{"id":106180,"date":"2026-01-02T14:19:12","date_gmt":"2026-01-02T20:19:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=106180"},"modified":"2026-01-05T16:10:24","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T22:10:24","slug":"this-brandy-bottles-500-years-of-bolivian-history-a-growing-number-of-trendy-chicago-bars-are-pouring-singani-the-spirit-director-steven-soderbergh-brought-to-the-u-s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/this-brandy-bottles-500-years-of-bolivian-history-a-growing-number-of-trendy-chicago-bars-are-pouring-singani-the-spirit-director-steven-soderbergh-brought-to-the-u-s\/","title":{"rendered":"This brandy bottles 500 years of Bolivian history: A growing number of trendy Chicago bars are pouring Singani, the spirit director Steven Soderbergh brought to the U.S."},"content":{"rendered":"

B<\/strong><\/span>y Paulina Marinkovic Camacho <\/strong><\/span>
\n<\/strong>Medill Reports<\/em><\/p>\n

Down an alleyway on Palmer Street, past a nondescript door and centuries-old brick fa\u00e7ade, a 500-year-old type of brandy, until recently little known beyond its homeland of Bolivia, is starring in one of the city\u2019s most high-concept cocktail lineups.<\/p>\n

\"Singani
The Meadowlark’s
Quaoar mini-cocktail features
Singani 63. (Paulina Marinkovic Camacho\/MEDILL)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At The Meadowlark, a Logan Square speakeasy renowned for its rotating themed menus, beverage director Abe Vucekovich debuted a collection of 17 solar system-inspired drinks. Among them is Quaoar, an aromatic sour named after the ringed dwarf planet found in the Kuiper Belt. Composed of apple-walnut orgeat scented with orange-flower water, Pasubio Amaro, lemon juice and finished with a hint of chartreuse (a potent herbal liquor), the concoction arrives in a stemmed cordial glass, echoing the celestial body\u2019s diminutive size. At its core is not rum or gin but a lesser-known spirit touted by the film director Steven Soderbergh and native to Bolivia: singani.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome gins and rums can get lost with apple-walnut orgeat, but you still get the floral notes from singani,\u201d Vucekovich said. \u201cThe Muscat of Alexandria (grapes) and the way it\u2019s distilled add a really unique element.\u201d<\/p>\n

Singani is Bolivia\u2019s national drink, but until recently, it remained a well-kept regional secret. Its journey from the high Andes mountains to the U.S. came only after an unlikely Hollywood detour \u2014 and now, it\u2019s building a strong presence in Chicago, where cocktail connoisseurs gravitate toward niche spirits with heritage and character. Though a relative newcomer to American bars, singani is now stocked in more than 40 states, with Illinois leading in sales. In Chicago alone, 33 bars now showcase singani on their menus, most prominently in those serving agave-centric drinks or pan-Latin cuisine. From seasonal adaptations of the traditional chuflay (Bolivia\u2019s go-to mix of ginger ale and singani) to experimental pairings like Meadowlark\u2019s Singani Mai Tai riff, the floral, 80-proof liquor is introducing bar-goers to an entirely new category.<\/p>\n

Often considered a relative to pisco, a clear-based brandy produced in Peru and Chile across regions and grape varietals, singani sets itself apart with a singular ingredient and a single origin. Bolivian federal law requires it be distilled exclusively from sweet white wine Muscat of Alexandria grapes, grown at a minimum altitude of 5,250 feet, within designated high-valley areas of the Andes.<\/p>\n

Singani\u2019s story begins more than five centuries ago in Cinti Valley, a region of red rock gorges south of the silver city of Potosi. Spanish colonial settlers and missionaries brought over grapevines, transplanting their winemaking traditions to the heart of South America.<\/p>\n

\"Bolivian
Casa Real\u2019s high-altitude vineyards in Tarija, Bolivia, where Muscat of Alexandria grapes are grown for singani. (Photo courtesy of Singani 63)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For generations, small-scale producers in the high inter-Andean valleys refined the craft, until, by the mid-20th century, production transitioned to Tarija, where the Granier family has been producing singani for 100 years. Founded in 1925, Casa Real is now Bolivia\u2019s largest singani producer, where it\u2019s remained a local favorite but never reached beyond its borders. That is, until a bottle of its floral elixir unexpectedly landed in the hands of an American Oscar-winning director.<\/p>\n

While shooting his 2008 biopic of Che Guevara in Bolivia, Soderbergh \u2013\u2013 the filmmaker behind the \u201cOcean\u2019s Eleven\u201d trilogy \u2013\u2013 received a bottle of Casa Real\u2019s black label as a gift from his Bolivian casting director, Rodrigo Bellot. That serendipitous encounter led to what is now an 11-year partnership with Casa Real. In 2014, after six years of navigating U.S. regulations, they launched Singani\u200963 (named after Soderbergh\u2019s lucky number and birth year) into the market, making it the first singani to be imported and sold in the U.S.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe reason (Soderbergh) likes it more than his day job is because he\u2019s telling somebody else\u2019s story, he\u2019s just the carrier of this history, this legacy, this culture,\u201d said Lanny Grossman, who oversees the brand\u2019s communications. \u201cWhen he makes a movie, he has to create stories. Now he\u2019s taking a story that\u2019s been packaged and sharing it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Singani
Steven Soderbergh\u2019s Singani
63 line. (Photo courtesy of Singani 63)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A fourth-generation distiller and Casa Real\u2019s CEO, Luis Pablo Granier remembers childhood summers in Tarija, strolling the fields of Muscat vines with his grandfather, Don Lucho, who \u201cknew the vineyard as if it were his own garden.\u201d At home, the family\u2019s clear brandy wasn\u2019t only poured in celebratory occasions but also as a key ingredient in his grandmother\u2019s herbal remedies and cherry-pie recipes.<\/p>\n

For Granier, sharing singani beyond its borders meant telling a story that embodies centuries of Bolivian tradition and identity.<\/p>\n

\u201c(Soderbergh\u2019s) creative vision and commitment to authenticity aligned with our purpose of preserving the spirit\u2019s soul, while presenting it in a language that resonates with international consumers,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was the union of two worlds: the tradition of a family distillery and the narrative and cultural reach he could bring.\u201d<\/p>\n

The essence of singani lies in its method: in careful distillation, in the origin of the Muscat of Alexandria grape cultivated at high altitudes and in the expert hands that craft it. At the Granier family\u2019s bodega in Tarija, spanning more than 200 hectares of vineyards, the distillation process traces directly back to cognac\u2019s double pot stills, performed twice to refine purity and increase the alcohol level.<\/p>\n

Granier notes Bolivia\u2019s extreme altitude is the very reason viticulture is possible here, as the heightened ultraviolet radiation causes the Muscat of Alexandria grapes to \u201cdevelop thicker skins and a higher concentration of terpenes.\u201d After harvest, the freshly crushed grape juice ferments for five to 21 days before distillation, a process that ultimately bestows singani with its signature \u201cexplosion of aromas.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Bolivian
Muscat grapes go through a double distillation process to make singani. (Photo courtesy of Singani 63)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Preserving the spirit\u2019s tradition was crucial for Granier; adapting to the international market meant finding a way to meet regulations and standards without compromising the identity of the product.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat makes (singani) Bolivian is its history, the way it has accompanied celebrations, traditions and generations,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is the climate, the altitude, the way we work the land, but it is also the emotional bond we have with it. Singani is a cultural expression, a way of saying \u2018this is who we are\u2019 through a unique aroma and flavor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since its launch, Soderbergh pushed to give the spirit its proper due, insisting to acknowledge the product\u2019s cultural and geographical specificity, rather than falling under a subcategory of brandy. In January 2023, following an eight-year effort in association with the Bolivian government, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau finally recognized singani as its own category.<\/p>\n

For the first time, the spirit could be labeled simply as singani rather than a generic form of brandy, positioning it next to cognac and pisco on a global scale.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you walk into a liquor store, there\u2019s a vodka shelf, a tequila shelf, a gin shelf \u2013 there should be a singani shelf,\u201d Grossman said. \u201cOn the back bar, there should be a singani section to be treated as the next base spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today, this Bolivian eau-de-vie is carving out a place within the U.S. bar scene (and even U.K. pubs), right next to mezcal and pisco. In New York, trend-driven bartenders lean into the craft cocktail culture, opting for theatrical presentations, whereas in L.A., its Hollywood backstory creates an immediate affinity for the product. But in Chicago, the emphasis tends to be more on the gastronomic experience and pairings, with a \u201cspecial appreciation for craftsmanship and well-made products,\u201d Granier said.<\/p>\n

The Windy City\u2019s cocktail renaissance, fueled by a cultivated taste for tequila and mezcal, and sustained by its large Latin American population, has proved a leading market for this Bolivian import. Largely shaped by its Prohibition-era corner taverns, Chicago\u2019s drinking culture has seen a shift toward avant-garde mixology in the past decade.<\/p>\n

From tasting-menu-style programs to clandestine speakeasies, there is currently a demand for boundary-pushing venues, says Jacob Leyba, spirits specialist at Winebow. This emphasis on offering guests an immersive experience, he says, resembles mezcal\u2019s steady ascend in the mid-2000s, when bartenders began shifting toward new flavor profiles.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe cocktail resurgence is what cemented mezcal where it is now,\u201d he said. \u201cSingani has a similar trajectory in that it allows programs that take pride in hospitality to guide guests through an experience that also introduces them to something new.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Meadowlark\u2019s repertoire has featured singani since its inception in 2022, but Vucekovich first encountered the spirit four years earlier, at a seminar hosted by Soderbergh at the now defunct cocktail bar The Violet Hour. At the time, pisco was a \u201cbartender\u2019s darling,\u201d he says, but singani\u2019s high-altitude origins bring a distinct orange blossom and herbal spice and, just as importantly, a vehicle for storytelling.<\/p>\n

\u201cIts roots (and) distillation method, it all comes together to create a distinct tasting experience,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"Interior
Inside The Meadowlark, a Logan Square cocktail bar known for its themed menus and theatrical interiors. (Paulina Marinkovic Camacho\/MEDILL)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Each cocktail in the venue\u2019s fourth menu, \u201cAd Astra\u201d (\u201cTo the Stars\u201d), released in July, is crafted with ingredients that evoke the properties of planets and other celestial bodies. When creating Quaoar, Vucekovich turned to ingredients sourced from high altitudes, with singani as its base spirit to hint at the icy dwarf planet\u2019s elevated terrain.<\/p>\n

\u201cQuaoar is named after one of the Native American creation gods that created mountains, so we wanted to reflect that,\u201d he said. \u201cA spirit from a high altitude, celebrating the topography of this little planet out there.\u201d<\/p>\n

But at his West Town bar, Friends of Friends, which opened in May, Vucekovich trades planetary metaphors for two-word descriptors, with cocktail names like \u201cHerbal & Zesty\u201d to make its menu of esoteric ingredients more approachable. This drink layers Singani 63 with TR\u00c4\u2022K\u00c1L, Italicus, green tea, yerba mate and house-made sparkling ginger beer. Vucekovich notes singani\u2019s floral notes are a unique asset, as most spirits would easily get lost within more dominant flavors.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you want an espresso martini and don\u2019t want to think, that\u2019s great,\u201d he said. \u201cBut if you want conversation and the surprise of something new, that makes spirits like singani special.\u201d<\/p>\n

Drinkers who grew enamored with agave-based spirits are branching out into adjacent regional bottles like pisco, cacha\u00e7a and, now, singani. Leyba notes with mezcal now mainstream, tequila surpassing vodka as country\u2019s top-selling alcohol and American whiskey declining in sales, it\u2019s an opportune timing for Bolivia\u2019s brandy.<\/p>\n

\u201cSingani fits where tastes are going, it\u2019s clear, unaged and really just showcases the base ingredient, that Muscat of Alexandria grape,\u201d he said. \u201cThe market conditions right now are perfect for it to have a moment and start making its way into households.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Bartender
Mother’s Ruin is known for its slushy
machine across all four U.S. locations. (Paulina Marinkovic Camacho\/MEDILL)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As tequila soars off the shelves and mezcal enthusiasts seek spirits with the same range of aromatic notes, Chicago bars have started to largely embrace singani for its reputation of being highly adaptable in cocktails. A 750-milliliter bottle of Singani 63 (25.4 ounces) is priced at around $35 retail and $23 wholesale, according to Winebow.<\/p>\n

Its floral notes can replace any clear spirit like tequila or vodka, and elevate classics like a negroni or a mule, says Jarred Craven, Singani 63\u2019s Midwest market manager, positioning it at a relatively accessible price point, especially for smaller bars that might be unable stock multiple niche bottles.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very easy and versatile, I like to say it wears a lot of hats, it plays well with others,\u201d he said. \u201cIt could be the star of the show or a supporting character.\u201d<\/p>\n

Across Chicago, beverage teams cite strong curiosity since introducing singani to the menu. In Avondale, Mother\u2019s Ruin, an upscale dive bar popular for its seasonal spiked slushies, added singani to its rotating flavors in August.<\/p>\n

Behind the backbar\u2019s jumble of bottles stacked and gilt-framed mirror, the main appeal is the glowing slushy machine whirring its latest \u201cSlushy du Jour\u201d \u2013\u2013 the Keanu Freeze. The frozen beverage is fundamentally very simple: Singani 63, cucumber, aloe, lime. But substitute singani for the usual margarita or daiquiri base, general manager Keith Popejoy notes, and the $13 slushy instantly feels elevated.<\/p>\n

\"Singani
Mother’s August slushy, “Keanu Freeze,” blends Singani 63, cucumber, Aloe and lime. (Paulina Marinkovic Camacho\/MEDILL)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cSingani has such a dynamic flavor that it was really easy to piece this one together \u2014 bright, summery,\u201d he said. \u201cThe aloe acts as a melody of cantaloupe or honeydew, and the cucumber is light, refreshing, especially when frozen into a slushy. I’ve done the same slushy with gin before, and I will never do it with gin again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though the muscat liquor only recently made the lineup in August, Popejoy notes Chicago\u2019s alcoholic slushy is outselling those in Mother\u2019s Ruin\u2019s sister locations \u2013\u2013 New York City, Nashville, Austin \u2013\u2013 despite their multiple machines. He credits its success to the recipe and the exotic brandy\u2019s history, an immediate conversation starter among curious customers trickling in during happy hour.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always look at alcohol as a liquid time machine,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s so much history behind every bottle, and it takes you places. You\u2019re from Bolivia, you drink singani, you go home for a while.\u201d<\/p>\n

In Bolivia, the chuflay cocktail remains the most classic expression of its national drink. Poured over ice, ginger ale fizzing to the rim and a lemon wedge, the highball travels from wedding tables to Carnival parades, and onto boards of late-night cacho, the country\u2019s popular dice game.<\/p>\n

Chicago\u2019s Estereo, an all-day Latin-inspired bar, pays tribute to that tradition, serving its own version. The music-driven cocktail bar now devotes a month of its menu to the chuflay, running mid-July through August.<\/p>\n

Both its Logan Square original and newer Fulton Market venue lean into a retro-modern decor, layering string lights and neon signs with a mirrored disco ball, while DJs play Latin and Afro-Caribbean records from the \u201860s and \u201870s, all on vinyl.<\/p>\n

\"Interior
Estereo’s Fulton Market location, known for its Latin-inspired cocktails and vinyl DJ sets. (Paulina Marinkovic Camacho\/MEDILL)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The menu features 14 Latin-inspired cocktails, each one named for its base spirit \u2013\u2013 pisco, mezcal, tequila. Singani, tucked among better-known liquors, often sparks questions from guests, says beverage director Guillermo Martinez, as few have heard of Bolivia\u2019s national spirit. But the recipe keeps it simple: Singani 63, ginger, lime, cane sugar and mineral water, finished with that week\u2019s seasonal fruit (recently tart cherries from Seedling Farm) infused directly into the bottle.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople come in not knowing what singani is, but the way the cocktail is presented makes it approachable,\u201d Martinez said. \u201cGinger and fruit make that bridge easy to walk, we\u2019ve had guests crush five or six in one sitting.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Martinez, singani\u2019s \u201cversatility and bright aromatics\u201d are clearest in the Breezy, a choose-your-spirit cocktail infused with cold brew yerba mate, house falernum, lime and carbonation. It\u2019s how he often prefers to dink it, and lately some regulars have even started requesting singani in place of rum.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomeone laid out cocktails to me like Legos, you got to have a piece that fits into the other one, even if it’s a different color,\u201d he said. \u201cSingani is one of those pieces. Anything gin-based or pisco-based, it goes so well to start changing and developing a cocktail.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Bartender
Estereo’s head bartender Julian Cabrera prepares the Singani cocktail. Paulina Marinkovic Camacho\/MEDILL)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The spirit\u2019s novelty draws in patrons, though it\u2019s still an ongoing effort to introduce singani to those unfamiliar with it. That irony ties neatly to Singani 63\u2019s deliberately provocative tagline, \u201cWhat The F**K Is Singani 63?\u201d Both a statement and a question, it captures the essence of the spirit itself.<\/p>\n

To educate the U.S. market and build its presence in Chicago, the brand organizes Chuflay Week, a celebration that invites a dozen bars to reinterpret Bolivia\u2019s beloved ginger ale highball.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one had ever heard of it,\u201d Grossman said. \u201cEveryone knows what tequila is. Everyone knows what vodka is. Everyone knows what gin is. But no one has any idea what singani is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Singani
Estereo’s Singani (Paulina Marinkovic Camacho\/MEDILL)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Last year, the weeklong celebration closed at Estereo\u2019s Logan Square bar Aug. 6, commemorating the 200th<\/sup> anniversary of Bolivia\u2019s Independence Day. Bolivian flags hung above the U-shaped central bar for the night, as DJ Ben Kruse spun records from native his La Paz and Cochabamba. Caf\u00e9 Estrella, the city\u2019s only Bolivian pop-up restaurant, served salte\u00f1as and other traditional dishes across the counter.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to have that identity from the maker and show that people made it with love,\u201d Martinez said. \u201cIn these walls we want to have things that have character, show stories behind it and bring communities together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Events like Chuflay Week, Martinez adds, create space to celebrate Latin American culture beyond the regions Chicagoans may be more familiar with. For Luis Palacios, a second-generation Bolivian American, singani\u2019s recognition in the U.S. is a way to share those family traditions.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy dad still has a bottle of Don Lucho (Casa Real\u2019s special edition singani) saved for when I get married,\u201d Palacios said. \u201cA lot of my family enjoyed it over games of cacho, and now I\u2019ve been able to share it with my friends here, Chilean, Peruvian, African American. It\u2019s just a nice memory of home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Palacios also serves as vice president of Renacer Boliviano, a cultural association that for nearly three decades has organized festivals, folkloric dance performances and Independence Day celebrations to preserve Bolivian traditions in the city. Last year, the group partnered with Singani 63 for its Carnival parade, a collaboration he describes as a way to finally toast with Bolivia\u2019s national spirit.<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore, people had to bring (singani) all the way from Bolivia, and some years we went without,\u201d he said. \u201cNow we can walk into a store here and serve chuflays made with real singani at our events. It feels different like we\u2019re finally sharing something that\u2019s truly ours, not just improvising.\u201d<\/p>\n

Granier says this recognition abroad generates a renewed sense of pride and reshapes how Bolivians view their own national spirit.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat makes me most proud is seeing how a tradition born in our land, with our grapes and our hands, is finding its place on international bars and competing on equal terms with iconic spirits,\u201d Granier said. \u201cEvery bottle of Singani 63 abroad is a liquid embassy that tells the world who we are.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Man
Steven Soderbergh sipping on Singani 63. (Courtesy of Singani 63)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Paulina Marinkovic is a recent graduate of the Medill School of Journalism.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Paulina Marinkovic Camacho Medill Reports Down an alleyway on Palmer Street, past a nondescript door and centuries-old brick fa\u00e7ade, a 500-year-old type of brandy, until recently little known beyond its homeland of Bolivia, is starring in one of the city\u2019s most high-concept cocktail lineups. At The Meadowlark, a Logan Square speakeasy renowned for its […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":765,"featured_media":106182,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194,27,5539,5542],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-106180","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts-culture","category-business","category-fall-2025","category-msj25"],"yoast_head":"\nThis brandy bottles 500 years of Bolivian history: A growing number of trendy Chicago bars are pouring Singani, the spirit director Steven Soderbergh brought to the U.S. - Medill Reports Chicago<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/this-brandy-bottles-500-years-of-bolivian-history-a-growing-number-of-trendy-chicago-bars-are-pouring-singani-the-spirit-director-steven-soderbergh-brought-to-the-u-s\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"This brandy bottles 500 years of Bolivian history: A growing number of trendy Chicago bars are pouring Singani, the spirit director Steven Soderbergh brought to the U.S. - Medill Reports Chicago\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Paulina Marinkovic Camacho Medill Reports Down an alleyway on Palmer Street, past a nondescript door and centuries-old brick fa\u00e7ade, a 500-year-old type of brandy, until recently little known beyond its homeland of Bolivia, is starring in one of the city\u2019s most high-concept cocktail lineups. 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