Tales of the Cocktail Cognac Competition Winner Named

Franky Marshall

Ms. Franky Marshall, bartender at The Tippler and The Monkey Bar in New York City has been selected as the winner of the Cognac Cocktail Competition for Tales of the Cocktail Cocktail Apprentices (CAPs).  The Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC) challenged CAPs to create a cocktail that appealed to a female audience.  Ms. Marshall won the competition with her “She’s Gotta Have It” cocktail, which combines Cognac with Rosé wine syrup, Crème de Pêche Liqueur, lemon juice and sparkling rosé wine (see complete recipe below). The competition was judged by international spirits experts Dave Broom and Tristan Stephenson, along with Bridget Albert, Southern Wine & Spirits, IL Director of Mixology and Certified Cognac Educator, and Patricia Richards, Head Mixologist for Wynn & Encore Resorts and a panelist at the 2012 International Cognac Summit.

Although designed with women in mind, “She’s Gotta Have It” is a refreshing and balanced cocktail that appeals to all Cognac drinkers—neophytes as well as connoisseurs.  As Ms. Marshall explains, “I was longing to create an approachable Cognac cocktail that could be appreciated by all.  On appealing specifically to women, I thought [about] the one thing what most women like to drink… Wine! So, I decided to incorporate a rosé in two forms: as a syrup and as a sparkling.”

As the winner, Ms. Marshall has received an all-expenses-paid trip to Cognac during the Blues Passions festival in June 2013. Her winning cocktail: