The name Steven Soderbergh may not be familiar to everyone, but his films certainly will be. The multi award-winning US director, screenwriter and producer is behind some of the biggest box office hits of the 21st century. They include the Ocean’s trilogy, Erin Brockovich, Magic Mike and the highly acclaimed Traffic, for which he won an Academy Award as Best Director.
But alongside filmmaking, Steven has something of a side hustle, developing the spirits brand Singani 63. The spirit’s London launch was celebrated at an event in Hawksmoor Borough at the start of September. Steven was joined by Sarah Soderbergh, his daughter and the brand’s director of marketing, for a tasting of mouthwatering Singani 63-based cocktails.
Starting out
Steven explains the origin of the project. ‘In 2007, singani wasn’t legally available outside of Bolivia. We had a start-up party for Che [the 2008 film biopic about the legendary Argentinian revolutionary, Che Guevara, which he directed] and the Bolivian casting director gifted me a bottle of singani… instead of a t-shirt!’ he laughs.
‘I really didn’t know what I was getting into, but I loved it. That was the beginning,’ he adds.
Seven years later, in January 2014, the Singani 63 brand finally launched in the US market. The name references Steven’s birth year. He says: ‘I gave myself a year at it. If the “canaries in the coal mine” didn’t support it, then I was out.’
Those ‘canaries’ were the top echelons of the New York bartending scene. They included Jim Meehan from PDT, the legendary speakeasy bar located in the East Village. Meehan loved the spirit and put it on the bar menu immediately.
What is singani?
Considered Bolivia’s national spirit, singani is to Bolivia what pisco is to Chile and Peru. It’s an eau-de-vie – a clear, grape-based spirit – made exclusively from the Muscat of Alexandria grape, a variety that has grown above 1,600m elevation in the Bolivian Andes for nearly 500 years.
‘The Muscat of Alexandria grapes give that distinct floral bomb on the nose,’ explains Sarah. ‘The grapes must be grown at a minimum elevation of 1,600m, in a small, designated area of Bolivia that is a fraction of the size of the Cognac region. The high altitude contributes to the aromatic quality.’
Harvesting Muscat of Alexandria grapes in Bolivia. Credit: Singani 63
She adds: ‘The spirit is distilled at a lower temperature on Cognac-style [alembic] stills. We get a lot of comparisons to “gin without the juniper”. Or some of the lighter vegetal notes in rum and tequila.’
The Singani 63 brand is produced by the family-owned Casa Real Distillery, exclusively from estate fruit – a point that Steven is rightly proud of. ‘It’s a very polyphonic experience,’ he explains. ‘Like a chord as opposed to just a single note on the palate.’
How to drink singani
Sipping Singani 63 neat, you’ll notice a nose of fresh orchard fruit (green apple, aromatic grape and nectarine), a touch of perfumed jasmine and honey suckle, alongside a slightly drier hint of liquorice root. The palate is very fresh and fruity, with ripe peach, a touch of parma violet, gala melon and bright citrus zest, along with some more aromatic Asian spices. On the finish, the freshness continues to linger, with a touch of green apple skin and lychee fruit continuing to coat the mouth.
The brand’s signature cocktails include a refreshing and creamy Silver Tip Sour (see below), made with jasmine cordial, apple eau-de-vie, lemon and Peychaud’s Bitters. Or try it in a floral, clean, classic Martini with Cocchi vermouth and a lemon twist.
The spirit’s versatility explains its increasing popularity across the US. Steven hopes that will soon happen in the UK market too. The Soderberghs are planning further cultural events in the UK over the next year.
‘I completely stumbled upon this Bolivian secret,’ says Soderbergh. ‘It’s hard to launch a new spirits brand. But I feel like the guy who went to an estate sale saying, “I really like that little painting.” And you take it home and someone’s like, “Dude… that’s a Rothko!”’
Singani 63, Alc 40%, £30.95/75cl, The Whisky Exchange
Silver Tip Sour
Curated by Franco Monti at Hawksmoor
Ingredients:
40ml Singani 63
5ml Manzana Verde
5ml apple eau-de-vie
5ml sugar syrup
25ml jasmine cordial
10ml vegan foamer or 10ml egg white
20ml lemon juice
2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
Method: Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice, shake and strain into a coupette glass, garnish with a flower and Peychaud mist.