Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Robert J. Cooper, Founder Of St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur, Dead At 39
Robert J. Cooper (Photo courtesy of Bacardi Ltd.)
The founder of the popular bar essential St-Germain elderflower liqueur died earlier this week.Robert J. Cooper, who introduced the hugely popular St-Germain liqueur to the cocktail world in 2007, died on Monday in Santa Barbara at the age of 39, the New York Times confirms. Known as a bit of a maverick, even within his own family, Cooper was an astute marketer who helped shape and predict trends in the liquor industry. The cause of his death was not immediately known.
Considered the "bartender's ketchup" for St-Germain's pervasiveness across the industry, Cooper helped bring the now-ubiquitous ingredient to prominence despite the doubts of his father, a liqueur magnate. Cooper's family owns the cordials and liqueurs company Charles Jacquin et Cie, founded by his grandfather and known for introducing the French raspberry liqueur Chambord. His father had no interest in Cooper's proposal to make an elderflower liqueur, and so he set out on his own only to find huge success.
St-Germain, recognizable by its Art Deco-styled bottle and distinct golden hue, is made from hand-picked elderflower blossoms that bloom for only a month during the spring in France. It's been celebrated as one of the most influential new cocktail ingredients of the past decade. To promote the liqueur, Cooper recruited the help of influential mixologists, hosted cross-country guest bartender exchanges and hired prominent bartenders as brand ambassadors according to the Times.
Cooper sold St-Germain to Bacardi in 2012 for an undisclosed sum. He then went on to bring back bar ingredients forgotten by time like Crème Yvette, a berry-violet liqueur, and Hochstadter’s Slow & Low, similar to the 19th-century drink rock and rye.
Cooper was born in New York on Aug. 3, 1976, and graduated from University of California, Santa Barbara with a degree in English and creative writing.
He is survived by his wife and two children.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
