One of the hallmarks of having personal style is knowing how to have a good time like a grown-up. So, when global brewing brand Stella Artois invited OTC, along with writers from around the country, to Chicago to help celebrate the recent launch of its new premium apple cider, Cidre, I gladly accepted.
The event was a genuinely fun time that reminded me about the importance of taking advantage of exciting and new opportunities. Did I think about what to wear? You bet, and Paul Watson at Ledbury made sure I had on the season-perfect cotton and linen blend checked button down. What to tote my stuff around in? Thanks to Frank Clegg for the messenger bag, which everyone eyed and asked about. As expected, it wound up being a fun evening with some good friends, stylish guests, and time to relax and connect.
There is actually a back story to the Stella connection that made this a sort of full-circle occasion. Several years ago, I had the opportunity to tour Stella’s main brewery in Leuven, Belgium. It was an amazing time – meeting with company executives to discuss global marketing, visiting the main control room that looked the bridge of the Starship Enterprise, and tasting Stella Artois right out of the gigantic holding tanks. This was all before the beer had really arrived in the United States, so even now I have a “knew it when” soft spot for the brand.
As with fashion, the spirits industry has its trends and flirtations with coat-tailing what’s popular at the moment. For example, flavored beers are becoming more accepted, apple being on-trend right now. So, a cider product from Stella Artois sounded interesting.
Not sure what to expect, we all were pleasantly surprised with Stella Cidre’s crisp and refreshing lightness which has a clean and simple reference to apple. It’s distinct, but not at all overwhelming or effete. The consensus among our group was decidedly positive. We had more.
Now, this is no food site, but we do know branding. Stella has positioned this product as a premium alternative to light beers or white wine – on a warm summer evening, for example. It was served in an white wine-styled stemmed glass, with an etched Cidre logo. They were also serving Stella Artois lager in traditional branded chalices. The Cidre product itself is presented in an oversized bottle akin to a limited edition microbrew or other small-batch spirit.
The setting was equally fun. Chicago is a stellar city with a distinctive sense of style and its own swagger. Call it Chi-Town, The City of Broad Shoulders, or The Windy City, but Chicago has a charm that gets me every time I visit. Perhaps it’s the geography; it has the vibrancy of a true metropolis but the relaxed attitude of a Midwestern town.
EPIC is an open air rooftop lounge that comes with its own boule court and stage. For the evening, our venue was transformed into a skyline orchard and Stella Artois-themed park. It was fun, crowded, and lively. We also ran into a bunch of sharp guys and even one cool hipster photographer. As it turn out – and this should remind us that substance always matters more than mere style – that photographer was none other than Brian Powers. Brian is a former staff photographer for the Chicago Sun Times, and when he all the other Times’ photogs were recently let go as part of cost-cutting, CNN commissioned him to profile each one of those exceptional documentarians.
Brian, we raise our glass to you.
Stella Cidre -Made with Hand-Picked Apples
Compensation was provided by Stella Artois via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Stella Artois.
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