Behind the Bar with Antoine Daniel

Antoine Daniel is independent mixologist and founder of Les Élixirs du Brocanteur, a creative concept blending antique spirit, storytelling, and handcrafted liqueurs. 

How did you get started as a mixologist?

I started mixing as a way to bring history and emotion into the glass. My background in antiques inspired me to create cocktails that feel like memories. Each recipe is a small piece of time preserved in flavor.

How would you describe your personal style as a bartender?

My style combines the charm of forgotten objects with the refinement of flavors. I create drinks that tell stories—poetic, nostalgic, and inspired by the textures of time.

What keeps you passionate about bartending and the hospitality industry?

What keeps me passionate is the connection with people and sharing a story through a drink, creating something that awakens emotion. Bartending is not only about taste, but about atmosphere, memory, and human connection.

What inspires your creativity when crafting new cocktails? 

I draw inspiration from antique objects, forgotten flavors, and the changing seasons of Normandy, France. A fragrance, a texture, or a story found at a flea market can become the heart of a new elixir.

What’s your favorite Fee Brothers product to work with, and why? 

Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate Bitters. It brings depth, warmth, and a nostalgic touch to dark and woody cocktails.

What advice would you give to someone aspiring to become a better mixologist?

Take your time. Let ingredients tell their story. A good cocktail is not just mixed. It’s composed, like a memory.

What is your signature drink, and what makes it special? 

My signature drink is Les Brumes du Cellier. It’s a poetic blend of Fine de Calvados, smoked apple, and herbal notes. It evokes the scent of an old cellar filled with wood, fruit, and time.

Do you have a favorite recipe in which you use Fee Brothers products?

The Brocanteur’s Old Fashioned

• 50 ml Calvados
• 10 ml Maple syrup
• 2 dashes Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate Bitters
• Optional garnish: Orange peel twist, smoked apple, chocolate

Stir with ice and strain into an old-fashioned glass over a large cube. Garnish with chocolate, orange peel and a small piece of smoked apple.

Learn more about Antoine on his website https://leselixirsdubrocanteur.odoo.com or you can find him on Instagram at @les.elixirs.du.brocanteur or @2min.cocktails; on Facebook at Les Élixirs du Brocanteur or 2min.cocktails; on Tiktok at @2min.cocktails; on Youtube at 2min.cocktails.