Full Article: Ocean Drive November issue
Published: 11/12/20
You and your family have been involved in many philanthropic initiatives throughout Miami. What is your personal philanthropy philosophy? My philanthropy philosophy is that giving money is not enough. You need to give your time as well. My family and I are very passionate about philanthropy and are actively involved with the JCC, Lotus House, Lehrman Community Day School and the Diabetes Research Institute.
Tell us about the brand identity you created for E11EVEN Vodka. I set out to create the best vodka in the world, and it was imperative that it embodied the Miami spirit. It’s all about crushing the day and owning the night, living your best life and having fun. E11EVEN Miami truly changed the landscape of nightlife, and that’s what we want to do with vodka.
Biggest misconception about vodka? That it’s not the healthiest! One night, after drinking too much tequila, I woke up with a horrible hangover. I began researching how to remedy it and came across tons of articles that spoke about congeners—toxins, literal chemicals like acetone and acetaldehyde, found in alcohol after the fermentation process that cause hangovers. Out of all the alcohol types, I learned that tequila has the highest congener levels and that vodka has the lowest congener levels. I have always been very into health and wellness, and I’m very conscious about what I put into my body, so from that day forward, I became a vodka drinker.
Biggest lesson you learned in 2020? Expect the unexpected. We have been ready to debut E11EVEN Vodka since the beginning of the year. However, due to the pandemic, we pushed the official launch back a few times.
Words you live by? Work hard, play hard and dream big!
