From the very beginning of the Giffard brand, back in 1885, the family-owned business have had artistry at the very core of their ethos. The most famous contemporary illustrators created posters of the founding product Menthe-Pastille. These posters are now considered precious vintage masterpieces and are exhibited in a specially constructed gallery at the Giffard factory in Angers. When considering the founding ties to art that Giffard has had for many hundreds of years, it seems only a natural progression for the brand to explore the most modern form of artistry amongst today’s society… tattoos, with the upcoming 4th Spirit of Art book involving the UK, Italy and Denmark, set to launch later this year.
Another core principle of the Giffard brand is their close and intimate relationship with bartenders. Giffard strive to be at the forefront of innovation, in the form of flavour and design. The way that they achieve this goal is by utilising their tight relationship with the bartender community and responding quickly to the wants and needs of the people on the other side of the bar. The Tattoo Bartender campaign therefore marries two fundamental aspects of Giffard and celebrates their close connection to each other.
Following on from the successful release of the second and third edition of Giffard’s “Spirit of Art by Giffard” book series that celebrated bartenders in Jakarta, Bali, Manila & Ho Chi Minh City. Giffard will launch a social media campaign for the UK series in 2022 and the fourth edition of the book is set to release in the months following with an event in 2023. The very first edition of the Giffard book was created in the UK and in true Giffard style they are returning to the UK to see what has changed and developed in the new generation of mixologists.
The Spirit of Art project explores the association between body art, personal identity and expression. This is communicated through the eyes of bartenders and baristas throughout the world, and their own tattoos. Their motivations, their stories and their beliefs are communicated in short clips and their own innovative cocktail recipe. In their digital campaign, Giffard have paired bartenders from cities across the UK with personal cocktail creations and each one is truly as unique as their own tattoo art.
Giffard as a family feel a very strong connection with art, appreciating the artistry behind mixology and the creative spirit held within each drink maker that has a true love for their craft. The prefect drink is created when bartenders and baristas pour their heart and soul into their creation. It’s hardly surprising, therefore, that there are often connections between bartenders’ drinks and their chosen self-adornments, images that they wear for life.
Here are Giffard’s Living Artworks…
