Back when I had just started at Mission, I hosted a private happy hour on Zoom featuring director Steven Soderbergh and WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash, two friends of mine that I met while drinking what is perhaps the most underrated spirit in the world: Singani 63.
I didn’t really get into the nitty gritty of what Singani was, as I assumed most people who were into booze had heard of it at this point. But seeing that so many new drinkers have entered the fold over the last few years, I think a new introduction may be necessary.
So what is Singani?
It is not just the name of a brand (Singani 63), it is also a completely unique category of alcohol, just like Tequila, Cognac, or Bourbon.
Singani is a product of Bolivia, distilled from Muscat of Alexandria grapes, that drinks like something between an eau de vie and a white rum, yet technically it’s an unaged brandy.
You can use Singani in practically any type of cocktail: as the base in a sour, with ginger beer in a Mule, in a flip, with soda and a twist—the possibilities are endless.
It has a floral, fruity flavor that is somewhat mysterious at first, but grows on you quickly over time.
BUT…here’s the real kicker.
There’s a reason that Steven Soderbergh became obsessed with Singani while shooting the film Che in Bolivia: you can drink it like water, wake up the next day, and feel completely fine.
Don’t ask me why, but it’s absolutely true.
That being said, there’s a beverage law forbidding alcohol brands from talking about the effects of alcohol in their advertising. For example, you can’t say: “our product makes you feel amazing,” or “our liquor gives you the high you’ve been looking for.”
Hence, one of Singani’s most important selling points (in my opinion) is completely off the table for the brand’s marketing department. But that won’t stop me from sharing our stories publicly, as I’m not affiliated with the brand and I can say whatever I want.
What stories are those?
Well, there’s the time that Steven and I hosted a screening of Erin Brockovich at the Alamo Draft House in San Francisco and killed an entire bottle of Singani 63 during the film, then hosted a thirty minute Q&A session immediately after.
I’ve never consumed 375ml of any 80 proof spirit that quickly, and in that quantity, then worked a professional event, then headed to the bar for more cocktails, then woke up feeling completely fine the next day!!!!
There’s also the time that Nash and Steven stayed up drinking Singani 63 all night while watching Team America, and Kevin woke up the next morning to hit the gym feeling completely clear-headed.
But enough of the stories. I’m going to prove it to you this month.
I’m going to drink nothing but Singani 63 on weeknights for the rest of June, with a minimum of three drinks per occasion. Then, I’m going to get up and run three miles on every subsequent morning without a hitch before heading off to work. I’ll bet you I drop five to seven pounds in the process, without sacrificing one iota of pleasure.
To be continued…
-David Driscoll