Ami Behram Shroff is India’s first female mixologist champ

Parent Category: News and Stories

Posted in: Entertainment on Tuesday, 16 December 2014 09:50

Cointreau, the original French orange liqueur, crowned Ami Behram Shroff as the first female mixologist champion at the finals of La Maison Cointreau India, the country’s first and only women bartending competition, held at the Leela Hotel, Gurgaon The competition was part of an Asia-Pacific regional mixology challenge by Cointreau to recognise visionary talents in the Indian cocktail industry. Ami will now represent India at the regional finals of La Maison Cointreau in Bangkok, Thailand in January 2015. 

After a fierce competition, incredible artistry and unrivalled creativity of exceptional cocktails, Ami Behram Shroff emerged as an undisputed winner among other leading female mixologists from the country. 

Ami mesmerised the esteemed panel of judges including Shatbhi Basu, India’s first woman bartender, Nandini Bhalla and Naina de Bois-Juzan by mixing a classic Cointreau cocktail Kamikazewith a glamorous twist and a unique cocktail Cointreauliciousthat completely delighted the judges. The eight final mixologists were judged on parameters such as knowledge of the original recipe, innovation with a recipe, bar set-up and efficiency, bartending skills and presentation of recipe and taste.

The eight finalists were shortlisted among 18 talented female bartenders across the country through a three-city semi-final held in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore last month. The contestants underwent stringent evaluation by honoured judges in the three cities such as Akriti Aggarwal, Karina Aggarwal and Minakshi Singh in Delhi; Rojita Tiwari, Suneeta Kanga, Shatbhi Basu in Mumbai and Priya Bala, Kaveri Sinhji, Jackie Pinto in Bangalore.

Commenting on the occasion, Rukn Luthra, Managing Director, Remy Cointreau, Indian sub-continent and Gulf said, “We are pleased to introduce La Maison Cointreau in India and receive such an overwhelming response from the evolving bartenders’ community in India and consumers. Ami rightly personifies the personality of an ideal Cointreauversial woman. She is setting new standards in the bartending industry and will not only achieve great heights herself, but also inspire more ladies to find their forte behind the bar.”

Delighted on her victory, Ami Behram Shroff said, “I am honoured to be crowned as the first female mixologist champion of La Maison Cointreau India. I thank Remy Cointreau for giving me this wonderful opportunity to showcase my commitment to the profession and createsome really unique cocktails. This initiative is a great platform to encourage bartenders and recognise their talent and I hope this encourages many more ladies to step up to the bar.”  

The event was then followed by Cointreauversial evening including fun ‘Mystery Box Challenge’ amongst 8 trios, each with a mixologist, a lady blogger/journalist and a Cointreauversial woman. Each team wasprovided with a mystery box with bespoke ingredients and encouraged to be bold and imaginativeas they create a Cointreau cocktail that pushes all boundaries. Thisgave a great chance for the bartenders and guests to unveil their flair and creativity in cocktail creation.

About Cointreau: It was established over 160 years ago in Angers, in the Loire Valley, France and has become the most renowned and distinguished orange liqueur in the world. Its iconic square bottle with rounded shoulders and amber colour is synonymous with heritage and quality.

The perfect balance between sweet and bitter orange peels sourced from around the world gives Cointreau its subtle characteristics; essential oils create a soft edge and turn cloudy upon contact with ice; a delicate taste explodes in the mouth, followed by a well-tempered tone.

At the heart of almost every cocktail, Cointreau is versatile and timeless, playing a key role as an essential ingredient in some of the most popular drinks of all time including the Margarita, the Cosmopolitan, the Sidecar and the White Lady. Cointreau can also be enjoyed neat or on ice; with a twist of fresh lime or mixed with tonic, lemonade, soda water or fruit juice.

Today, more than 13 million Cointreau bottles are sold worldwide and Cointreau remains the authentic choice of many top bartenders in the smartest and the most fashionable bars.