This Oscar-Successful Director Desires to Make Bolivian Brandy a Blockbuster Success

Down an unassuming stone flight of stairs, a world away from the buzzy U Avenue hall within the nation’s capital, an historic spirit obtained its due final yr.

At her subterranean pop-up cocktail bar Casa Kantuta, Bolivian native Carla Sanchez poured singani — a liquor from her dwelling nation that’s slowly gaining traction within the U.S. Its peripatetic, (literal) Hollywood journey has introduced the elixir from the excessive Andes mountains to the U.S., and direct to Sanchez’s common underground bar that she runs together with her brother (although now closed, Casa Kantuta plans to reopen elsewhere sooner or later). The sibling duo served singani to the D.C. space’s Bolivian diaspora, spirit fanatics, and people interested by a shot of historical past with their craft cocktail.

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Singani — Bolivia’s nationwide drink — is a kind of brandy, or distilled grape spirit operating about 80-proof. This makes singani a relative of pisco (simply don’t say that too loudly close to a bunch of Bolivians). Singani has a fairly strict algorithm: It might probably solely be constructed from the candy white grape muscat of Alexandria, an historic vine that thrives at elevations above 5,200 toes.

It was right here, excessive within the Bolivian Andes, the place the singani story begins greater than 5 centuries in the past. First distilled by Spanish colonial settlers within the sixteenth century, they introduced over their viniferous traditions to South America. At present, singani is lastly making bar inroads throughout the U.S.

“I hope singani turns into vital at extra bars within the metropolis. Like several new spirit, it takes time to realize recognition, however momentum is constructing, and I’m right here to ensure it retains rising,” says Sanchez. Her want is coming to fruition. Providencia on H Avenue NE, Eater DC’s 2024 Bar of the Yr, at present pours a Nube Morada — a cocktail of royal-purple hues derived from taro root, shaken with singani and aquafaba to show frothy.

Downtown LA’s Parisian-styled salon the Wolves can also be a singani proselytizer. “Many individuals nonetheless haven’t heard of (singani),” says beverage director Isaac Mejia. “Not solely is it a wealthy illustration of Bolivia’s tradition and historical past, however I imagine it represents the following evolution in cocktails. Persons are thirsty for one thing new, recent and thrilling. Singani is certainly not new, (however) pretty new to the shoppers.”

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5 hundred years after it first appeared, singani stays deeply embedded in Bolivian tradition and traditions. Fourth-generation singani producer Luis Pablo Granier of the Casa Actual model says that the spirit’s altitudinous terroir provides singani its distinct floral, fragrant profile.

“Think about a spirit with the floral magnificence of gin, the smoothness of vodka, and the character of brandy, but completely distinctive as a result of its expressiveness,” he notes.

His household has produced singani since 1925, and Casa Actual is now the most important producer within the nation. Not too long ago, Casa Actual discovered success in increasing its footprint within the U.S. in a revolutionary Hollywood style.

Whereas taking pictures the movie That in Bolivia, quickly after his early 2000s hits like Ocean’s Eleven and Visitors got here out, Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh first tasted singani — and fell in love. A bottle of Casa Actual’s Black Label landed in his fingers, and Soderbergh was hooked. He sought a partnership to import and by no means regarded again, founding his personal label, Singani 63.

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Based on Soderbergh’s daughter, Sarah, who runs Singani 63 operations, “navigating bringing this new spirit to the U.S. isn’t for the faint of coronary heart.” It took Soderbergh six years to wind by way of authorities rules to get import approval — and went on to spend a further eight lengthy years making use of for after which receiving a TTB designation that acknowledged Bolivian singani as a novel and particular sort of brandy that’s separate from generic or different sorts of brandy. He achieved the milestone simply in 2023. (Bolivia acknowledged bourbon whiskey and Tennessee whiskey as distinctive merchandise of the U.S. in a little bit of culinary-diplomatic quid professional quo.)

“Nevertheless it labored — singani is now its personal spirit class. What can I say? Singani’s price it,” says the youthful Soderbergh, whose dad launched American spy thriller Black Bag this spring (and was unavailable for remark).

“Singani is a novel spirit in quite a lot of methods,” she says. “It really works independently or it really works with a staff. Neat or on the rocks is normally one of the best ways to start out out, since you expertise the complete spectrum.” Singani works with Casa Actual to distill its spirits bought within the U.S. “You possibly can inform how the precise terroir and distillation course of convey out the extra delicate notes like orange blossom and white pepper,” says Soderbergh.

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In Bolivia, singani tipplers typically maintain it easy. The most well-liked method to say “salud” with singani is the beloved, common Chuflay cocktail: a shot of singani over ice with ginger ale in a highball, plus a slice of lemon. “It’s easy, refreshing, and straightforward,” says Sanchez.

Within the states, extra mixologists are spreading their inventive wings.

“One in every of my favorites at Casa Kantuta is El Tio, a daring, singani-based cocktail just like a Negroni,” says Sanchez.

The Wolves’ Allow them to Discuss cocktail options mushroom, lavender, celery, cream sherry, and recent lemon. “I describe this to prospects as it’ll take you on a flavorful rollercoaster,” says Mejia.

Miami can also be a scorching spot slinging singani. “The roots, technique, and distinctive course of to create singani makes an exquisite, one among a form tasting expertise,” says Bar Kaiju’s head bartender Joe Canton.

There, he crafts a cocktail known as Muki. Named after a Bolivian kaiju (the Japanese time period for monster) folklore, “Muki makes use of the pure tannin and complex tasting notes of singani whereas infusing it with edible clays,” he says. He then provides a porcini mushroom-infused candy vermouth, rhubarb amaro, house-made espresso bitters, and a mushroom cacao mud to garnish the glass.

For Canton, singani represents “the flavour of Bolivia, the work of the terroir and soil, and soul of the nation.”

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