How a Chance Encounter on the Set of ‘Che’ Led Steven Soderbergh Into the Bolivian Liquor Business
variety.comPat Saperstein Deputy Editor If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission.
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. “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.
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