Some of the world’s most visually stunning and luxurious ski resorts are located in the heart of Europe, thousands of meters above sea level, deep within the Alps. To see what life is like up there, we packed our camera and set off with CÎROC to sample some of these incredible places for Highsnobiety & CÎROC’s Guide to the Alps. Here's what happened when we got into CÎROC’s elite fashion party in Kitzbühel, Austria.
The Hahnenkamm is the world’s fastest, the most dangerous, and the scariest ski race course in the world. At the start of every year, professional athletes and amateur skiers mad enough to do it career down mountain sides with declines of up to 85 percent, drop down jumps reaching 80 meters or more, and hit speeds of up to 80mph (130kmh). As you near the race’s end in the medieval Austrian alpine town of Kitzbühel, and if you haven’t mortally injured yourself by that point, you’ll fly past a small chalet clinging to the mountainside.
Known as the Ganslern Alm, this newly opened bar and restaurant was transformed by CÎROC into the ultimate party hot spot of the weekend. Only accessible by 4x4, super luxe Range Rover Evoques brought people up and down the mountain through the single-lane track that wound through the pine trees. Barely open for more than a year, the fresh new space and unique location that the Ganslern Alm offered attracted some pretty high-profile and fresh-faced attendees. Models Shermine Shahrivar and Lars Burmeister joined fashion bloggers Leonie Hanne and Farina Opoku in celebrating the special weekend.
Berlin-based producer Jan Blomqvist and his band joined legendary DJ Hannes Bruniic on the decks gave a driving and pulsating set that switched up between driving funky house and fun, feel-good electro producing one of the best sets of the weekend.
Meanwhile, outside and overlooking the medieval old town, warm fires were set up on the slopes and around the Ganslern Alm's outside terrace. As temperatures dipped to below zero, people huddled together and watched the glow of the village below, using CÎROC's handily placed blankets to soak in the wintery night air. Behind, the ultimate conversation starter – an igloo – had been built by CÎROC to house French grape vodka's beautiful glowing ice sculpture and fountain, surronded by comfy sofas, cushions and lush carpets lain across the snowy ground.
To celebrate the town and the special spirit of the Hahnenkamm Race, CÎROC used the party to formally unveil their specially-designed bottle that had been made in honor of the famous ski resort. With a structural design whose colors referenced the famous blue jewel of CÎROC, the bottles were a literal highlight, fitted with hidden lights the softly lit up the bottle.
Make sure you check out our pics and see how people celebrate alpine lifestyle high up in European mountains, and maybe get some style tips too while you're at it too.
The Highnobiety and CÎROC Guide to the Alps continues with reports from Verbier in Switzerland and a full report from Kitbühel, Austria, in parts three and four, coming soon... Read our guide to Lech in part one, here. And remember, if you’re drinking, then drink responsibly. Visit DRINKiQ.com for all the facts.
