Gen Z Is Still Drinking…They're Just Raising the Bar

I joined Belvedere for a trip to Poland, spending a few days in its homeland. We got an all-access pass, going behind the scenes at their distillery to learn how each bold bottle comes to life. People keep saying “Gen Z doesn’t drink anymore!” and every time I hear that statement I can’t help but think, “Are the Gen Zers in the room with us?” I don’t know if I’m necessarily the spokesperson of the generation, seeing as I’m arriving at washed-up status through the eyes of my younger siblings. But, nonetheless, I am still (factually) a member of the faction as a ‘98 baby. So to that declaration, my rebuttal is: you’re all sadly mistaken. I mean, am I having various mixed drinks concocted from who knows what, being served from plastic containers at who knows where anymore? No. But am I cooped up at home with my crocheted blankets and NPR lulling from my headphones every night? Also no. You see the distinction that’s necessary to include in the above statement is: Gen Z didn’t do away with drinking completely — we’re just doing it differently now.We’ve graduated from what once sufficed and now quality truly matters. I know now that I absolutely cannot throw drinks back the way that I could before. During college, I’d go out until the wee hours, drink my fair share of vodka, and still make it to my 8 am the next morning (well, usually the same morning, semantically). Now if I attempted that, I’m sure I would perish. But, like a good, fine wine, some of these things just come with age. I know better, so I can drink better now. Highsnobiety, HighsnobietySeeing that now my proper adult status has come along with the understanding of moderation, I probably go out now more than ever before. I love a good party — those of my inner circle know this quite well. So much so that when Belvedere sent the invite to party in Poland, there was only one answer: tak! Part of my renewed approach to happy hour also includes selecting better spirits. And now that I have a little bit of big girl money, I can do away with bottles from the bottom shelf. During the trip, we were enlightened about the distillation process of Belvedere. It’s unlike any other vodka out there, and it’s completely organic. Along with its unique approach to rectification, the brand also upholds an unconventional ethos — one that’s full of free-spirited fun (pun very much intended). And that’s exactly how I’d describe my time in Poland. I took a lot of photos, but some of the magic experienced simply can’t be captured on camera. Luckily, I’m here to tell you all about it, and you’ll just have to take my word for it.A gaggle of industry-folk also received a Belvedere golden ticket to come check out its homeland, and we all traveled from far and wide. I landed in Warsaw and arrived at my hotel, the Hotel Bristol in Old Town. It’s one of few buildings in the city that exists in its original state, and it made for a beautiful home for a few days. After checking in, I took a much-needed nap before meeting up with the rest of the crew at the hotel bar for cocktails. A grand piano’s notes hummed through the room as we enjoyed Belvedere Jalapeño martinis — an unexpected concoction with a compelling kick. We had about an hour until a dinner reservation at a classic Polish restaurant, but before our meal beckoned, we were ushered through a corridor off of the main bar. It was giving backrooms. As we got closer to a new threshold, house music began to pump from an unknown source. I heard our group whisper amongst ourselves, “Ummm, where are we going?” Belvedere, Belvedere, HighsnobietyEver been to a martini party in the kitchen of one of the most historic hotels in Central Europe? I can now say I have. To our surprise, we were led into the hotel’s staff kitchen, where boundless towers of chicken nuggets and caviar, pierogi, and fresh French fries awaited our presence. Oh, and martinis too, duh. It was my first impression of Belvedere, and I knew then that the rest of the trip would likely have some fun surprises in store. The pregame led into our multi-course dinner at Epoka, which was enjoyed with cocktails before we rested our jet-lagged heads.Day two really immersed us in the Belvedere universe. We departed from Warsaw and took a little day trip to Żyrardów, the home of Belvedere’s distillery. We went behind the curtain, Wizard of Oz style, to see what exactly goes into each bottle, learning about the brand’s heritage and the star of the show: rye.Highsnobiety, Highsnobiety, HighsnobietyPolish rye is integral to the distillation process, as are fire and water. First, the rye is harvested, mashed, and fermented. The fire comes in later, as it’s used to heat biomaterial during the distillation process. Once a quadruple distillation method is finished, the spirit is diluted with water. This isn’t just any water, though. By the time it’s combined with the spirit, it’s been treated with an 11-step osmosis process. That was a lot of scientific jargon to essentially say this: there’s a lot of intention put into a bottle of Belvedere. This is not the vodka of our college years. Those in the creative realm know that sometimes going behind the scenes isn’t the most chic. Or interesting. The fact that Belvedere accomplished both of those things really conveyed its elevated approach to not only the spirit itself, but to its community. We left with a lot of new knowledge and a couple of shots of vodka in our stomachs. And that was just the precursor to our night.Highsnobiety, Belvedere, HighsnobietyAfter some leisure time, the group met for pre-dinner cocktails again, this time in Cafe Bristol, a cultural landmark that’s been around for over a century. Assembling for Club Dirty Brew, we tried the spirit brand’s latest and greatest in a quaint cafe setting. Well, quaint aside from the DJ spinning amidst dining tables…like I said, Belvedere’s down for a party. Espresso martinis and tonics infused with the new organic coffee-flavored vodka floated around the room, amuse-bouche beverages that held us over until our next stop. If anyone had told me that Poland had its very own swanky Nobu before, I probably wouldn’t have believed them. I guess I wasn’t familiar with Warsaw’s game. In line with the element of mystique that characterized the entire weekend, the menu we experienced at Nobu for our last dinner was fresh and unheard of. We enjoyed wasabi mashed potatoes beneath a glistening bed of caviar, bread soup, miso cod, and smoked wagyu short rib — a fusion of Chef Joshua Treacy of Nobu and Polish Chef Witek Iwański of hub.praga’s cuisines. It wouldn’t have been a Belvedere dinner if the drinks weren’t flowing, so we also enjoyed cocktails paired with every course. And just when we thought the fun was concluding, the room suddenly went dark. Highsnobiety, HighsnobietyA dance party in Nobu definitely wasn’t on my bucket list, but again, the surprises kept coming. Music started bumping, and we danced and drank lots of shots of Belvedere 10 until we couldn’t anymore. Some had early flights, so eventually, reluctantly, we called it a night.To my sheer surprise, I awoke the next morning without a hangover, and I thought, ‘What kind of sorcery is this?’ There are a lot of beverages or spirits out there that promise the same fate, but they’re not always successful in their no-hangover rates. It seems that Belvedere’s spirit puts its money where its mouth is. And as for my own mouth, it’ll probably be indulging in a Belvedere martini when the next happy hour comes around. So that only really leaves me with one more thing to say…dzięki!