Golden advice from the man whose job is to travel the world and mix alcohol

Joe McCanta, Global Ambassador, Grey Goose, current recipient of the TOTC Spirited Award for Best International Brand Ambassador, in an interview with Bizz Buzz shares his passion for great cocktails and how he attained the creative skill of a master mixologist

What have been the high points of your career?

I would say being able to work with fantastic chefs. I'm a chef at heart, I love to cook at home and I definitely think working with chefs such as Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay, and many more chefs globally from various restaurants would go as high points of my career. Likewise, being able to design cocktails at the Oscars and the Grammy's this year as well as last year has truly been a highlight. These culturally important moments enable you to look around a room and see so many important people enjoying a cocktail that you've worked hard on. That really brings a smile to my face.

And I am pretty sure that if not the first, I am one of the few brand ambassadors to live in the virtual world as we just did the US open where we created a beautiful experience in the metaverse. It is super exciting to see how the younger generation is engaging with a brand like Grey Goose, and how the metaverse is a perfect place for that. That sums up the highpoints of my career so far. However, I hope that I've not experienced all of them yet and anticipate more high points to come!

How did you combine talents to become a great sommelier?

Everything I try to do in life is about taste. When I was a musician, it was always about exploring different types of music to find what I love, and I loved performing. But also, I love discovering new tastes and I believe that to become a sommelier you need to constantly be obsessed with taste, flavours and love the hospitality community. To become a sommelier is to love talking to people about wine, about cocktails, exploring new tastes and understanding hospitality overall.

What has working in the best restaurants and bars taught you?

I think it is important to be as humble as possible, and to listen to your customer. All the best restaurants and bars focus on ensuring the best service to their consumers. And what I have learnt is that you need to constantly think about other people, put yourself in their shoes and wonder "how do I make this person's experience the best one, they can have tonight?" You know there is no greater feeling than being a part of someone's special moments.

Which are some of your best cocktails and why?

I think Le Grand Fizz is one I'm super proud of, because it is liked by so many different people with so many different tastes. It's been a crowd pleaser as everyone loves a little floral sweetness and freshness. It's a fizzy cocktail and with Grey Goose as the base, it's really all brought together. Another cocktail I love is the one I designed for Vogue for Paris Fashion Week. It's essentially a combination of two cocktails. It's a combination of a classic martini cocktail with more of a lemon drop style drink. So, the recipe entails 50ml Grey Goose, 25ml of dry vermouth, and I add in a bit of fresh lemon juice and honey blossoms as honey syrup made from orange blossom honey. I personally love this trick; it does a lot of what I like doing which is taking a martini cocktail, playing around with it and giving it a juicier touch.

What element of taste would you like to prefer standing out in your cocktail?

I think the base spirit is the most important thing in a cocktail and I've never been a fan of cocktails that cover up the base. The cocktail is only as good as the spirit you use as the base. So, for me the most important element is to not cover up the base, i.e. the taste of the spirit.

What has been your experience working with the Grey Goose brand?

It's been phenomenal. You know it's a brand that has literally taken me all over the world and is recognised all over the world as such a beautiful vodka. And I think the great thing with Grey Goose is that it's in all kinds of places. With attention to detail to an incredible night club with really high energy to a big high-volume bar, to mom-and-pop type of bars. It's really a global and democratic brand and I think for me it's been the best experience working on a brand like that.

How does Grey Goose vodka help in enhancing your type of cocktails?

Well, as I said it's always about using the best ingredient, and best base ingredient. And I think because Grey Goose is only distilled once and only filtered one time, we have a little bit of natural sweetness that stands out in any cocktail you make with Grey Goose.

What is your philosophy to make good cocktails?

Always start with the best ingredients, the freshest ingredients. Make sure you use the best base spirit and try to use the best and freshest ingredients possible.

How would you describe the cocktail industry globally and in India?

Globally, the cocktail industry is just growing by leaps and bounds. People are shifting from beer and wine to cocktails a lot more. Today's consumers are more aware of the ingredients being used in cocktails and have begun to firmly stand by premium quality spirits and drinks. India is one of the fastest growing spirits markets in the world, and that's how I've got this influx of knowledge from within the Indian bartending community which is really exciting to see.

How would you describe the objective of Grey Goose House of Change?

It's about transforming and elevating the careers of the bartending community through every possible way. The power of being such a well-known brand is to elevate and bring change for the better, in every aspect.

What was your experience of the master classes that were hosted in India?

I absolutely loved them. Every bartender who attended was so engaged and had some great questions to ask. They were really excited to learn about how Grey Goose is made and its entire story. We talked a lot about occasions, what makes for a great cocktail, and how I design my cocktails. Every bartender was deeply engaged, curious and interested in every aspect.