LAIE Vermouth Joins International Bartenders' Association; Named to World Cocktail Championship Product List

LAIE brings Barcelona-style La Hora del Vermut to Macau Oct. 19-24

LOS ANGELES, CA - LAIE, the boutique vermouth brand bringing Spain’s La Hora del Vermut to the US and beyond, announces today that it has signed on as an associate member of the International Bartenders’ Association (IBA) and is on the official product list for the forthcoming World Cocktail Championship to be held in Macau at the Macau Fisherman's Wharf Convention Center Oct. 19-24.

Founded by Barcelona-based Àlex Cardona and California restaurateur Raj Nallapothola, LAIE aims to introduce Spain’s La Hora del Vermut to new audiences across the globe. The brand’s flagship LAIE Red is crafted in Barcelona in collaboration with a longtime family producer and is built on a D.O. Penedès wine (Macabeu, Xarel·lo and Moscatell) carrying twenty aromatics. The name ‘LAIE’ is a tribute to the Laietani people, the ancient pre-Roman settlers of the area that is now Barcelona.

Held as part of the International Conference of the IBA, the landmark edition of the World Cocktail Championship will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the IBA by uniting more than 1,000 visitors of the international bartending community representing over 75 countries.

Said Nallapothola, “As we continue to build LAIE’s profile in the USA and globally, we’re committed to supporting the people largely responsible for creating the vibe that makes La Hora del Vermut so incredibly special: the bartenders. We’re absolutely thrilled to be part of the IBA and to see what all these talented, creative bartenders can do with LAIE.”

Cardona added, “In Barcelona, going out for vermut is a ritual that families and friends have always shared before lunch or dinner. It's a moment to get together, raise a glass and have a bite before the meal, and everyone working behind the bar plays a big part in it, because they're the ones who make those happy moments possible. That's why seeing a Catalan tradition celebrated so far from home means so much to me, and I can't wait to see how the best bartenders at the WCC interpret it.”

LAIE is currently available at retail and on-premise accounts in California and Oregon. Internationally, LAIE is also available in Hong Kong.

ABOUT LAIE VERMOUTH

LAIE is a craft sipping vermouth created by founders Àlex Cardona, a Barcelona-based food journalist and culinary curator, and Raj Nallapothola, a Los Angeles-based restaurateur and importer of gourmet foods, to capture a sense of place and reenergize a historic drink in the context of the modern world. It is a celebration of Spain’s La Hora del Vermut (vermouth hour), a generations-old tradition of friends and family gathering over a vermut and a bite before lunch or dinner. As a nod to LAIE’s Catalan heritage, the name itself refers to the Laietani, the pre-Roman people of the coast that is now Barcelona.

LAIE is equally enjoyable on the rocks with a slice of orange and an olive; with a splash of soda and your favorite gin for a “vermut preparat”; or in cocktail recipes calling for a great red vermouth.

LAIE. Enjoy aperitivo responsibly.