambassador should strive to be,” new ingredients in the market. bartenders. “You can give someone a she says. “How do you measure that? Just barspoon at a show or you can teach ask around the bartender community. 5. Bars are a lot more interesting than they used to be. someone how to use it.” Their regard for him is the proof.” According to “King Cocktail” Dale Dushan Zaric, co-owner of Employ- 6. Fresh ingredients are increasingly DeGroff, he references something he re- ees Only in NYC, recently made that taking over from artificial ingredients, cently wrote in a book to best describe how point to me; people learn to trust the especially with fresh lemon and lime. Ford has made his mark: “As the interna- good brand ambassadors, and will take tional brand ambassador for Plymouth seriously their suggestions about all 7. People are drinking gin again for the Gin, Simon took his passionate approach they bring to the table. That helps ex- right reasons. to bartending and harnessed it to the mis- plain the response to last year’s “Sensory sion of educating young bartenders about Analysis” three-city tour Ford set up for 8. Most bartenders can make a decent the category of gin. He has created good Absolut (as a vodka and a giant brand Manhattan, and the Negroni has will for the brand and for gin in general not currently considered a bartender fa- become fashionable. in the United States, opening the lines of vorite) with famed Chicago molecular communication between bartenders now chef Grant Achatz. 9. Bitters are more popular, and many driven by a single purpose: to learn all they types are available. can about their profession.” the right relationships The rote criticism of brand ambas- Forging alliances with nationally-known 10. An international community of sadors is that they don’t really build vol- bartenders is good long-term business as bartenders has been created. ume to warrant the attention—and the well, because as always, the spirit business budget—their activities receive, and that is as much about relationships as any- Raising the bar

thing else. Not so long ago, bartenders David Wondrich, rarely made buying decisions, but today’s playing pétanque bartenders hired to craft drink programs at a Ricard com- insist on significant input on, if not con- petition, greeting trol of, the spirits served. It’s obvious now, friends at the Beef- but was a concept more ignored than eater opening night acted on when Ford arrived here. party, inspecting Ford’s success at gathering great event sites as they bartenders into his ambassadorial fold a r e b u i l t o u t . I n might keep him on the outside look- between, there are ing in today: he launched his career in b r a n d m e e t i n g s , Ford makes time to play pétanque retail, as a store runner for now-defunct planning sessions at a Ricard competition UK and spirit chain Oddbins. He and other Pernod turned a small store into one of the com- Ricard USA happenings—Ford’s­ On Thursday in New Orleans, Ford pany’s biggest producers and then moved there, because as far as the bartend- spends half the day breaking down and to the unit on London’s Strand near the ing community is concerned, he is restocking Tujague’s bar along with its famed Savoy Hotel when the award- the face of Pernod Ricard. bartender Paul Gustings, Wondrich winning Peter Dorelli was the head man and New York bartender Toby Cec- at the American Bar there. chini. That evening’s meal, a 19th cen- “I sat down with Peter and must have Simon Says... tury New York City “beefsteak” where tasted 50 spirits, everything with him, copious meat is served without uten- and it gave me a completely different sils, is to be bracketed by service to a perspective on spirits and bartending,” A Solid Education crowd of professional drinkers of hand- Ford says. He also gained inspiration Brand ambassadors are both envied made juleps, slings, toddies, flips, fixes, from the first time a whiskey brand for their expense accounts and high smashes and crustas, all with ingredi- ambassador brought him un-aged spirit profiles, and derided as frivolous cost ents and implements as close to the as an educational tool. It struck him centers with low ROI. Simon Ford, who’s Jerry Thomas-era standard as possible. that more could be done with bringing been at the forefront of the emergence of As attentive to historical detail as he is, the brand ambassador’s role, shares his brands out from behind the production Ford later points out the importance thoughts on brand education. curtain to make them more accessible of restricting the cult of historical ac- and transparent, and he’s built his gin curacy so widespread at cocktail bars  Better knowledge leads to better presentations around the botanical in- today: “You don’t go to a bar for the drinks. With a generation or more of gredients and qualities of the spirit. drink—you go to a bar for an experi- bartenders unschooled about gin, rye About that time the former own- and bitters, folks representing those ence.” But as usual with a Ford event, ers of Plymouth Gin, who were aiming categories have made classic, quality the experience is complete. to resuscitate the once-popular brand drinks accessible and fashionable. It’s his attention to detail in a field in the U.S., came calling. Ford got on where follow-through was often lack- board, and survived the brand’s sale to  A high quality spirit can get traction in ing that has set him apart. “I’m happi- the Absolut Spirits Company and then the marketplace against products that est and I think I’m at my best when I’m subsequently to Pernod Ricard. get their advantage from high market- involved in the details and creative as- He’s helped set on course Pernod’s ing spends. pects of these events,” he says. But as he move to build long-term relationships assumes more responsibility at Pernod with America’s career bartenders. And  Good brand educators can inspire Ricard, he may have to cede some con- while the gin resurgence evident at bars younger bartenders. Ford still recalls trol, as more will be asked of him. But may not have translated into booming the first time a brand rep offered that doesn’t mean he won’t keep setting sales at retail, it has helped make room him a taste of an unaged American himself challenges that seem risky to for the explosion of new gin products in whiskey, and he found the opportu- the outsider; on his working vacation recent years, as smart suppliers realize nity to discover how a spirit evolves in Russia, he’s volunteered to instruct the gin game is open and younger con- compelling. Moscow bartenders about vodka. It’s sumers and bartenders are ready to give a tough task on the face of it, but no the botanical spirit a try.  Teaching an appreciation of the qual- harder than rebuilding gin from a sum- ity and story behind spirit brands will mer commodity into a drink geek’s fa- elevate the image of the American man about town vorite, and even money bets that some drinking culture. Ford’s everywhere during Tales, of those Russian barkeeps are about to hosting a dinner with drinks writer make a new friend. ■