Brent Lamberti

Thinking of making the switch from Bartender to Brand Ambassador? Brent Lamberti tells Danny Yang at Drinks World how he transitioned into the role, and what it’s like working with the original premium vodka, Stoli.

DANNY YANG: You’re Brand Ambassador for one of the top rated vodkas in the world, did you know you always wanted to be in that role?

BRENT LAMBERTI: No, not at all [laughs]. I don’t even think that role was around when I started.

DY: How did the role even come about?

BL: Well I started 1999 in a bar in Manhattan. I grew up in New York, and I went to college at NYU. As a student, I just needed extra money. Back in the day, a job in hospitality was a good way to get money and a good way to get girls. I didn’t even drink. I was 20 however you’re allowed to bartend in New York if you’re over 18. You’re allowed to serve alcohol. So I was 20, a friend of mine that I was working with over the summer in an internship program said ‘hey, you want to earn a lot of money?’ And he ended up negotiating me this job at a restaurant. In New York, if you don’t have a resume you can’t get a job. So if they say have you bartended, you say of course I have, I’ve been bartending for years. It was a lie. And I think they knew it was a lie because they made me go to bartending school.

The bartending school was a good foundation because I got to learn not only the classic recipes, but I also got to learn the ones from the 70s and 80s that people today probably would frown upon. So from there I tended bar, graduated college, got a ‘real job,’ hated it, didn’t make any money, quit after a year and a half. I still had to bartend while I had that ‘real job’ because I needed money, and I committed myself to this industry. I saw that there was a big change coming. When I started, I like to say there were five vodkas. Now there’s like 500. The first ambassador I think I met was a guy named Simon Ford and at the time was working for Pernod and Plymouth Gin. He was such an unassuming, precarious guy. He didn’t mention anything about Plymouth to me. He asked for a Bramble. I don’t think I knew that one, and he explained to me how to make it, and not in a condescending way. He also tipped really big I remember that. He gave me like a $100 tip. But to me was someone I looked up to.

DY: And your love for vodka came about the same way?

BL: Oh no, there was no love. It was a wise move on my part. I’ll give this as advice to people who want to get into the industry. At the time everyone wanted to work with gin, and these cool boutique spirits. I was the opposite. When the position came around I was like why wouldn’t I be a vodka ambassador? Vodka is the number one selling spirit, particularly at that time. Stoli was the brand that appealed to me. I remember early on bartending thinking if somebody comes in and asks for a vodka soda, I’m going to pick up Stoli because it’s Russian and that’s the country that makes vodka. Like, my mother’s Puerto Rican, I drink Bacardi because it’s made in Puerto Rico. So it was always an amazing thing to me that bartenders didn’t appreciate vodka, like all of Eastern Europe, is wrong? When you’re looking for an ambassador role, you can’t get caught up with the brand. You have to think about the opportunity for long-term growth. And Stoli as a brand provided that for me.

DW: What advice would you give to someone looking to move into a brand ambassador role?

BL: One of the most important things is understanding and defining the role. I’ve seen this position over the last 10-15 years change completely. Years ago it was about going out and buying drinks, and not so much about the

return on investment. To some extent that is still the case. Jim Ryan was one of my mentors I looked up to, and he was a former Hendrick’s ambassador. Jim always dressed very quirkily. He’s a quirky guy, so it worked for him. But there is an appearance you try and put on. You need to define the role with the supplier. They might want someone to go out and achieve key performance indicators. And what are those key performance indicators? Is your job to entertain bartenders or to get a drink on a menu? Is it to support existing accounts or is it to get new accounts? A lot of people don’t realise that this is a sales position. Gone are the days when they’re not looking at the return on investment. You have to be able to do the job. You have to be able to get on conference calls, respond to emails in a professional manner. These aren’t the same set of skills as a bartender. You have to be open and willing to learn new skills.

DW: What do you enjoy most about the brand ambassador role?

BL: I think the thing I like most is no day is ever the same. I don’t ever want to sit in an office. I like that one day you’re in Hong Kong, the next day you’re in Bangkok and then Los Angeles. I like the relationships more than anything. Yes I work for Stoli, yes I work for Elit specifically, but I work for the vodka category. And I try and build up the vodka category wherever I go. I try and educate bartenders, sure to be mindful of Elit, but it’s also to be mindful of the products they’re serving. In my presentations, I talk about knowing about vermouth, wine and beer. It’s not just about what you’re talking about; it’s the overall elevation of the idea of bartending and what that means. That’s what I like the most.

DW: How do you keep a work/life balance?

BL: You know what, I was thinking about getting another tattoo. And the tattoo I was thinking about getting is a man walking on the tightrope, with the big beam to balance because it is hard. Especially as someone with a daughter who is seven. It’s not easy. You need people at home who understand and friends who understand. One of the similarities in bartending is I missed a lot of parties and weddings because you have to work on a Saturday. I missed family events. You miss these things, and I’m used to that. It does wear on you sometimes. Keeping your body and mind in shape is important. I exercise nearly every day, and I feel it’s important to make the time for yourself and try to maintain a balance - even though it’s challenging.

DW: So as a part of the Elit Martini competition bartenders are creating the most avant-garde interpretation of a classic. What is your interpretation of that?

BL: The cool thing about the competition is that Stoli is the best vodka in the world. Number two, we don’t want to overdo it, and we want to let the product shine. We have Stoli premium, which makes a great Bloody Mary, and for all your other stuff. But with Elit, we think the Martini is the cocktail to work with. When a guest says can I have a Martini it immediately starts a conversation because you have to ask them do you want gin or vodka, shaken or stirred, etc. So it’s a great opportunity to make a customisable cocktail, and I think the art of Martini definitely celebrates that conversation and allows bartenders today to reinterpret a classic. There are some other Martini variations out there, but they’re not well known. But the Flame of Love comes to mind for me, which was a drink created in the 60s for the famous entertainer Dean Martin. And it’s just with Fino sherry, rinsed in vermouth and some zested orange oil and flame. It’s beautiful. That’s kind of what we’re looking for. We want originality; I would like to see the expressions of Hong Kong, London, and Los Angeles. I want that to shine through. And I think it’s a difficult competition because yes there are rules but it’s also open to interpretation, so I hope to see a lot of ingenuity. For example, one of the rules is no muddled fruit or simple syrups because a traditional Martini is a spirit-forward cocktail. It has to be 50-50 at least. I want bartenders to use infusions, herbs, and spices, be open with your garnishes and come up with something unique. The other day someone grilled pineapple, and when you heat pineapple the sugars release. So they put that with their fortified wine to give it the sweetness, without putting syrup in the drink. There are ways you can do it; you just have to think. That’s what makes it a great competition.

DY: What are your thoughts on the Asian bar scene?

BL: I mean Japan is just Japan. We don’t even sell Elit in Japan, but it’s just a cool place. Hong Kong is great. It’s a lot like New York, it’s a melting pot, and there are a lot of different cultures. There are a lot of different flavours. There are Italian restaurants everywhere, Asian restaurants everywhere; it’s just a mix of everything. Thailand is always in my heart because I just think it’s such a fun place and it’s changed a lot in the last ten years.

DY: What trends do you see right now regarding vodka around the world?

BL: It depends on where you are. If you’re in a market that maybe isn’t as mature as New York, you’re going to see a lot of standard vodkas like Stoli, Absolut, Russian Standard and Smirnoff. In New York and London, you’ll see more products like Elit, which is a little more expensive. You’re also going to see products made from different raw materials that you might not have seen for example Black Cow vodka made from pure cow’s milk. I think distillers are pushing boundaries. And that’s why I like Stoli. I feel like we’ve always been the first to try and do things. We were the first ones with commercially flavoured vodka, the first to import to the United States, the first with super premium vodka with crystal and now gold.

DY: Tales of the Cocktail is just around the corner; what’s your advice for people attending for the first time?

BL: Have a plan. Don’t try and do everything. And remember again, why you’re going, try and go to the seminars. It is an educational experience first and foremost. Don’t overindulge. There’s no need to take every drink that you’re given. And try and get some sleep.

DY: And finally, if you were to have a martini right now how would you take it?

BL: Ice cold. But my favourite martini is from Dukes in London. I love Alessandro Palazzi. If you ever get a chance go to Dukes. The Dukes’ Martini was invented by Salvatore Calabrese when he worked there. They freeze everything. Your glass, the vodka and that’s it. They don’t even dilute it. They pour the spirit into the glass, and they may spritz it with some water, and then they garnish it the way you want at the table. They use Amalfi lemons from Italy; I mean it’s amazing. You should only have one, but if you’re going to, that’s the way to do it.