Hall of Fame

Creator of Citadelle Gin, Owner & Master Blender, Maison Ferrand –& West Indies Rum Distillery -Barbados Alexandre Gabriel was born and raised in France, on a farm in southern Burgundy, where his grandfather taught him how to make wine and distil spirits. In 1989, Alexandre Gabriel came upon an ancient Cognac house and built it into what is known today as Maison Ferrand, in the heart of the Grande Champagne area of Cognac.

Through his passion and vision, Alexandre turned the small Cognac House into one of the greatest specialists of artisanal spirits today, producing an award-winning portfolio of sought-after world renown brands: Citadelle Gin, Ferrand Cognac, and Plantation Rum.

In 1996, Alexandre created Citadelle, the pioneer of the world artisanal gin movement. With his visionary creation, the master blender of Ferrand Cognac made history in the field of juniper spirits. Since then, with the launch of Citadelle Old Tom and Citadelle Jardin D’Éte, along with innovative and exclusive limited editions, such as the latest eccentric Citadelle Vive le Cornichon, Alexandre has consistently demonstrated his boundless creativity.

Of the spirits he produces, Alexandre says he thinks of them as “aromatic sculptures” or “gastronomic paintings” and to him they are not merely products, but the perfect embodiment of history, emotions, and experience.

Alexandre’s passion for creating exquisite spirits is boundless and the fruits of his labour are appreciated by many, whether bartenders or fine spirit aficionados. He has looked in to the past to create spirits for the future, with the tools to go even further in his mission for marrying heritage, terroir, passion, and time for great spirits.