Spirit France : The luxury Calvados!

Spirit Calvados

Spirit France

The luxury Calvados!

Interview of Sothara Sieng,
marketing and communication manager
of Spirit France

Spirit France, can you present your company?

Our group is specialized in high end spirits. It aims at developing famous brands on the inescapable niche market of the premium spirits. Spirit France is the world leader of the production and distribution of Calvados and also has a brand of Armagnac that ranks in the top 3 of its category.

A group that never stopped growing,
how do you analyze this regularity?

Our growth on all the markets in France and abroad is the fruit of several years of investment on the production, marketing and commercial level. We worked the quality of our eaux-de-vie in order to bring out the fruity, round and moreish side of our Calvados. On the commercial side, especially on the international level, we rely on local teams in order to comprehend the specificities of each market and adapt to the culture of our customers. In France, we have been carrying out for three years media plans on the greatest national radios with our ambassador Jean-Pierre Marielle for the brand Père Magloire.

With a strong presence on the international level,
is Calvados the trendy spirit at the moment?

Indeed our brands are extremely present abroad. The Boulard Calvados and our Janneau Armagnac are particularly well-represented on the duty free and travel retail markets where they are by far the leaders of their category. We note that our customers and consumers are awaiting new spirits. Calvados which still is a niche market becomes inescapable in the category of the premium spirits.
Moreover our brands are well received by the bartenders worldwide who are real ambassadors with our consumers. In this respect, we developped a website www.calvados-cocktails.com which is a kind of platform of exchange between our brands of Calvados and the community of bartenders and mixologists. They are thus actively participating in the website by proposing us recipes of cocktails and sharing their experience.

What is your Epicurean approach of Calvados?

Calvados of course is a product of pleasure and conviviality that can be enjoyed differently according to the occasion. It can traditionally be consumed after dinner. But today the consumers also have it for the aperitif, simply on the rocks or with tonic. The taste of apple perfectly matching with all the ingredients of the bar, it is more and more usual to mix it and appaears to be a perfect basis for incredible cocktails. For this, it is better to use young Calvados like La Fine VS Père Magloire or Grand Solage Boulard.

Among the three brands Calvados Père Magloire,
Boulard and Lecompte, is there one that stands out?

Each of our brands has its own universe and raison d'être on the market. Created in 1821, Père Magloire is the leading brand of Calvados. It inspires warmth, happiness and conviviality.
The Boulard House is a story of persons. Indeed five generations succeeded each other. It is the forerunner on the international markets. Its famous golden apple can be seen everywhere in the world, especially in duty free shops.
At last, Lecompte is the luxury Calvados house. Its dark, sober and pure curves make it immediately recognizable. With its limited edition, vintage Cavados and its cuvée Secret, Lecompte is the haute couture of Calvados.

A tasting advice to appreciate your products as they deserve it?

According to the qualities and ages of our Calvados, choose the oldest to enjoy plain or on ice, and the youngest in a cocktail.

In 2015, what is the company's philosophy?

With our portfolio of premium brands, our mission really is to provide consumers with France's best spirits everyday and worldwide.

Interview by Charlynne Zirah

— www.spirit-france.com —