Looking to get your drink on in Paris? Stéphane Ginouves, head bartender at the Hotel Fouquet's Barrière, makes a mighty fine cocktail. In fact, if you order up the “Beautiful Day”--a splendid fusion of mango and strawberry nectar, Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge and Cognac--you’ll be sampling the elixir that clinched the title in the recent Meilleurs Ouvriers de France (MOF) awards. Of eight finalists, Stéphane and only one other bartender (Maxime Hoerth from The Bar at Four Seasons Hotel George V) received the coveted title.
The stakes are high for the prestigious MOF competition, highly regarded in France. To see why, check out the award-winning film “Kings of Pastry,” which documents the French pâtissiers competing for the title, and "the glory of wearing the tri-color collar" on their jackets. (The contest between master craftsmen takes place every four years and is open to various professions—from pastry chefs to carpenters.)
Before taking the helm at the bar at Hotel Fouquet's Barrière--the opulent hotel located just off the Champs Elysées--Stéphane Ginouves worked at Disneyland Resort Paris, Warwick Champs-Elysees and Hotel Westiminster. He’s not new to the spotlight; he also won the Championship of France Cocktail Creation and World Champion Technology (both in 2003).