“The key to creating any great cocktail is to always remember to keep it simple. If you are using fresh ingredients and being creative, a good cocktail is not far off,” says Allison Dedianko, Belvedere Vodka's global brand ambassador.
Visiting South Africa for the first time, this month as part of her international Belvedere representative role. Ali will be taking part in creative sessions with top bars and clubs in Johannesburg and Cape Town during her South African visit, to impart some of her cutting edge Belvedere know-how as well as the latest cocktail making techniques from around the globe.
Ali joined Moët Hennessy in January 2011 as Global Brand Ambassador for Belvedere Vodka after beating thousands of contestants in the “Bartender’s Dream Job Search” competition which Belvedere ran on their Facebook page. She was one of 11 finalists who battled it out for the global ambassador title over a 3-day final in New York where she impressed the judges with her innovative mixology skills and vodka knowledge. “It was definitely one of the most challenging, but obviously rewarding experiences of my life,” says Ali.
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Prior to joining Belvedere Vodka, Ali received her Bachelor of Arts in European Studies with a minor in Russian Language from New York University. Having spent many years behind the bar as a bartender in New York City, Ali has worked the bar at Odessa in the East Village, the Back Room in the LES, to Madam Geneva on the Bowery. She started working behind the bar 8 years ago while studying at university, but loved the job so much that she couldn’t tear herself away after graduation.
Ali’s favourite cocktails include an ice cold Belvedere Martini with an orange twist and a Belvedere Orange Piña Colada. She is now responsible for representing Belvedere on an international level, educating bartenders all around the world and promoting the brand’s various products.
A travel enthusiast, Ali has seen much of Europe as well as parts of Asia and the Middle East. Some of her favourite destinations include Greece, with its breath-taking landscapes and history, and India for the cuisine and charm. She is also multi-lingual, speaking Spanish, Italian, and Russian and hopes to learn French soon. When not travelling the world, Ali resides in New York City.
Starting in Joburg on the 24th of October to do creative sessions with top bars and clubs such as HUSH and Latinova. She will then make her way down to Cape Town on the 25th and 26th of October to do a one on one creative cocktail session with barmen from The Orphanage, currently Cape Town’s latest cocktail hot spot.
For more about Belvedere Vodka, visit their website on http://www.belvederevodka.com/
