SKYY® Vodka, the award-winning 94-point rated vodka, is pleased to announce the launch of an exclusive partnership with world-famous chef Marcus Samuelsson, who will serve as the iconic brand’s culinary ambassador. As part of the strategic partnership, Samuelsson’s main focus will be to demystify creating high-quality cocktails in the home environment using a roster of easy-to-make Captivating Cocktails he has developed, bringing his unique and innovative culinary style to any occasion.
“Marcus Samuelsson is a culinary visionary and a true innovator in his approach to both food and cocktails,” says Jason Daniel, SKYY Vodka brand director. “This alignment pairs an award-winning chef, who has a distinct voice and style, with an award-winning vodka to help alleviate consumers’ fears about creating sophisticated cocktails at home.”
Samuelsson, who won Food Network’s Chopped All-Stars in May, is the owner and chef of Red Rooster Harlem, which was named one of the top-10 new restaurants in New York City by The New York Times. A recipient of the James Beard Foundation Best Chef: New York City Award, Samuelsson released a memoir, Yes, Chef, a New York Times best seller, in June.
Continuing SKYY’s commitment to quality, innovation, and style, the partnership, which lasts from September through December 2012, will focus on bringing the elegance of Samuelsson’s culinary and mixology style to SKYY’s consumers in an approachable and easy-to-execute way.
“People are used to savoring a fabulous cocktail before a meal at a restaurant, but are paralyzed when it comes to making these same cocktails at home,” Samuelsson says. “As SKYY Vodka’s first Culinary Ambassador, I have developed a Captivating Cocktails program that is all about ending this fear and encouraging people to embrace the art of at home cocktailing. We want to show people that they can easily pick up simple, fresh ingredients for artisan cocktails just as they do for dinner.”
According to a recent survey on Americans’ drinking habits, 92 percent of people polled enjoy sophisticated, high-quality cocktails at their local bar or restaurant. Of that same group, 78 percent are too afraid to even attempt them at home.
To curb this issue, instead of relying on hard-to-find ingredients or complicated processes, Samuelsson has taken classic, beloved recipes and given them simple, sophisticated, culinary twists that are easy for anyone to make. To complete the full entertaining experience, Samuelsson has also created a variety of inventive small plates such as the chicken & waffles with spiked syrup and turkey meatball sliders on biscuits with cranberry chutney, for enthralling food and cocktail pairings.
