An Inspired Chat with Christophe Pienkowski of Beverly Hills

We recently had the chance to connect with Christophe Pienkowski and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Christophe, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
The relationships I’ve started to build with my customers through my new venture, EPHEMERE LOS ANGELES, as an ”on-call brand ambassador, wine and spirit consultant” . Just like when I was working with huge companies and liquor brands, it’s always a real pleasure to build this, little by little, patiently, with empathy, passion and enthusiasm !

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
For nearly 20 years, I’ve been a Chef, working in different parts of the world sometimes (France, UK, US, Asia…). This passion started when I was a little kid with my grand-mothers in France. Both were excellent Chefs ! I basically decided that I’d be a Chef one day at the age of 8 ! As I was working as a Chef for a famous liquor brand in France, I was asked by my boss if I’d like to transition to the role of brand ambassador for Asia and Europe. After a lot of thinking, I said ”yes” and started this new career ! In that role, I visited a lot of countries around the world and met a lot of people, from very different cultures, made a ton of friends and gathered incredible experiences and memories ! After a very challenging half-year 2025, both personally and professionally, I decided that it was time for me to start my own thing, and with the help of Jeanne Daney (creative and strategic associate) , I’ve launched EPHEMERE LOS ANGELES. In that new role, I empower spirit and wine brands to grow through curated advocacy, strategic placements and meaningful market relationships.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
Even though I was a big dreamer as a kid, a very unfocused and easily distracted one indeed, I believed that I had to limit myself to what felt ”safe”. Later on, especially when I started to do what I really liked, studying in a French culinary school, I realized that I didn’t have to ”follow a set path” , and that life was, in fact, full of possibilities !

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
First, it taught me to be grateful of what I had, what I already had achieved . Then humility of course. And above all, that nothing is guaranteed in life ! That’s why you have to enjoy each day like it was the last one !

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
I would say this, there’s a huge shift in the liquor and wine business right now, and it’s global ! All the big players in that industry still believe that the way people consume alcohol today will remain the same as it has in the past. That assumption no longer reflects current realities. We can see that right now with the Gen Z. They still can enjoy wines or liquor, but with much more moderation than previous generations. And for them , now it’s all about the experience they’re going to have with the brands.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. When do you feel most at peace?
Very early in the morning, while taking my coffee, thinking about all the exciting things that are going to happen (or not!) during the day. Nevertheless, I’ll try to make the most of it ! Nothing is written yet, so everything’s possible !

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ephemerelosangeles.com/
• Instagram: @ephemere_losangeles
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christophe-pienkowski-b98500a3
• Facebook: Ephemere Los Angeles