Cointreau Launches Second Annual Cosmos for a Cause

Cointreau, the premium French liqueur, announces year two of "Cosmos for a Cause," a program supporting the Independent Restaurant Coalition (IRC) that invites consumers to join the fight to save local restaurants and bars across the US.

Set to run between October 15 and December 31, Cointreau will donate a portion of proceeds for each Cosmopolitan ordered, up to $100,000, to the IRC. This year, with another layer of support for the industry, the Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC) will match Cointreau's contribution.

In 2020, more than 90,000 restaurants permanently closed due to the pandemic. Now, about a year and a half into the COVID-19 crisis, nearly one million restaurant workers remain unemployed, and the increased cost of goods are continuing to cut into restaurants' profitability. Through this program, Cointreau, the IRC and RDNC will join forces to continue to support and rebuild the industry.

"We are proud to once again partner with IRC in support of our local and independent restaurants and excited to welcome RNDC to the program," said Ian McLernon, President and CEO of Rémy Cointreau Americas. "Local bars and restaurants are part of the fabric that makes up our much-loved communities. As such, Rémy Cointreau is honored and committed to helping support the people behind them as best as we can."

Consumers will be able to participate using the Cosmopolitan Heat Map debuting at www.CointreauCosmosForACause.com today, to visit one of the over 1,200 participating bars and restaurants nationwide and by tagging #Cosmosforacause and @cointreau_us in their Instagram posts.

Chef and IRC founding member Tom Colicchio is also offering exclusive spins on The Cosmopolitan at his restaurants in New York City including JoJo's Cointreau Cosmo, a spiced, frothy rendition on the classic. Those not local to the New York area can mix it up right from home with the recipe below.

"Independent bars and restaurants are an integral part of our holiday traditions," said Erika Polmar, Executive Director of the Independent Restaurant Coalition. "Our local small businesses need our support. As people begin to gather with friends and family at their favorite local watering holes and eateries, we are also supporting the people and communities that depend on them. We're so grateful to continue our longstanding partnership with Cointreau as we introduce this program for the second year in a row."

To learn more about how you can get involved, visit www.CointreauCosmosForACause.com and follow Cointreau on Instagram/Twitter via @Cointreau_US or Facebook via @cointreau_US.

The Classic Cosmopolitan

INGREDIENTS

1 oz Cointreau
2 oz Vodka
1 oz Cranberry Juice
1 oz Fresh Lime Juice

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe or cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

JoJo's Cointreau Cosmo

Tom Colicchio's Exclusive Cosmopolitan Recipe

INGREDIENTS

.75 oz Cointreau
2 oz Vodka
.5 oz Lime Juice
.5 oz chai ginger syrup (instructions below)
.75 oz Egg Whites
2 dashes of Cranberry Bitters

INSTRUCTIONS

To make chai ginger syrup: Stir ½ cup sugar and ½ cup of water in a saucepan over the stove until sugar is dissolved and mixture is hot. While still hot, add 1 chai tea bag and one tablespoon of fresh minced ginger. Let steep for 10 minutes, strain and cool.

To mix cocktail: Add egg whites, lime juice, chai ginger syrup and cranberry bitters to a shaker. Shake without ice for about 15 seconds. Add Cointreau, vodka and ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.

About Cointreau

Cointreau is the iconic orange liqueur at the heart of more than 500 of the world's most celebrated cocktails, including The Original Margarita, The Cosmopolitan, and The Sidecar. The House of Cointreau was founded in 1849 in Angers, France, where Edouard Cointreau perfected the recipe. Blended with sweet and bitter orange peels, Cointreau has a unique, balanced flavor beloved by mixologists and bartenders worldwide.

To learn more about Cointreau, visit www.cointreau.com or follow Cointreau on Instagram/Twitter via @Cointreau_US or Facebook via @cointreauUS.

About Rémy Cointreau

All around the world, there are clients seeking exceptional experiences; clients for whom a wide range of terroirs means a variety of flavors. Their exacting standards are proportional to our expertise ? the finely-honed skills that we pass down from generation to generation. The time these clients devote to drinking our products is a tribute to all those who have worked to develop them. It is for these men and women that Rémy Cointreau, a family-owned French Group, protects its terroirs, cultivates exceptional multi-centenary spirits and undertakes to preserve their eternal modernity. The Group's portfolio includes 12 unique brands: Rémy Martin and Louis XIII cognacs, Cointreau liqueur, METAXA Greek spirit, Mount Gay rum, St-Rémy brandy, The Botanist gin, and our collection of single-malt whiskies (Bruichladdich, Port Charlotte and Octomore from Islay, Westland from Seattle and Domaine des Hautes Glaces from the French Alps). Rémy Cointreau has a single ambition: becoming the world leader in exceptional spirits. To this end, it relies on the commitment and creativity of its 1,900 employees and on its distribution subsidiaries established in the Group's strategic markets. Rémy Cointreau is listed on Euronext Paris.

About the Independent Restaurant Coalition (IRC)

The Independent Restaurant Coalition was formed by chefs and independent restaurant owners across the country who have built a grassroots movement to secure vital protections for the nation's 500,000 independent restaurants and the more than 11 million restaurant workers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

About Republic National Distributing Company

RNDC, a world-class distributor of fine wines, spirits and CBD in North America, has operations in the District of Columbia and 37 states across the United States. To learn more, visit www.rndc-usa.com.