For Immediate Release

June 4, 2008 (Vancouver, BC) – Josh Pape of Vancouver’s Chambar Belgian Restaurant has been awarded second place at the prestigious Giffard International Competition. The competition was held in Anger, France on May 26, 2008. It included 16 talented mixologists from Germany, England, Sweden, Poland, and France.

Josh Pape and fellow local mixologist Brian Grant of Yew Restaurant & Bar at the Four Seasons Hotel were selected to represent Canada in this year’s international competition. They took part in the Giffard Cocktail Challenge, an improvisation competition in which participants draw lots to determine which Giffard liqueur they are required to include in a cocktail of their creation and have one hour to develop a recipe. Drinks are judged on both taste and presentation. Josh Pape won second place for a recipe he created featuring Giffard Vanilla Madagascar.

The placing cocktail developed by Josh Pape in one hour is called Le Thé Du Démon. Grant’s cocktail, named Pacifica, also featured Giffard Vanilla Madagascar and did very well in the competition.

Giffard Vanilla Madagascar is a brand new product in the Giffard family of fine liqueurs and syrups and is now available in Canada. It is made exclusively from natural Madagascar vanilla, known for its warm, intense character. It joins such popular flavours as Pink Grapefruit Liqueur, Amandes Cognac, and Crème de Peche.

Pape started his career at Vancouver’s Chambar but took advantage of an opportunity to work with award-winning mixologists in Australia for a year. He has earned praise and accolades at numerous competitions, and currently works as Chambar’s bar manager.

First place at the Giffard Competition was awarded to a barman from Germany, and third went to a participant from England.

Both Josh and Brian are available for interviews upon their return to Canada the week of June 9th, 2008. Please contact Dana Harris to arrange interviews or request recipes.

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http://www.giffard.com
http://www.nonsdrinks.com

Media contact:

Dana Lee Harris
Dana Lee Consulting
P- 604-986-3262
F -604-986-3256
Danalee.harris@shaw.ca

For Immediate Release

May 22, 2008 (Vancouver, BC) – It is a sign of Vancouver’s excellence in the arts of food and drink that both of the competitors Canada is sending to this year’s prestigious Giffard International Competition in France are local talent. Brian Grant of Yew Restaurant & Bar at the Four Seasons Hotel and Josh Pape of Chambar Belgian Restaurant will compete in the prestigious Giffard Cocktail Challenge in Anger, France on May 26, 2008.

Giffard liqueurs and syrups are known worldwide as the high-quality ingredients in some of the world’s best cocktails. The annual Giffard International Competition is a chance for bartenders from various countries including Germany, England, Sweden, Poland, Slovenia and Canada to exercise their creativity and innovation.

The portion of the International Competition in which Josh and Brian will compete is called the Giffard Cocktail Challenge. It is an improvisation competition. One hour before the beginning of the Challenge the competitors will draw lots to determine which Giffard liqueur they will have to include in their creation. The competitors will then have one hour to create their recipe. The drinks will be judged on both taste and presentation.

Both men bring an abundance of talent and experience to the international competition. Brian Grant has been bartending since age 19, and has worked at a range of establishments from busy nightclubs to elite cocktail bars. Josh Pape started his career at Vancouver’s Chambar but took advantage of an opportunity to work with award-winning mixologists in Australia for a year. He has earned praise and accolades at numerous competitions, and now is Chambar’s bar manager. Brian won first place and Josh second place at the Canadian Giffard Iron Mixology Event in September of 2007, earning the privilege of competing in France this May. They will leave for France on Thursday, May 22. Good luck fellas!!!

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http://www.giffard.com
http://www.nonsdrinks.com
Media contact: Dana Lee Harris
Dana Lee Consulting
P- 604-986-3262
F -604-986-3256
Danalee.harris@shaw.ca

On Sunday, September 23 twenty-five of Vancouver’s top bartenders competed to win an all-expenses-paid trip to the Giffard International Competition to be held in Angers, France May 2008. The contestants were invited to invent an original cocktail using Giffard Pink Grapefruit Liqueur and Mr. Giffard made the journey from France to witness the excitement.

Giffard would like to thank all the competitors for their inventive recipes and their entertaining mixology. A big thank you also to MC Jason McRobbie, who kept the flow going, the judges (names below) for their time and input and Tapastree Restaurant’s Francis Regio for hosting the event.

Competition was tight, but the top two were chosen to be Bogart’s Brian Grant and Chambar’s Josh Pape

1st Place Winner – Brian Grant – Bogart Chophouse & Bar
“‘Old Dog, New Tricks” (a play on the ‘Salty Dog’)

1 ¼ oz Vodka
¾ oz Giffard Pink Grapefruit
1 Scoop of Champagne & Pink Grapefruit Sorbetto
1/8 oz Giffard Muroise

*Martini glass, shaken
*Garnish – Pink Australian rock salt & candied grapefruit

2nd Place Winner – Josh Pape – Chambar Belgian Restaurant

“Toute Fin”
4 toasted cashews
1 ½ oz Gin
½ oz Amontillado Sherry
½ oz Giffard Pink Grapefruit1 12 oz Apple Juice
Dash of gomme syrup
1 egg white
1 lime wedge

*Large coupee style martini glass
*Muddle, shake, and fine strain
*Garnish – home made Campari powder dusting atop of egg white froth

Thank you to Giffard judges:

Media
Joanne Sasvari – Freelance food and wine writer
Judith Lane – Freelance food and wine writer
Eric Pateman – Edible British Columbia

Mixologists
Jay Jones – Donnelly Hospitality Group
Daryl MacDonald – Ocean Club/Mountain Club
Brad Stanton – Blue Water Café

Chefs
Linda Larouche – Watermark
Doug Scott – Ocean Club/Mountain Club
Dino Renaerts – Diva at the Met

For further details contact:

Christa Frosch, Director of Operations
cfrosch@nonsdrinks.com
604 306 7742
http://www.nonsdrinks.com

Sherif Ahmed, President
sahmed@nondrinks.com
604 306 6790

For product information:
Lower Mainland Licensees – Cassandra Anderton
604 617 2205

Lower Mainland LRS – Cristi Griffin
778 389 6441

Island Accounts – Colin Southcombe
250 589 2675

About Giffard
It all began during the very hot summer of 1885…

Emile Giffard was a dispensing pharmacist and neighbour of the “Grand Hotel” in Angers, in the Loire Valley. However, he was no mere chemist. Inventive, curious and gourmet, he undertook research on the digestive and refreshing properties of mint. He thereby invented a pure, clear and refined white mint liqueur which he tested with the Grand Hotel’s customers, in order to relieve them from heat. Success came at once. Emile changed his pharmacy into a distillery and called his liqueur MENTHE PASTILLE, referring to the mint sweets very famous at that time.

Four generations later, Giffard & Co, still in the hands of the Giffard family, produces, beside Menthe Pastille, “Crèmes de fruits”, liqueurs, Guignolet, Fruits in brandy and syrups. Quality has been their watchword all this time.

http://www.giffard.com
http://www.nonsdrinks.com

Good morning everyone,

First of all…Sherif and I would like to thank you all so much for giving your time and expertise to assist in making the Event such a success! We could not have done it without your support! I am forwarding you the 2 Winners recipes…we will be sending through photo’s of the Event as well…I would like to also say for those of you that did not receive a bottle of the Pink Grapefruit…we have one waiting for you…

1st Place Winner
Brain Grant – Bogart Chophouse & Bar
‘Old Dog, New Tricks’ (a play on the ‘Salty Dog’)
1 ¼ oz Vodka
¾ oz Giffard Pink Grapefruit
1 Scoop of Champagne & Pink Grapefruit Sorbetto
1/8 oz Giffard Muriose

*Martini glass, shaken
*Garnish – Pink Australian rock salt & candied grapefruit

2nd Place Winner
Josh Pape – Chambar Belgian Restaurant
Toute Fin
4 toasted cashews
1 ½ oz Hendricks Gin
½ oz Alvews Amontillado Sherry
½ oz Giffard Pink Grapefruit
1 12 oz Apple Juice
Dash of gomme syrup
1 egg white
1 lime wedge

*Large coupee style martini glass
*Muddle, shake, and fine strain
*Garnish – home made Campari powder dusting a top of egg white froth

We will be sending out a PR Release this week with all the announcements and details…but we wanted to get it out to you first…we appreciate all your expertise and again thank you so much for making the Event such a success!!!

Please email or call us with any ideas or suggestions…or if you have any questions.

Greetings,
Christa and Sherif

Christa Frosch

Giffard Canada
Nons Drinks To Go Inc.
http://www.giffard.com
http://www.nonsdrinks.com

Office 604.685.6790
Fax 604.685.6798
Cellular 604.306.7742

It was also reported that there were competitors from Beyond, Lolita and Joe Fortes.