Ali 2011 Belvedere Dream Job Winner

Just back from yet another great company meeting, this time in Cognac, with the good folks from Latin America, South America, Middle East, Africa and Canada. All I can say is WOW, do these guys know how to party! These yearly meetings are a great chance for everyone from all over the world to get together and share all the global Belvedere highlights, as well as put faces to names we often only see in email. Plus, let me just say, Team Belvedere is full of lots of cool people!

As most of you reading this blog probably know, Imbibe is a trade magazine that provides us bar geeks with all the latest info about drink trends, recipes, who’s who, etc. It’s also a useful tool for those of you not in the business who may want to throw a very impressive cocktail party and wow all of your friends.

This year was the 2^nd Annual Imbibe Live trade show at Earl’s Court in London where over 7,000 trade buyers visited and more than 1000 brands exhibited. Of course Belvedere was there to represent, and quite stylishly if I do say so myself. Check out some pictures from the event and gawk over the beautiful stand designed with the help of the visionary Nick Ambridge, Senior UK Brand Manager.

I’m exhausted. It’s been a long couple of weeks on the road. This one’s going to be short and sweet because let’s be honest, pictures speak louder than words.

But before I go, thanks to everyone at RMM Europe, it feels great to be part of such a cool company that we have yearly marketing meetings in Champagne! Thanks once again to the awesome staff at the Belvedere Hotel in Mykonos for once again hosting me and allowing me to “entertain” your patient guests enjoying their Nobu sushi. And a huge thank you to Malu and team Netherlands for showing me parts of the country I never knew existed. Finally, thanks to Pieter Van Veldhoven in Maastricht for being the most awesome barback a girl could ask for. By the way, my boyfriend loved the Vespa keyring so thanks for the suggestion Pieter ;)

Enjoy the photos everyone!

For those skeptics out there who assume I am some kind of homeless nomad hopping around the globe, jumping from one hotel and bar to the next, I would like to clear up the rumors by stating that I do have a home base, London. Yes it’s true that I see my flat mate 5 days a month if I’m lucky (Hi Harry!) and he has accused me of being some kind of international super spy (shhhhhhh don’t tell), but since March, when I left my dearest love on the other side of the Atlantic (New York City you’ll always be my #1), I am pleased to say that I quite like calling London my (second) home.

And while London may be the cocktail epicenter for the UK and according to some, the whole of Europe, I am happy to report that the rest of this Great United Kingdom (of Britain…switched it around on you there!) is not far behind. Earlier this year I visited the South of the country, from Brighton to Bristol, Cambridge to Cardiff and even Cornwall, and was blown away by the level of cocktail expertise I witnessed. The guys and gals over at Above Audio in Brighton wowed me with their use of Belvedere’s Macerations + mystery ingredients, while the dudes at 8 Bar down in Cornwall were so knowledgeable about Belvedere they could have trained me!

Just last week I got the opportunity to explore the North when I checked out Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham. Scotland was nothing short of beautiful and the cocktails I enjoyed at the Blythswood Hotel in Glasgow were nothing short of amazing. Back in England, I judged an incredible team competition at Epernay in Manchester (huge props to Nate Booker for all the hard work!), with the boys from Socio Rehab taking home the grand prize and visited the newest venue from bartender/bar owner extraordinaire, Jake Burger in Leeds. And I can’t forget to give a shout out to the boys in Birmingham.

Peace, Love, and Belvedere.

Some of you may be wondering, where does this Belvedere Vodka she keeps talking about come from? And what’s it all about? I mean sure it’s delicious and comes in a beautiful bottle, but who makes the stuff and what can I do with it?

Well, here are some fast facts and quick tips about the vodka we all know and love:

BIRTHPLACE: Zyrardow, Poland

RAW MATERIAL: 100% Dankowskie Rye

BUILDING ON THE BOTTLE: The Presidential Belweder Palace in Warsaw

HOW SHOULD I ENJOY IT: There are many ways to enjoy Belvedere, but why not shake up a twist on the classic Cosmopolitan, the Belvedere Pink Cosmo. After all, it was good enough for Carrie and the girls! 

Belvedere Pink Cosmo

1.5 oz Belvedere Pink Grapefruit
¼ oz Triple Sec (orange liqueur)
¼ oz lime juice
½ oz Cranberry juice

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. 
Garnish with a pink grapefruit twist.

Oh right, so who does make the stuff? Alongside my boss, the incomparable Claire Smith (she’ll be mentioned a lot in this blog so may as well introduce her now), the good folks over at our distillery, Polmos Zyrardow, are the ones to thank for producing such an unsurpassed and remarkable libation.

I recently went to visit the crew over in Poland to teach them how to make a few simple cocktails and was pleasantly surprised to find that these guys knew a bit more than they were letting on! Check out the snaps below to see Agnieszka and the gang mixing up the aforementioned Belvedere Pink Cosmo as well as a few other simple serves.

From sunny Greece to just as sunny and picturesque Austria!

With Gesa and the rest of MH Austria (what an awesome team!) as my hosts, I enjoyed traditional Austrian cuisine in Salzburg, as well as gorgeous views of those hills made famous by Maria and the gang. I also had the pleasure of checking out a bit of Vienna’s cocktail scene, (Halbestadt Bar anyone?!) before venturing over to owner, Erich Wassicek’s, private supper club inside Vienna’s very first speakeasy. His gracious wife cooked a delicious five-course dinner while Erich shook up a different Belvedere cocktail, of his own creation no less, to pair with each course. The food, drinks, and the hospitality made for one unforgettable experience.

Oh! And I was even lucky enough to shake a cocktail beside Erich himself. Thanks for the memories.

So, since starting this job 4 months ago, I’ve had the pleasure of visiting many beautiful countries and meeting many wonderful people. Without playing favorites (I love all of you equally!), I have to say that Greece has been a real highlight for me. It was my first time visiting this breathtaking and historic country and not only was the food fantastic, but the hospitality and gorgeous weather really blew me away.

A big thanks to Melina, Harris and all of the MH team for a fantastic training in Athens and to all the excellent bartenders who attended the training and brought their A-game to the competition element of the day, a hearty congrats. Sorry my Greek is a little rusty, I promise to brush up on that for next time!

I also had the pleasure of visiting the gorgeous isle of Mykonos, which, while a little windy, was everything I hoped it would be. For those of you planning a visit soon, be sure to check out the Belvedere Hotel situated right in the town center. Not only does this fabulous boutique hotel share our namesake, but, you can (surprise, surprise!) enjoy some delicious Belvedere cocktails poolside. Ask Yiannis, the excellent barman, for a popcorn sour. Thanks Nikolas and the entire hotel staff for the warm hospitality.

Enjoy the photos, I’m off to bed.

Kalinihta!

Blogs have always struck me as a funny sort of thing. Both personal and public, they can be informative, entertaining or just vain, and if you do it right, all three! It used to be that you wrote a journal as a means of recording your innermost thoughts and emotions, whether you were simply working through some stuff by putting pen to paper or preserving your great existence for posterity, the point was to keep it private. But, like Polaroids, punctuation, and (practically) Polar Bears, privacy has become extinct. In the information age, it’s all about exposure, over exposure in most cases. As much as I relish the thought of seeing Snooki and the gang go tanning, reading the latest issue of Us Weekly, or watching The Royal Wedding for the fifth time, (my God that Kate Middleton has a tiny waist!), I’m sure there is something productive I could be doing. And so, rather than sit here and privately contemplate the aforementioned productivity, I thought I’d just blog about it!

Like all good blogs, I’ll try my best to provide you, dear reader, with the trifecta: Information—Did you know that mice lay eggs? Really, they do, a wise man once told me. Entertainment—Please see the clip of Japanese Binocular Football at the end of this post. And of course, Vanity—Today I woke up, had a shower, enjoyed a warm cup of PG Tips and went to the gym. Ok, that last bit about the gym was a lie; I’m not one for working out indoors…or very often for that matter.

But seriously, rather than bore you with minute details of my day or regale you with false trivia (really had you going with that thing about the mice though didn’t I?!), I’ll try to keep it lighthearted and stick to what I know best, booze. As much of my time is spent on planes, trains, and (in) automobiles, I’ll have plenty of time to update you on the world’s best bars, as well as the best new talent in said bars, plus new drink recipes, and of course, the finest of libations, Belvedere Vodka.

Na Zdrowie!