FRANCOIS ZELBAT

www.cognacferrand.com

Francois Zelbat is the Northeast USA Spirits Educator for the artisanal distillery Cognac Ferrand, based in Ars, France. Mr. Zelbat, who has been with the company for the last three years, is responsible for consumer education in the northeast for the Cognac Ferrand brands which include: Pierre Ferrand Cognac, Citadelle Gin, Mathilde Liqueurs, Plantation Rums, Cerbois Armagnac and Daron Calvados.

Mr. Zelbat is an enthusiastic public speaker and a spirits expert - from distillation to aging to bottling - and has conducted numerous seminars for retailers, sommeliers, restaurant/bar staffs and consumers on the subject he is most passionate about. His knowledge and presentations have brought him to the Hyde Park Culinary Institute on several occasions as a guest lecturer. His work as a spirits educator for Cognac Ferrand in the northeast has taken him to some of the best bars and lounges where today's booming cocktail culture was born. Additionally, Mr. Zelbat-an aficionado of fine cocktails-enjoys close working relationships with some of the country's top mixologists.

Born and raised in the esteemed wine region of Burgundy, Mr. Zelbat was steeped in the wine culture from an early age, and while he loved and appreciated wine and wine production, it was the world of fine spirits that eventually became his calling.