Charlotte Voisey has run bars in Barcelona, Buenos Aires and London. Charlotte took an interest in mixology under the guidance of the Gorgeous Group in London in 2002 when they opened Apartment 195 together which was soon to be awarded Bar of the Year. Charlotte went on to win the title of Best Bartender at The UK Bar Awards in 2004. Charlotte travelled the world showcasing top brands through mixology in Aspen, Las Vegas, Kuala Lumpur, Mexico, New Zealand and New York. Recent consulting projects include The Dorchester Hotel, London and Ian Schrager’s Gramercy Park Hotel, New York. Still competing internationally, Charlotte took silver medal at the World Female Bartender championships in Italy this year. Charlotte currently holds role of Glenfiddich Brand Ambassador with William Grant & Sons and also looks after the mixology needs of the company whose portfolio includes Hendrick’s Gin, Reyka Vodka and Milagro Tequila.

Question #1
Adams Beverage Group (ABG): What exactly do you do as a brand ambassador?

Charlotte Voisey: My role is all about education, on three different levels: consumer, trade, distributor. It has a lot to do with marketing and I see it as an extended service which adds value to the brand for whoever I interact with. There is also a degree of sales support in the different markets that I cover (North East Region of the USA – Maine to Virginia) especially where a sale calls for expertise i.e. selling our rare whisky collection. I liaise with press, give interviews, conduct trade seminars and get involved in PR activity for the brand. There is a rare whisky focus to my role which allows for building brand equity on the younger whiskies of the family. Day to day it is also about activity in local markets with both on and off premise accounts as well as synergy with a national and global brand strategy for the brand. And then a little bit of number crunching in order to gain understanding of the market, competitor performance and consumer trends in the local, national and global economy.

Question #2
ABG: Scotch has been struggling to keep up in the U.S. with the growth of other spirits, like vodka, rum and tequila. Is that part of your challenge, to make Scotch more accessible?

Voisey: Absolutely and again that comes back down to education. General trends will help, like premium categories being on the rise, but Scotch is very much a niche market and as Scotch demands much more of an acquired taste than vodka and rum, certainly it presents a greater challenge to keep up with the growth of those spirits. While the “acquired taste factor” maintains a level of prestige for the category, it also acts as a barrier to trial for many. My role is all about breaking down barriers when it comes to new markets and recruiting consumers as well as communicating the trends in Scotch as a whole. Travel helps as does propensity of Americans to connect with their Scottish roots.

Question #3
ABG: You’re one of the few women representing Scotch in the U.S. as an ambassador – does that make your job easier or harder?

Voisey: It helps convey the “Changing Face of Whisky,” and makes the idea of women drinking Scotch more accessible. I think it helps to open people’s mind, helps challenge clichés and stereotypes of the Scotch drinker. People certainly seem to take notice and that may also have something to do with the fact that I am from the UK and even my speaking in a different way, using different words I find I am able to keep people’s attention. Actually we have 3 brand ambassadors for William Grant and Sons USA and two of us are female. My colleague Sharon Owen has been a BA for 7 years.

Question #4
ABG: What do Scotch makers need to do to get women in the U.S. to drink Scotch?

Voisey: Communicate in terms of flavour and allow for marketing that is not just about golf and celebrating bonuses. Cocktails are a good way to start as generally females are more willing to experiment and appreciate articulate presentation of drinks. Food pairing would reinforce the flavor-led message and may be attractive to females.

Question #5
ABG: With a background primarily in mixology, you seem well positioned to expand cocktail creativity to include Scotch which has mostly been left out of the cocktail revolution in the U.S. Are you having any success with that?

Voisey: Yes. I cannot think of another spirit category that offers such a diversity of flavours or accents that can be used in mixology. Also, while Scotch may have been left out of the revolution it certainly has a place in the history of the cocktail. Scotch cocktails are creeping back on the menu in Manhattan – Gramercy Park Hotel, Bar Marche, Asia de Cuba are a few examples. Again it brings back to communicating by flavour. I will always make a cocktail based on a flavor requirement – I can make a Scotch cocktail that is light, floral and refreshing as well as one that is rich, bold and honeyed.

Question #6
ABG: As a mixologist for William Grant, what kind of cocktails have you been creating?

Voisey: I'm lucky to have a portfolio of seriously good spirits. Understanding exactly how a spirit is made and what flavor components stand out allows for some very brand-specific cocktails. All my cocktails use fresh ingredients, and I try to look to the future while appreciating the past and, particularly through Hendrick’s Gin, changing common perceptions of sprits.

Question #7
ABG: What is your favourite cocktail right now?

Voisey: Cucumber Cosmopolitan made with Hendrick’s Gin

Here are some of Charlotte Voisey's recent cocktail creations:

Cucumber Cosmopolitan

2 pieces skinless cucumber
1 lime wedge
1 1/2 oz. Hendrick's Gin
1/2 oz. Grand Marnier
1 oz. white cranberry juice

Muddle cucumber in a Boston shaker glass, squeeze and drop in lime wedge, add ice, Hendrick's and other ingredients before shaking very hard, strain into a Martini glass and garnish a with cucumber slice and rose petal.

Red Apple Julep

10 mint leaves
1/4 oz. simple syrup
1/4 oz. Berentzen's Apfelkorn
1 1/2 oz. Glenfidddich 15 year old Solera Reserve

Muddle mint with simple syrup in an Old-Fashioned glass, add Apfelkorn and Glenfiddich 15 year old Solera Reserve, fill glass with crushed ice, stir and swizzle vigorously with a bar spoon, top with crushed ice and a crisp, thin red apple slice, or "spanked" mint sprig to garnish. (To spank mint, put sprig in the palm of one hand and smack it with the other.)

'Fiddich Fig Sour

Angostura bitters wash
2 fresh figs
1/4 oz. caramel syrup
dash egg white
juice of half a lemon
1 1/2 oz. Glenfiddich 12 year old Special Reserve

Wash a Boston shaker glass with Angostura Bitters, then muddle the two fresh figs with caramel syrup, add the rest of the ingredients with ice and shaker very very hard, strain over cubed ice into an Old-Fashioned glass and garnish with half a fresh fig.