Alejandro Ouziel, 9diDANTE Vermouth di Torino

Title: Founder
Location: Geneva, Switzerland

What's your background, and how long have you been in the beverage industry?
Born in Barcelona and raised in the UK, I followed an international career in marketing and General Management that took me to Russia, Poland, Sweden and Dubai before settling in Switzerland. I joined the beverage industry in 2010 with Bacardi where I ultimately led Asia, Middle East and Africa, as a Global Executive Committee Member, before launching KALIRO Spirits in 2019. Our first brand 9diDANTE has since gained notable recognition with the bartender community and is today available in over 20 countries. In 2024 9diDANTE was named 'Brand of the Year' at the Spanish Bartender Awards.

What are the top three challenges to maintaining your well-being in your work? 
Travel, business dinners and visiting on-trade customers make it hard to keep a balanced diet and days off alcohol. It is often more a question of balancing extreme states rather than one smooth curve.

What are 3 things you do (or try to do) to maintain your well-being?
Keep a training routine that drives me to exercise in the morning, forcing me to prepare and "behave" the evening before. I find that having a challenge and target event make it easier to commit and stay on the course.

What other beverages do you drink when you're not drinking alcohol?
Sparkling water, coffee and herbal infusions

What would people be surprised to know about you? 
I have twice completed Tor des Geants, a 340km and 30,000 vertical difference race in the Italian Alps, climbed to the top of Mont Blanc and once cycled the Annapurnas in Nepal riding a mountain bike to over 5000m meters.

 What are you looking forward to?
The next challenge, in business and in sport.

 What inspires you on your journey in the beverage industry?
The opportunity of telling stories through the crafting of new beverages that in turn will help create new stories and memories.

 What is a quote that you love?
"Live can only be understood looking back, but it must be lived forwards" Soren Kierkegaard

You can connect with Alex on Instagram @alexouziel and Linkedin @Alex Ouziel