What an amazing couple of days in INCREDIBLE India! This country never ceases to impress me.

I visited both Mumbai and Delhi during my stay and was lucky enough to judge an Indian themed cocktail competition called ‘Belvedere Rasa,’ where bartenders were inspired by the exotic flavors of the sub-continent. I tasted cocktails made with cardamom, chaat masala, and kokum just to name a few. In the end three winners were chosen from each city and their specialty drinks will be featured on select drink menus for the next couple of months.

And big thanks to Mitalee and Deepika for taking me sari shopping! I now have the perfect outfit to wear to the Indian wedding I’m attending this summer.

It’s been a whirlwind three days here in Hong Kong, one of Asia’s most exciting, and fast paced cities. With it’s non-stop nightlife and 24 hour lifestyle, it reminds me a lot of New York.

My first night in town I was invited to attend the annual MHAP awards that honors excellence in everything from marketing and events, to PR and sales across all Moët Hennessy brands in the Asia Pacific region. Everyone came in national dress from their respective markets, and the big winner of the night was definitely China.

I was also lucky enough to get to work with Eric Stephenson of Lily and Bloom, central Hong Kong’s premiere cocktail bar, to create two signature Belvedere cocktails to be featured on their menu for the next two months. Funnily enough, it turns out that Eric and I actually have lots of friends in common from NYC. It really is a small, small world!

Last night Ho Chi Minh hosted one helluva fashionable party, even if it was only a Monday!

The day started with 20 of the city’s top bartenders competing in a drinks competition to create the ultimate Belvedere cocktail that would not only reflect the brand, but also the tastes of the local Vietnamese market. After trying numerous delicious drinks, I picked three finalists to recreate their recipes at our evening party where the guests decided who took home the grand prize. While all three cocktails were special, Sunshine Vietnam, with it’s exotic blend of ginger, lychee, lemongrass, and Belvedere, naturally, took home the honors.

In addition to the refreshing beverages, guests were also treated to a fashion show by some of Vietnam’s top models. Ooooo la la!

It’s my second time in Ho Chi Minh and the city is even better than I remember it the first time around. The people are some of the most welcoming, the food is incredibly fresh and flavorsome, and the coffee, oh the Vietnamese coffee! Two words, condensed milk. All of that plus the tropical weather and green city scape make this the perfect place to an enjoy a night out with Belvedere.

And so it’s time to bid adieu to the vibrant city of Manila, but not without a proper Belvedere send off, and an extra special thanks to my girl Chi Chi!

Here in sunny, hot (and I mean REALLY hot) Manila, I had the pleasure of training some of the city’s top bartenders at the ultra lush Peninsula Hotel.

Today marks the first day of my epic 3 week long Asian tour that is being documented by a film crew from lifestyleasia.com. The five episode web series will not only feature our lovely Belvedere vodka, but also the nightlife of the vibrant host cities. Stay tuned for more from The Philippines and beyond!

Big thanks to G and the team at La Raza, in Cambridge, for organizing a fun filled day of all things Belvedere. I always love coming over to see these guys as they are super enthusiastic and always make me feel at home. Huge props to George for winning our mini cocktail comp, and big ups to the other four guys who competed as well. Curran, Pope, Rob, and Channy, way to put on a good show!

I had the pleasure of judging a cocktail comp on my last day in Montreal with local drinks aficionado, Fanny, at her bar school and kitchen, Atelier & Saveur. While all of the drinks I tried were excellent, top prize went to Eddy from Lab, for his Belvedere and mango take on a classic sour.

Matt, from the Toronto team, played host at a delicious Belvedere dinner at Pure Spirits. The lovely gals from the Martini Club, Michelle and Laura, chose 4 amazing cocktails to pair with the excellent seafood on offer.

Last week Claire and I hosted twenty Belvedere brand managers from around the world in Warsaw, for a three day brand immersion. As part of the intensive course we also treated everyone to dinner at one of the city’s top restaurant, which they had the pleasure of cooking themselves!