MERLET X ATELIER PIP
Structure Simplicity and Balance :
Rethinking the role of Liqueurs in Cocktails
Cocktail development program, concept and masterclass series
by Zoe Burgess (Atelier PiP) and Merlet.
A shared exploration between Merlet (five generations of distilling expertise) and Zoë Burgess (Atelier Pip). Together, we explore the principles of structure, simplicity, and balance — tested through a series of international masterclasses.
Flavour Flip reimagines what liqueurs can truly bring to cocktails. Rather than treating them as simple modifiers, we focus on flavour first: its structure, its simplicity, and its balance. Each Merlet liqueur is explored in two distinct structural roles to uncover contrast, function, and the full creative potential of a single ingredient.
The framework, defined by Zoë and tested with Merlet’s range, rests on three guiding principles — Structure, Simplicity, Balance. It’s a practical tool for purposeful cocktail design: a way to strip things back, rebuild with precision, and unlock unexpected expressions of flavour.
Flavour Flip isn’t a fixed formula, but a living framework for creativity, an invitation to question, experiment, and rethink what’s possible in cocktail creation.
MASTERCLASS
We are bringing this exploration to life through a series of masterclasses in Amsterdam, Cognac, London, and Paris. Join us to experience the Flavour Flip method firsthand, share ideas, and taste new perspectives.
Sessions are in English. Places are limited.
EVENTS
AMSTERDAM
4.8.2025
COGNAC
24.9.2025
U.K
October & November 2025
PARIS
Spring 2026
Zoe Burgess, Atelier PiP
Zoe Burgess is the founder of Atelier Pip, one of London’s leading drinks consultancies, with over 15 years’ experience creating cocktails and concepts for bars, restaurants and hotels across the UK and Europe. Her work explores how flavour can tell the stories of the brands she represents – celebrating the people, places and moments that are meaningful to them.
She is Lead Drinks Consultant for The Standard in London and Brussels, overseeing cocktail programmes across multiple venues, including the acclaimed 10th-floor bar, Sweeties, and developing new concepts for the group’s Brussels opening. Zoe has collaborated with clients including Emberwood, Artfarm, Chishuru and Julie’s, with a further project with a Michelin-starred restaurant launching later this year.
She leads the Flavour Flip development programme with Merlet Liqueurs, has hosted presentations at Diageo Bar Academy’s Career Lab, and speaks extensively on no- and low-alcohol cocktail creation. Zoe is the author of The Cocktail Cabinet, nominated for Best New Cocktail Book at Tales of the Cocktail 2023, and was recognised as one of “the five tastemakers changing the London cocktail scene” by Condé Nast Traveller.
Distillerie Merlet & Fils
For five generations, Distillerie Merlet & Fils has been shaping spirits in the Cognac region with patience and precision. In the 1980s, the family expanded into fruit liqueurs, a venture that culminated in the PGI certification of its « Crème de Cassis de Saintonge », a vivid, orchard-to-bottle expression of blackcurrant.
From cassis to a full palette of fruit liqueurs, Merlet is guided by a commitment to purity and clarity of flavor. The family also continues its historic production of Cognac — the house’s original craft— along with whisky, gin, vodka, and rhum, each created with the same dedication to precision and authenticity.
Today, Pierre and Luc Merlet lead the distillery with a spirit of innovation, crafting distinctive, high-quality spirits inspired by tradition.
© FLAVOUR FLIP 2025 – Legal notices – credits : arkt.com