Exclusive Interview with Maison Ferrand

Founded in 1989, Maison Ferrand has become a reference in the world of fine spirits, with a deep respect for tradition and an unceasing drive for innovation. From its historic roots in the heart of Cognac to its celebrated craft methods and global reach, the brand is guided by a passion for excellence and authenticity.

At the heart of this success story is a dedicated team, including Maylis, APAC Manager, who has worked closely with the Maison for several years. Her journey reflects the brand’s commitment to expertise, curiosity, and connection across cultures.

In this exclusive interview, held at the elegant Baia at Raffles, Maylis opens up about the evolution of Maison Ferrand, the values that shape its identity, and what sets it apart in today’s ever-evolving spirits landscape.

My name is Maylis. I’m the Asia Pacific Manager for Maison Ferrand, I’ve been working for Maison Ferrand for 5 years.  I’m based in Singapore and I’ve been in the industry for 12 years.

Maison Ferrand is an independent French family group created in 1989 by Alexander Gabriel, who is our master blender and owner of Maison Ferrand.

He first created Ferrand Cognac in 1989, taking over the legacy of 10 generations of Ferrand Cognac producers, all based in Grande Champagne in Cognac. Then in 1996, he created Citadelle Gin, the first artisanal gin ever created at that time. And finally, in 1999, he created Plantation Rum, well known today as Planteray Rum.

So what connects Maison Ferrand brands? It’s three things. First of all, it’s hertiage, terroir and expertise. So we produce qualitative products in a sustainable way. It’s a bit like making cocktails. It’s like when you make a cocktail, you are always looking for the best ingredient to have a delicious cocktail. For us, it’s the same. At Citadelle, for example, we produce our own juniper trees. So we have around 10 hectares of juniper trees. We also produce our own cognac, so we have our own vines. We have 150 hectares of vines located in Grande Champagne. And finally, with Planteray Rum, we have our own distillery located in Barbados, Stades’s west indies Rum distillery. And also we co-own one third of Long Pond and Clarendon distilleries in Jamaica.

I’m super excited about our new baby Planteray Cut & Dry. We work with local farmers to produce this rum and it’s just delicious.

I have to say the best way to enjoy Ferrand Cognac is really up to you but I really suggest to first taste it neat, or you can add the ice cube to really bring additional aroma step by step with the dilution of the water.

We approach at Maison Ferrand food and spirits pairing looking always for harmony, either complementing different flavors or balancing with different flavors: Cognac for example can go perfectly with dark chocolate but also with cheese. We want to create some interesting pairings that can really surprise everyone as well so at the end of the day it’s just a question about having fun with your palette and also creating emotions, this is really what we want to do at Maison Ferrand.

Each product that we produce tells the story about people, terroir and passion, it’s like Adonis (of Baia) making cocktails for people!

Find the full interview on our Instagram page here.

Maison Ferrand

@planterayrum

@citadellegin

@ferrandcognac

Special Thanks to Baia for welcoming us!