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notes: floral, vegetal, and a little bit of Soderbergh found the whole process so
white pepper.” frustrating—but also fascinating—that he’s
Soderbergh chose Casa Real, which has now contemplating turning the journey into
been making Singani for nearly a century, a script.
as his producer. He believes their insistence “We’ve seen lots of shows, lots of good
on distilling it twice in copper stills makes it shows, about restaurants, about being a
smoother, purer, and in his opinion, less chef,” he says. “But I haven’t seen a show
likely to cause a hangover when you drink about a 28-year-old woman trying to bring
it neat. The image on Singani 63’s bottle, a brand that nobody has ever heard of into
taken by Soderbergh him‐ market. That’s a big hill to
self, also features an in‐ climb. There are so many
digenous woman from obstacles you can put in
Tarija, where Casa Real is front of this character.”
located—another nod to “It’s very cinematic.
its origin story. The people are interesting,
Soderbergh named his it’s very competitive, it’s
product Singani 63 be‐ nighttime, and you get to
cause, as Sarah says, “63 come to places like this,”
is my dad’s lucky number.” he says, gesturing around
It’s also the year he was Hawksmoor’s subter‐
born, which seems apro‐ ranean lair.
pos, considering how, “It will be a fictional
when he speaks about Sin‐ brand, a fictional spirit,”
gani, Soderbergh sounds Soderbergh clarifies. “As
almost evangelical, like a the viewer, you never get
born-again imbiber. to experience it. What
does the thing taste like
Singani’s cinematic that she’s trying to get
back-story and unlikely road to recognition people excited about? But on the other
is not unlike that of an actor’s trajectory hand, it’s like, good. Your imagination will
from extra to box-office superstar, begin‐ fill in.”
ning with Soderbergh’s fortuitous discov‐ His manager, he admits, would like him
ery. Having fallen hard for this spirit siren to launch a corresponding brand if the
at the very start of his shoot for Che, show should come to fruition—a suggestion
Soderbergh found himself facing a hurdle he bats away with a swirl of his glass. “If I
that must be unique in the history of cine‐ create a brand out of a hit show, it’s a cash
ma: supplying his liquid muse to all his set grab. This,” he says, “is a get poor slow
locations—from Madrid to Mexico and scheme.”
Puerto Rico--before finally arriving in the “Your intention has to be pure,” Soder‐
Singani-soaked promised land of Bolivia. bergh insists. That, he says, would be the
By the end of filming, he and his crew message of his show. “Intention matters.
were hooked, Soderbergh says. “People Relationships matter, if you’re trying to
were pushing me, like ‘Dude, you need to achieve something. Nobody does it alone.”
bring this to the US!’” Now that sounds like a drama with a
That battle to become Singani’s first feel-good buzz worthy of its inspiration.
exporter took seven long years, culminat‐
ing with Singati 63’s US launch in 2014. He More information: Singani63.com
brought it to the UK four years later.
112 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE WINTER 2025
