02 Nov Please The Palate Pick of the Week: Singani 63

In the mood for cocktails? Try one with the unique and delicious Singani 63, the Bolivian brandy. Director Steve Soderbergh first tried Singani while making the movie Che in Bolivia and then spent seven years trying to get the spirit imported into the United States. Singani 63 has been in the US for a few years now. It is a wonderful spirit to mix in cocktails and is the Please The Palate pick of the week. Singani was one of Bolivia’s best-kept secrets. A 500-year old indigenous product, Singani, produced since 1530, is a DO (denomination of origin) and a GI (geographical indication) and can only be made in the Bolivian Andes from Muscat of Alexandria grapes planted at a minimum of 5250 feet elevation. Muscat of Alexandria is an aromatic white grape. It is typically used for dessert wines but in Bolivia it is used to produce singani, an unaged distilled spirit. As Singani is not a recognized category outside of Bolivia, it is categorized as a brandy. On its own, Singani 63 is aromatic with a light perfume of florals and grape must. On the nose it is sweet but on the palate it is medium-bodied with a lush mouthfeel and a touch of spice. When it comes to cocktails, I recently enjoyed cocktails at the Ever Bar at the Kimpton Everly Hotel in Hollywood. They feature two cocktails, a punch and a sour, with Singani 63. And in both cocktails, the aromatics of the Singani 63 shine through. Barry (Singani 63, Stolichnaya Vodka, Lemon, Raspberry, Blackberry) Singani Sour (Singani 63, Aperol, Lemon, Cherry Bark Vanilla Bitters, Egg White on a photo of Steven)