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SINGAPORE: So it’s the weekend, and to unwind you gather your party peeps and hit the clubs. The music is pumping and you down that Belvedere which, undeniably leads to an intoxicatingly fun night.
But sober up for a moment and give thought to what goes behind the ingenuity of Belvedere.
The brains behind the innovative botanical style Belvedere IX vodka and more recently, the Belvedere Black Raspberry is a platinum blonde who is a head-turner, and that’s before you discover her head for spirits.
Claire Smith joined the industry as a bartender in 2001.
But she emerged from behind the counter to go top of the table as one of the most respected authorities on vodka and mixology worldwide, and head of Spirits and Creation and Mixology at Belvedere.
The graduate in law has come a long way from being a ‘noob’ to a mixology genius winning over her parents who were initially dubious about her decision to work in the drinks industry, as well as those who believe drinks are only to be handled by the lads.
“There is still a relative disparity between the number of male and female bartenders although this is slowly starting to change” said Claire.
“The majority of female bartenders I know make incredible drinks and they have no issue removing someone from their bar if they were to mistake female hospitality for an excuse for un-gentlemanly behaviour!”
With looks that belong to the cover of a magazine, Claire probably had her days of strong-arm tactics when she gravitated to the social scene of bars and clubs and bar-tendered while pursuing her law degree.
Being naturally creative, the law graduate who chose the bar as opposed to being called to the Bar, quickly earned a national award which propelled her into the world of mixology at an accelerated pace.
Part of the reason for her success Claire said in her exclusive e-mail interview with channelnewsasia.com, is being a woman.
“Essentially, being a woman in a male-dominated industry has most certainly defined my mixology style and I am very grateful to Mother Nature for blessing me with more taste buds than a man (so rumour has it!).
“Being a woman in this industry ensures that you are always slightly unusual and as such, a little more attention is paid to you and what you are doing. So essentially it has always been a positive for me.”
Taking on the role of Belvedere’s Head of Spirits and Creation and Mixology has been for Claire both challenging and exciting, from making drinks on mountain tops and inner cities; to creating drinks for celebrities and speaking to bartenders all over the world on her most favourite subject - vodka, and in particular, Belvedere Vodka.
She said in her e-mail interview with channelnewsasia.com; “I have spoken to many people who have disliked vodka, or thought it was a neutral, anonymous spirit and then, through tasting and exploration, they suddenly see how beautiful a spirit vodka can truly be.
“I have shared Polish vodka in Russia, introduced luxury vodka to Asia and ultimately met and shared experiences with thousands of people that are all as passionate as I am about expanding our knowledge base.
“Transformation happens through the sharing of information and I’m lucky to be able to share the story and spirit of Belvedere wherever I go. This ensures that each and every journey is filled with new experiences and adventures. I am constantly learning and gaining new inspiration wherever Belvedere takes me.”
There’s little doubt that the apprentice to London’s revered mixologists Dick Bradsell and Henry Besant, has come a long way.
But the lessons she has learnt don’t always come out of bottle.
“The most powerful lesson really was to always respect your peers and to be humble” said Claire.
“It is a great industry devoted to learning and sharing and because of that it is vital that we should not close ourselves off to the potential of learning new things, or having our opinions challenged or changed.
“Henry and Dick both taught me to have confidence in my own abilities while also having enough humility to continue to grow and learn.”
The Head of Spirits and Creation and Mixology clearly loves what she’s doing describing it as an extremely rewarding job for those who are particularly creative or have a love of food and drink.
The female mixologist also cautions that the career often sees another form of mixing – work and pleasure.
“You never know where you could end up working or holidaying. Bartenders are social and friendly beasts so you should always be able to find a drinking partner in whatever city you find yourself in!”
And if you bump into Claire at your favourite watering hole, what would she be nursing in her glass?
“My favourite drink really depends on what time of the day it is, what country I’m in and who I’m drinking with” she said.
“In general I tend to drink Belvedere in something classic, like a Vodka Gibson or as unadulterated as possible with a splash of soda and a twist of lime. However, most of the time, I will be sampling the bartender’s favourite suggestions.”
A sound suggestion to drink to! - CNA/vm
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