Cognacq Jay Image, a 30th anniversary built around food and cocktail pairings

On 9 October 2025, So Barman supported Cognacq Jay Image at Atelier du France in Paris for a 30th anniversary gathering 120 guests around a cocktail reception, a bar show and food and cocktail pairings.

An anniversary reception designed as a sensory experience

For Cognacq Jay Image’s 30th anniversary, the bar had to go beyond simple cocktail service. The challenge was to build a complete, fluid and festive experience, able to combine cuisine, mixology, service rhythm and show. This case study shows how a food and cocktail pairing service can give more substance to a corporate anniversary without losing readability or elegance.

1. The context

• Client: Cognacq Jay Image
• Event: 30th anniversary
• Venue: Atelier du France, Paris 15th arrondissement
• Date: Thursday 9 October 2025
• Time: From 7 pm to midnight
• Volume: 120 guests
• Format: Cocktails, mocktails, bar show, cocktail reception, culinary animation and food and cocktail pairings

2. The setup deployed

The setup brought together bar and kitchen expertise: a mixologist bar manager and flair bartender, a mixologist bartender and culinary chefs. The objective was to guarantee a fluid service for 120 guests, while giving the bar a real presence in the flow of the evening.

The service included ingredients, spirits, fresh fruits, juices, syrups, liqueurs, flavour pearls, ice, glassware and professional equipment. The format therefore made it possible to install a complete mobile event bar, integrated into the cocktail reception and culinary animation.

3. Food and cocktail pairings built with precision

The core of the case study lies in the pairings between plate and glass. The smoked Gin Basil Smash responds to the Black Angus mini burger, crunchy red cabbage, Comte cheese and fig confit. Basil, cucumber, lemon and rosemary smoke extend the vegetal notes, refresh the richness and echo the grilled aromas of the dish.

The Rum Mojito with basil and white balsamic accompanies the chef’s fresh salad, with herbal continuity, controlled acidity and a direct link to the balsamic vinaigrette. The watermelon or melon Spritz responds to the melon and cured ham skewer, balancing fruit sweetness, bubbles and light bitterness.

4. A cocktail reception paced by minute service

The culinary side was designed as a true cocktail reception, with varied savoury pieces: Mini fresh salad, mozzarella and cherry tomatoes with soft pesto, vegetarian samosas, marinated chicken skewer, melon and cured ham skewer, Black Angus mini burger.

The culinary animation extended this logic with minute service around slow-cooked beef fillet, penne all’arrabbiata and orecchiette with parmesan cream and fresh basil. The whole format feels generous, but structured, allowing guests to move around, taste and return to the bar without breaking the rhythm.

5. The bar show as a rhythm point

The evening included a flair bartending animation, with working flair during service and a bartender juggling show. The show creates a highlight, draws attention around the bar and brings energy to the reception.

But the visual gesture remains at the service of taste. In this type of event, the point is not only to make people watch the bar: The cocktails must be good, readable and coherent with the food. This combination of precision, show and fluidity is what gives the format its value.

6. What this case study reveals

This case illustrates So Barman’s ability to build a complete event bar service for a corporate anniversary. The bar, the cuisine and the show are not designed as three separate animations, but as one experience, with tasting points, show moments and genuine sensory coherence.

For Cognacq Jay Image, this approach turns a 30th anniversary into a more memorable reception: A format where guests eat, taste, watch and share. This is exactly what So Barman knows how to orchestrate: giving the moment more substance without complicating the organisation.

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