On September 10, two bartenders who have earned the MOF title will be working at the Bvlgari Bar in Paris—a sign that a title originally associated with the culinary arts and fine crafts is now making its way behind the bar.
One title, two worlds
Since 1924, the Meilleur Ouvrier de France has recognized excellence in French craftsmanship, from baking to marquetry. Its presence in mixology—a field long considered part of the service industry rather than the arts and crafts—is still a recent development. Maxime Hoerth, MOF Barman and owner of Bar Pompette in Toronto, and Christophe Davoine, MOF Bartender and vice president of the Association des Barmen de France, will host an event on September 10, 2026, at the Bvlgari Bar Paris, as part of “Symposia,” a series of evenings conceived by Bvlgari Hotels & Resorts.
The Bar as a Place of Knowledge Transfer
The evening’s menu will feature six cocktails, created in partnership with the Italian vodka Altamura and the French gin MadLord. The choice of the theme, “Icons,” and the selection of the two MOFs associated with the event reflect a desire to anchor the evening in a spirit of technical rigor and the passing down of knowledge, rather than focusing solely on seasonal novelties.
A Three-Part Program
Symposia kicked off in May 2026 with an evening dedicated to the 50 Best Bars ranking, featuring Lorenzo Antinori, founder of Bar Leone in Hong Kong. A third edition, scheduled for the end of the year with the theme “Women in Mixology,” will bring the series to a close.
What Recognition Brings About
It remains to be seen whether mixology, as it adopts the hierarchies and titles of the fine-dining world, will gain in recognition what it might lose in informality—one of the historic charms of the bar.
Cette publication est également disponible en :
