Right in that sweet spot, before temperatures dropped and while leaves were still a gorgeous array of colors, Belvedere brought a group of journalists out to Warsaw to get a taste of what they're all about. The trip started with a journey into the city's architectural world and contemporary art scene, contextualizing Belvedere so that we could understand not only who they are as a company, but why they are that way to begin with. After a walk through Old Town and a trek into a number of museums and art galleries, the answer became quite clear: Belvedere is all about craftsmanship and is continuously informed by a rich heritage that has mastered the art of embracing change. Sure, they love tradition, but they're not interested in letting that keep them in the past. They move with the times, and actually, working with pop culture names we know and love, like Gabriette, is what sets them apart.
On the first night of my trip to Poland with Belvedere, we tried a myriad of cocktails that left me ravenous. The lychee, passionfruit, and jalapeño martinis were all standouts. Important to note: I hate tequila; I’m very pro-vodka, which is another reason I was the perfect person for this. The jalapeño martini was exactly what I wanted in a margarita alternative, adding a little kick and subverting expectations of a vodka-based drink. But what really took the cake for me was the espresso martini. I was looking forward to it, not only because Belvedere had teamed up with Gabriette for the release of the Dirty Brew, their coffee bean-infused vodka, but also because it was being whispered about like it was some God-like thing.
“How did you get that?” writers at the dinner table asked. We’d just concluded a conversation on Charles Bukowski poetry and also this trend of toe-accentuation in fashion and how journalists need to expand the conversation there, both of which were started by me. The espresso martini wasn’t served at the cocktail hour before our first dinner, which made it all the more enticing. I had high hopes for what this coveted drink might taste like. It exceeded my expectations by far. I hate for this to sound like a commercial, but genuinely, sipping that espresso martini was like licking a coffee-flavored ice cream cone. Delish.
On the second day, we got to investigate the magical powers of Belvedere and figure out what exactly made those lychee and passionfruit martinis so good. After a gorgeous drive through the Autumn trees of Żyrardów and out of the city center of Warsaw, we found ourselves in a quietly tucked-away world of distilleries, where we discovered that harvesting, mashing, and fermenting are the core processes that rye has to go through to turn into a shot of vodka. And with that, shots of vodka were handed out to everyone. Some downed them, some sipped, and some simply sniffed, having had a long night of lychee martinis.
Later that night, everyone was brought out to Nobu, where caviar was bumped all night, as were tunes. Bread soup, miso cod, smoked wagyu, and an endless supply of cocktails pre-gamed the main course of the night: an after-dark dance party. The room rang with music, and suddenly dinner guests were on their feet, energized by the experience and dancing ‘til the night came to a close, because that's exactly what Belvedere does to you. It makes you want to get up and dance with the guy next to you until the sun comes up again.
