Uploaded August 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Alexandre is the founder of Maison Ferrand, Citadelle Gin, and Plantation—now Planetary—Rum. He is also an author and historian.
On the episode you can expect to learn how a Burgundian farm boy turned his hand to bartending in New York and then went on to innovate across the categories of cognac, gin and rum.
We take a deep dive into the production of cognac - terroir, grape varieties, distillation, maturation, and discuss the changing market of cognac in France and abroad. From there we turn to gin, covering the birth of Citadelle in 1996 and the challenges of establishing the world’s first modern craft gin distillery at a time when few people were buying gin.
The conversation then shifts to rum—Alexandre’s early encounters, the founding of Plantation, double maturation, Jamaican and Barbadian styles, muck, dunder, and the acquisition of West Indies Rum Distillery. We taste our way through the Rockley still, and high-ester ferments, and discuss geographical indications, tradition and community. We also discuss the decision to change the Plantation brand name to Planetary, and much more.
00:00 Origin Stories - Childhood, Farming, Marc de Bourgogne, Growing What You Sell, Wine vs. Brandy, Bartending in NYC
10:50 Cognac - Acquiring Ferrand, The Cognac Market
13:00 The Cognac Regions, Cognac Houses, Geology & Flavour, Terroir, Yeast
25:40 Grape Varietes in in Cognac - Ugni Blanc & Colombard - Acidity, Stability, Producing Seasons
28:20 Emphasis of Distillation over Fermentation
32:02 Maturation in Cognac - Coopers, Elevage, Limousin Oak, Gastronomic Approach, Trancais, Fill Strength
46:25 Tasting Ferrand 1840 - Finding old Cognac, Perception of Flavour based on Dilution, Historical Recipes, David Wondrich & Mint Juleps, Ancient Still Designs, The Evolution of Tradition
58:53 Dosage in Cognac - Methods, Purpose, History - Physiology of sweetness and salt perception, sugar quality
1:06:43 Changing Perceptions of Cognac - Cognac highballs, Misconceptions and Understanding
1:12:36 Creating Citadelle Gin - Gin Market in 1996, First Craft Gin Distillery of Modern Era, Growing Juniper, Legislation, Plymouth Gin, Ferran Adrià
1:27:08 Rum: Alexandre’s Early Experiences with Rum
1:29:00 Thierry Gardère and Barbancourt, buying barrels, the origins of Plantation, Navy Rum & Mr Fogg
1:37:40 Establishing the Plantation Brand - Nicolas Wine Shop Distribution, Naming the brand Plantation, First products, West Indies Rum Distillery team, Amaretto Cask Rum
1:41:48 Double Maturation in Rum - Tropical and Contintental - History, Benefits
1:46:50 Jamaican Rum GI - Regulation Regarding Overseas Ageing, Myers, Captain Morgan - comparison to Single Malt Scotch
1:55:02 Clarendon & Long Pond Distilleries - Southern vs. Northern Distilleries Styles in Jamaica - Historical reasons for styles, Esters, Export
2:01:00 Muck, Dunder, Cane Vinegar & Bacteria in Rum Fermentation
2:03:56 Acquisition of West Indies Rum Distillery (WIRD) in Barbados - George Stade (Founder), Origins of NRJ
02:14:25 Stade’s Rum - Rockley Still: World’s Oldest Rum Still, Restoration, First Distillation
02:21:06 What is Barbados Rum? Varieties of Stills, History, Using Seawater in Rum Production
02:25:42 Tasting Hogo Monster - 2000ppm Esters
02:30:49 Stiggin’s Pineapple Rum, Pushing the Limits
02:33:00 Barbados Community, Growing Cane on Barbados, Curacao
02:36:33 Next Steps: Cognac grapes, Renovating more stills, Navy Rum R&D, Paraguay
02:41:25 Changing from Plantation to Planetary - Language, History, Consultation
🙏 This episode is sponsored by Fever-Tree
📷 Follow me on Instagram - instagram.com/tristanstephenson
📚 I've written quite a few books on spirits and cocktails - thecuriousbartender.com
Alexandre is the founder of Maison Ferrand, Citadelle Gin, and Plantation—now Planetary—Rum. He is also an author and historian.
On the episode you can expect to learn how a Burgundian farm boy turned his hand to bartending in New York and then went on to innovate across the categories of cognac, gin and rum.
We take a deep dive into the production of cognac - terroir, grape varieties, distillation, maturation, and discuss the changing market of cognac in France and abroad. From there we turn to gin, covering the birth of Citadelle in 1996 and the challenges of establishing the world’s first modern craft gin distillery at a time when few people were buying gin.
The conversation then shifts to rum—Alexandre’s early encounters, the founding of Plantation, double maturation, Jamaican and Barbadian styles, muck, dunder, and the acquisition of West Indies Rum Distillery. We taste our way through the Rockley still, and high-ester ferments, and discuss geographical indications, tradition and community. We also discuss the decision to change the Plantation brand name to Planetary, and much more.
00:00 Origin Stories - Childhood, Farming, Marc de Bourgogne, Growing What You Sell, Wine vs. Brandy, Bartending in NYC
10:50 Cognac - Acquiring Ferrand, The Cognac Market
13:00 The Cognac Regions, Cognac Houses, Geology & Flavour, Terroir, Yeast
25:40 Grape Varietes in in Cognac - Ugni Blanc & Colombard - Acidity, Stability, Producing Seasons
28:20 Emphasis of Distillation over Fermentation
32:02 Maturation in Cognac - Coopers, Elevage, Limousin Oak, Gastronomic Approach, Trancais, Fill Strength
46:25 Tasting Ferrand 1840 - Finding old Cognac, Perception of Flavour based on Dilution, Historical Recipes, David Wondrich & Mint Juleps, Ancient Still Designs, The Evolution of Tradition
58:53 Dosage in Cognac - Methods, Purpose, History - Physiology of sweetness and salt perception, sugar quality
1:06:43 Changing Perceptions of Cognac - Cognac highballs, Misconceptions and Understanding
1:12:36 Creating Citadelle Gin - Gin Market in 1996, First Craft Gin Distillery of Modern Era, Growing Juniper, Legislation, Plymouth Gin, Ferran Adrià
1:27:08 Rum: Alexandre’s Early Experiences with Rum
1:29:00 Thierry Gardère and Barbancourt, buying barrels, the origins of Plantation, Navy Rum & Mr Fogg
1:37:40 Establishing the Plantation Brand - Nicolas Wine Shop Distribution, Naming the brand Plantation, First products, West Indies Rum Distillery team, Amaretto Cask Rum
1:41:48 Double Maturation in Rum - Tropical and Contintental - History, Benefits
1:46:50 Jamaican Rum GI - Regulation Regarding Overseas Ageing, Myers, Captain Morgan - comparison to Single Malt Scotch
1:55:02 Clarendon & Long Pond Distilleries - Southern vs. Northern Distilleries Styles in Jamaica - Historical reasons for styles, Esters, Export
2:01:00 Muck, Dunder, Cane Vinegar & Bacteria in Rum Fermentation
2:03:56 Acquisition of West Indies Rum Distillery (WIRD) in Barbados - George Stade (Founder), Origins of NRJ
02:14:25 Stade’s Rum - Rockley Still: World’s Oldest Rum Still, Restoration, First Distillation
02:21:06 What is Barbados Rum? Varieties of Stills, History, Using Seawater in Rum Production
02:25:42 Tasting Hogo Monster - 2000ppm Esters
02:30:49 Stiggin’s Pineapple Rum, Pushing the Limits
02:33:00 Barbados Community, Growing Cane on Barbados, Curacao
02:36:33 Next Steps: Cognac grapes, Renovating more stills, Navy Rum R&D, Paraguay
02:41:25 Changing from Plantation to Planetary - Language, History, Consultation
🙏 This episode is sponsored by Fever-Tree
📷 Follow me on Instagram - instagram.com/tristanstephenson
📚 I've written quite a few books on spirits and cocktails - thecuriousbartender.com
