When it comes to premium vodka, Smirnoff is at the top of the majority of people's lists! This month, chef and model Isaac Carew has teamed up with the brand to create his own version of the Smirnoff Soda Smash, in a bid to put together a more holistic and balanced cocktail. We caught up with Isaac to find out more about the collaboration, as well as his work and what he's got coming up in the future...
Isaac Carew has teamed with Smirnoff to create his own Soda Smash
Tell us about your teaming up with Smirnoff and your version of the Smirnoff Soda Smash...
Smirnoff is a great vodka to use and is one of those brands everyone knows; it also seems to be on the money when it comes to trends and new ideas - it is filtered 10 times through charcoal which means we get really excellent purity. My Soda Smash is really simple, clean and fresh, just smash the fruit to release the flavour and you’re more than halfway there.
What is it about the Soda Smash that you really love?
I love how simple it is to put together and [it] still tastes great at 57 calories without containing loads of sugar.
How important is flavour to you when it comes to your drinks?
I think flavour is paramount but you shouldn’t try and over complicate things by adding a million and one ingredients.
A model/chef isn't something we see every day! Can you tell us a little bit about how you came to starting out in each career?
So, cooking is my absolute passion and I’ve been in kitchens since I was a kid with my Dad and Godfather. I wasn’t a huge fan of school as I’m dyslexic but the creativeness of food really inspires me. I randomly got scouted to be a model at the age of 22 and thought I'd give it a go as I could travel the world for free while getting paid.
The two careers seem so far and away from one another - are there any similarities between those two worlds you can think of?
I don’t think they are that dissimilar as both careers you have to have a creative input and be a people person, whether it's showing another chef how to cook a dish or getting the right pose or energy for a shot. I think both fields can be very artistic.
You run The Dirty Dishes website; how did that come about?
It came about from a lot of my Instagram followers asking me to post more in-depth recipes with how tos and pictures etc. It's currently being updated so it's more streamline and will also be featuring as shop for a few new things I’ve got up my sleeve which I think you guys will all love.
What are some of your favourite things to cook, or foods to cook with?
I adore cooking with fresh fish, especially scallops and crustaceans, and as you can probably tell from my Instagram feed I love fresh pasta!
Where do you draw inspiration and influence from when it comes to your work?
Inspiration comes from everything around me, whether it be another chef, restaurant, buildings and architecture; and all the travelling I do around the world is most likely my biggest influence.
Finally, what's next for you in the coming months?
Well I’ve got my book out, The Dirty Dishes in March 2019. I’ve also got a few pop ups coming soon at Radici with chef Francesco Mazzei, and I’ve got a bunch of really exciting merchandise that I'm currently designing, as well as modelling around all of the above!
You can check out Isaac's brilliant Smirnoff Soda Smash recipe by clicking here.
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