QUALITY
sumptuous Parisian palace. One of the
jury members that year was Antoine
Pétrus, France's best young sommelier and
assistant sommelier at Crillon, who gave
Mignot his business card. "Taking part in
the competition isn't just prestigious in its
own right; it can also open doors to future
employment. We're very proud of that,"
adds Amel.
Concourse de Biérologie
is helping to change the
perception of beer. When
presented in this way, using
quality glassware and
trained and informed staff,
it starts to become a real
alternative to wine - even
in France, where wine has a
long tradition.
Better Quality Beer
The Concourse de Biérologie has
attracted significant media coverage,
including television which is extremely
rare due to France's strict alcohol
advertising laws. "The beer market in
France is a market where people are
drinking less, but drinking better quality,"
says Amel. The competition's select
number of winners may be small, but over
the past six years, it has reached a total
of 3,500 students. That can only serve to
enhance FIEINEKEN's reputation and the
image of its beers as premium products.
Women First
This year's winner was Laura Choquart,
the second woman to take home
the competition's top prize. "Beer
consumption among women in France
is quite low right now, so it helps beer's
image that women are also good at
serving it. Challenging the traditional
perception of beer and turning the whole
drinking experience into one involving
careful selection, perfect quality service,
and the correct glassware is also helping
to reverse this trend," says Amel.
As part of her prize, Choquart will spend
two days in Amsterdam, with a visit to
the FIEINEKEN Experience, HEINEKEN's
very own interactive facility located in
the original brewery, as well as two weeks
gaining international work experience at
the Marriott in Brussels.
Marie Mignot, the 2008/2009 winner,
now works in Crillon, a luxury hotel in a
Autumn 2011 World of HEINEKEN 41
