Pure Dirty Brew: A spirited journey with Belvedere Vodka

Dirty Brew is a fusion of smooth Belvedere Organic Vodka with rich coffee flavour

At Belvedere Vodka, the Maison creates with a simple philosophy: innovate with purpose, craft with excellence.

Recently, the folks at Belvedere invited Bite to an exclusive tasting, offering a first-hand experience of their latest creation. Belvedere Dirty Brew is the purest—yet darkest—expression of this ethos, reimagining the coffee experience with a luxurious spirit of intense flavour and dark elegance. From its captivating bottle design to its intriguing name, Dirty Brew is a bold statement blending the world of luxury spirits with the intricate artistry of coffee craftsmanship.

We begin lightly and brightly at the city’s lavish Tigerlily sipping a spritzy take on a Cosmopolitan crowned with the cocktail's signature orange peel spiral. Then, we slip into the darkly cosy, glittering candlelit dining room to enjoy a bespoke Belvedere mini cocktail pairing menu.

TigerLily excels at scene-setting, and Belvedere—Poland’s long-established premium vodka brand—is globally celebrated for its organic spirits crafted with local ingredients. The only exception? The coffee in Dirty Brew, which is sourced from beyond Poland’s borders to achieve its distinctive depth.

First Pour: Lychee Martini & Pork Belly

The evening opens with a taste of the quality to come: a pork belly bite with the puffiest, crispiest crackling imaginable. Beneath it, the pork fat melts into sweet oneness with slow-cooked belly meat. A smear of sharp-hot Aji salsa verde and pickled Granny Smith apple slices click perfectly with the apple notes in our Belvedere PURE Organic Lychee mini-Martini. It’s a classic pork-and-apple pairing, dressed up with baby violet flowers and lifted by a whisper of lemon tang.

Clarified Bloody Mary & Langoustine Tail

One of my top two favourites? The Clarified Bloody Mary served with our ‘Ice Cold Langoustine Tail’. Soft, sweet morsels of shellfish are paired with crisp iceberg lettuce and garnished with Bloody Mary dressing and pickled cucumber. The cocktail—made with cucumber and tomato water and a touch of clarified lemon juice—is crystal clear, not red, and elegantly echoes the tall, pure-white twisty ceramic flask that houses Belvedere 10 vodka.

Emilie from Belvedere shares that this ultra-premium spirit’s velvety smooth profile is the result of meticulous production, unchanged since the distillery opened in 1910. Like the finest wines, Belvedere 10 is crafted from a single rye variety, grown in a single field, by a single farmer, in a single vintage harvest—then rested for ten months.

Forest Brew Martini & Braised Short Rib

Next comes my newest favourite and our first Dirty Brew cocktail: the Forest Brew Martini. It arrives on the heels of a deeply autumnal dish—72-hour braised short rib of beef—rich with indulgent textures, creamy potato purée, zesty pickled onion, and Cavolo Nero. The Forest Brew Martini, made with caffeine-free Dirty Brew, is intensified with cold-brew coffee, cane sugar, and cassis. A dense amarena cherry balances delicately atop our dinky glasses. By now, I’ve accepted a generous glass of NZ Pinot Noir—because, well, why not? But it’s the cocktails I’m loving most, alongside TigerLily’s beautifully balanced and artfully presented food.

Dirty Brew Dessert Finale

Just when I think I’ve peaked, dessert arrives. Hazelnut affogato shots made with Dirty Brew sweetened by Frangelico and topped with cream. Then—ooh la la—Roasted Vanilla Ice Cream with Amaretto Sabayon, hiding cheeky Belvedere Dirty Brew jelly cubes beneath, and crowned with a jaunty cocoa nib tuile.

Thank goodness each dish was small and perfectly formed—just enough to savour every bite as it deserves. I float out on Cloud Nine, carried by the elegance of Belvedere and the magic of the evening.