How a Chance Encounter on the Set of ‘Che’ Led Steven Soderbergh Into the Bolivian Liquor Business
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It was 2007. Steven Soderbergh was starting to shoot “Che” in Spain when the Bolivian casting director Rodrigo Bellott came armed with a bottle of Singani, the country’s national spirit, to the production kickoff party. At that moment, the “Ocean’s Eleven” director probably didn’t realize he was about to embark on a 16-year odyssey to introduce the traditional liquor to the rest of the world.
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“I had one sip and started grilling him,” Soderbergh, normally a vodka drinker, recalls of his first taste. “It had a unique bouquet and was very active on the palate with no burn.”
The bottle happened to be from Casa Real, a 98-year old distillery with four generations of experience making the country’s favorite tipple. “If it hadn’t have been from Casa Real, I probably wouldn’t have done it,” says Soderbergh.
Soderbergh, who lives part time in Los Angeles, told the story of how he came to launch Singani 63 at a recent dinner at Tesse on the Sunset Strip, featuring a Bolivian-accented tasting menu and cocktail pairings from top L.A. mixologist Julian Cox. The filmmaker’s passion for his side project was evident as he cycled through an array of colorful cocktails while explaining the “special buzz” Singani imparts.
But as the marketing campaign for the liquor says, WTF is Singani?
The clear, aromatic spirit is distilled from Muscat of Alexandria grapes that grow high in the Bolivian mountains after being imported by Spanish missionaries 500 years ago. The 80 proof liquor was originally classified as a brandy when Soderbergh and Casa Real first worked to import it into the United States. But after a hard-fought process with the U.S. government, the hyper-terroir spirit eventually obtained its own category and was given both a Destination of Origin and Geographical Indication.
“In Bolivia, there are bars that serve only Singhani,” Casa Real’s Nicolas Granier explained. One of the only national products exported from Bolivia, it’s made in French copper stills in a process inspired by Cognac. The estate-grown grapes’ thick skins, grown at high altitude with warm days and cool nights, help create a sippable spirity with fruity, floral notes that also works well in a variety of cocktails.
Soderbergh particularly recommends the Singani Negroni, or Singroni: combine 1.5 oz. of Singani 63 with 1 oz. of Sweet Vermouth and 1 oz. Aperol and garnish with an orange twist.
From “Sex, Lies, and Videotape” to “Magic Mike’s Last Dance,” Soderbergh has spent more than 30 years telling all kinds of stories. But with Singani 63 (his birth year), “I enjoy that it’s not my story,” he says. However, bringing it to the U.S., a process which he started in 2014, has not been as smooth as a glass of Singani over ice. After several years of bureaucracy, it was finally recognized as its own spirit category in 2021.
Like the entertainment business, the liquor business can be extremely competitive, with everyone chasing the next big spirit craze. “I got into because I like it and I like turning people onto it, but it’s intense,” Soderbergh admits.
Singani 63 is available in stores including Wally’s, Vendome and Everson Royce in L.A. and at bars and restaurants like Cassia, Bavel and Gwen. In New York, find it at stores and bars including Park Avenue Liquor, Chelsea Wine Cellar, Dos Caminos and Employees Only. Though distribution is largely in the U.S. for now, visitors to “Magic Mike Live!” in London can order cocktails including the “Magic,” with Singani 63, St. Germain and electric dust — because synergy.
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