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Our story
From the label of Henry IV to revamFrench spirits.
An obsession that has become expertise
Guillaume Bonnefoi's journey
How a childhood passion for wine labels is trying to shake things up
the world of French spirits. From 8-year-old collector to founder of Dare and Drink.
1990's
Love at first sight at 8y old
“Not a grand cru, not a legendary château.
Just a label that triggers everything."
It all started with a bolt of lightning. Guillaume Bonnefoi was 8 years old when he came across a label: " Henri IV's whey ."
The child becomes obsessed. He collects, classifies, studies - 1,000 labels later, a revelation: each bottle tells a story.
This intuition will never leave him.
2000's
Formation et passion
Passion becomes method:
Wine merchants, tasting school, then Château Margaux. Guillaume learned the codes of French excellence there.
The lessons are clear: absolute rigor, surgical marketing, intimate customer relations.
"Finally, I complete my vision with an experience on the other side of the world: South Africa."
2010's
L'école du monde
“I learn something in every market, and every country reveals a facet of accessible luxury.”
12 years as export sales director for a French family business: Middle East, Africa, Southern Europe... Guillaume meets so many personalities and businesses with unusual approaches:
the mix of cultures around wine
Expertise is sharpening, vision is becoming clearer.
2013 - 2018
London's calling
At 25, Guillaume was entrusted with the management of the UK office. It was there, for six intense years, that Guillaume observed the gin revolution: this wave affected all markets.
Women are ditching their Chardonnays for gorgeous, colorful, fruity, botanical G&Ts.
At the same time, Provence rosés are a hit across the Channel.
"What if we created the first Dry gin rosé from Provence with herbs from Provence and a light rosé like the wines of our region."
2019
Foundation of Dare + Drink
Guillaume returns with a mission: to create the first French gin with a terroir identity. Not a London Dry made in France, but a gin that tells the story of France and Provence.
The alchemy is at work. Guillaume applies the codes of wine to gin to launch MISTRALGIN: guaranteed origin, artisanal know-how, ultra-short supply chain.*
2022
Bartavelle's kick off
“Confinement forges the Dare and Drink identity: spirits that are understood even before they are drunk.”
Covid: The Daring Opportunity: Bars closed, distribution at a standstill. Guillaume isn't panicking. He's innovating: If you can no longer taste before buying, you have to seduce at first sight. Impactful packaging, immediate storytelling, clear promise.
In the end, it's a masterful work. Guillaume tests, macerates, and distills each local fruit with his partners.
Each assembly is thought out
like a food and wine pairing.
* At the end of 2024, MISTRAGIN was sold to SWIT Company, based in Switzerland, which now leads the brand's destiny.
French daring !
Today, Dare and Drink embodies this vision: French spirits, local soul, accessible luxury: a touch of French madness in a world of standardized spirits.