Rémy Martin Celebrates Turning 300 and Crowns Its Bartender Talent Academy Malaysia Winner

Rémy Martin’s iconic House of Cognac turns 300 years old in 2024, and celebrated this momentous occasion in style at a recent event that also saw Penang’s own Thanesh Joel from Backdoor Bodega (feature photo) taking the spotlight, as he clinched the champion title at Rémy Martin’s Bartender Talent Academy (BTA) Competition.

Launched in 2017, the BTA is an international platform that allows top bartenders from around the globe to showcase their creative mixology and communication skills through three distinct challenges. This unique program occurs once a year and is the opportunity for bartenders from the four corners of the world to showcase their creative bartending and communication talents through three different tests. In the 2023 edition, the 11 finalists compete to reinterpret the Sidecar Cooler, a twist of the original Sidecar cocktail. In 2024, 300 bars around the world will compete in the lead up to the 7th edition of the Rémy Martin Bartender Talent Academy awards. Winners will participate in a global final in France in September. In Malaysia, this year’s competition saw 12 bartenders from bars across Klang Valley, Penang, and Johor regions crafting cocktails with Rémy Martin 1738 Royal Accord cognac, embodying the theme ‘We Dream Forward’ to honor the legacy and future of Rémy Martin.

The competitors gathered last month, with Thanesh, Lai YS from Penrose, and Melvin Lim from Bar Trigona advancing to the national finals. The finals took place on May 9 during Rémy Martin’s 300th anniversary celebration at Gemu KL.

The finalists faced a mystery challenge to create a drink tailored to a specific customer’s request and aimed to win the most public votes for their cocktails. By the end of the night, Thanesh emerged victorious, earning the title of BTA Champion for Malaysia. He now heads to the Global Final in France this September.

Thanesh’s winning cocktail, Val d’Or (French for ‘valley of gold’), drew inspiration from the Accord Royal granted by King Louis XV in 1738, which allowed Rémy Martin to plant vines on royal land. The drink featured Rémy Martin 1738 Royal Accord, homemade rose apple cider, Punt e Mes vermouth, and was garnished with gold flakes.

THE 300th ANNIVERSARY COUPE: CELEBRATING A 300-YEAR LEGACY

A radiant symbol of three centuries of transmission, the 300th Anniversary Coupe, available in very limited edition from January 8th, is a tribute to the heritage of the House and an invitation to dream forward. This special release has been created by Cellar Master Baptiste Loiseau from the Rémy Martin ‘Réserve Perpétuelle,’ a precious collection of exceptional eaux-de-vie, exclusively from the Grande Champagne terroir, saved and passed forward by generations of Cellar Masters. Located in the centre of the Cognac region, Grande Champagne is known for the exceptional aromatic quality and aging potential of its eaux-de-vie. For the 300th Anniversary Coupe, Baptiste Loiseau has drawn on the previous Coupe of the 290th – itself nourished by the eaux-de-vie from the 275th Coupe – and enriched this collective work with its own selection of harmonious, elegant eaux-de-vie from Grande Champagne. His creation forges an invisible link between past and present; between generations of talent – always dreaming forward.

“The perpetual reserve is as much a process as a legacy. When a new blend is created, part of it is set aside for future cellar masters. In turn, they will use it for the next Anniversary Coupe. To create the 300th Anniversary Coupe, I have come to enrich this blend with the treasures of our cellars and Grande Champagne terroir, which will be the legacy I leave to the next generation. By reserving some eaux-de-vie from this precious Coupe 300th Anniversary, the story will continue for future generations.” – Baptiste Loiseau, Cellar Master of the House of Rémy Martin.

The limited edition 300th Anniversary Coupe — priced at RM12,000 each — can be purchased by contacting Elyria Chiak at [email protected]. There will only be 80 bottles available here in Malaysia