Will Krepop's Le Soleil Cocktail
The Winning Drink in Le Moné's "Bring the Sunshine" Cocktail Competition
Today’s LAST CALL dispatch is available to all readers thanks to the generous support of Le Moné.
Let The Sunshine In!
Recently, VinePair and Le Moné hosted the “Bring the Sunshine” Cocktail Competition, inviting professional bartenders to craft a light and sessionable cocktail using Le Moné’s signature bright and citrus-forward Meyer Lemon Apéritif to invoke the feeling of a warm spring day for the chance to win up to $3,000 and a trip to the Finger Lakes in upstate New York.
I was honored to be among the judging panel for the final competition and spent the day at the VinePair offices in NYC to meet the Five Finalists, who each made their featured cocktails while describing the inspiration behind their original drinks. Each submission was made with creativity and passion, and after careful deliberation, I had the honor of announcing the final results later that night at a spirited cocktail party attended by members of the hospitality industry.
Among the talented five Finalists (Bobbi Adler, Michael Aredes, Jane Boeve, Will Krepop, and Emily Pegoda), Will Krepop was crowned the winner with his Le Soleil (“The Sun”), a French breakfast-inspired crusher whose citrus-forward profile will carry you from spring straight through to the end of summer. Second Runner-Up was the Crimson Sunset from Michael Aredes, and the First Runner-Up was the Southern Sun by Jane Boeve.
Congratulations to the Final Five and thanks again to VinePair and Le Moné for allowing me to be a part of the competition. Read on to check out the winning recipe for Le Soleil and a Q&A with “Bring the Sunshine” Cocktail Competition winner Will Krepop.
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Use promo code LASTCALL24 to save $10.00 off your purchase of Le Moné. Limit one use per customer.
Recipe: Le Soleil
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(Makes 1 Drink)
1-1/2 ounces Le Moné Meyer Lemon Aperitif
1/2 ounce Croissant-Infused VSOP Cognac (recipe below)
1/2 ounce Lemon Juice
3/4 ounce Lemon Curd
1/4 ounce Almond Milk
Garnish: Grated Lemon Zest, Slivered Toasted Almonds
Combine the ingredients in a shaker. Add 10-12 small pieces of pebble ice or crushed ice and whip-shake until ice is fully melted.
Pour into into a chilled footed pilsner glass or large tumbler filled with pebble ice or crushed ice.
Top off the glass with more pebble ice or crushed ice to form a "crown.”
Garnish with grated lemon zest and slivered toasted almonds.
Croissant Infused VSOP Cognac
Combine 300ml Cognac with 1 torn up croissant and 50g brown butter in a Ziploc bag and seal almost all of the way shut.
Dip into water to force the rest of the air out and seal completely shut.
Cook in a water bath for two hours at 130 degrees Fahrenheit.
After 2 hours, immerse bag into ice bath and allow infusion to cool.
Once cool, add all the contents to a blender and pulse to fully combine.
Place infusion in the freezer overnight to allow fat to solidify.
Fine-strain the infusion through a coffee filter until clarified.
Add 50ml Amontillado Sherry and keep in the fridge for up to three weeks.
Talking with Will Krepop
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Will Krepop, Lead Bartender at Lillistar at The Moxy Williamsburg, has tended bar and run bar programs around the world, including Australia, New Zealand, Europe, The Caribbean, and now New York City. “I've learned a lot from all the different cultures and experiences, and hope that reflects in my drink-making and service style today,” says Krepop.
How would you describe your personal style or point of view as a bartender?
Will: I truly like to think about what the guest is expecting, and what we are looking to achieve, and then work backwards from there. I'm very big on "identity." What is the identity of our venue, our menu, our neighborhood, and how do our drinks or service fulfill that identity? This allows me to hone in on what I'm looking to achieve with a drink and kind of allows everything else to fall in place in my mind. Identifying key words or concepts like "whimsical", "approachable," what have you, allows me to narrow in creatively on what it is I'm trying to achieve and block out the rest of the noise. Otherwise it feels like there's just endless possibilities and I don't even know where to begin.
What do you particularly like about Le Moné?
Will: It’s nuanced, but present. It’s light on its feet but at the same time you feel it in a drink. It’s there without being overpowering. The fact that its low in sugar means you can get a lot of flavor without blowing out the balance of a drink. Oftentimes liqueurs are super sweet and I'm like, "I want more of this flavor but by adding more there's just too much sugar that throws everything out of whack."
What was the process like for you to create an original cocktail using Le Moné, and what was the main inspiration behind your Le Soleil cocktail?
Will: Once I decided on my inspiration being one of my favorite foods, the drink came together fast. Croissants with any sort of jam were a go-to of mine when living in France. Lemon curd, in particular, is incredible, and pairing those flavors with Le Moné Meyer Lemon Aperitif just seemed like a no brainer. Sometimes drinks take forever. Fortunately, this was not one of those times.
What are some ways you'd encourage home bartenders to use Le Moné this summer in mixed drinks and cocktails?
Will: Mix it with anything bubbly you have on hand. It’s got all the nuance and character you need—you don't need to overthink it. Truly. It would be a great base in some low-ABV citrus based cocktails. I could also see it filling in beautifully for Triple Sec in a more dry-style Margarita, cause everyone loves a Margarita.
Our thanks to Le Moné for underwriting today’s LAST CALL dispatch.
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Ordered and used the Last Call discount code. Thanks, Brad!
I met Will for the first time a few weeks ago at Lillistar. What fun that was! His drinks were excellent—balanced and fun.