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The guys are back after an extended holiday break. We are ready for a great year! There is no better way to start this season than with a great guest who just so happens to be our friend and colleague: Chef Kimberly Brock Brown. Chef discusses her Midwest upbringing, the benefits of culinary school as well as the benefits of networking. Chef Brown shares her career growth from working in hotels, country clubs, consulting, and television work, to her recent election to be President of The American Culinary Federation(ACF). Chef promotes the benefits of certification in the ACF for both culinary and hospitality professionals. Please visit ACF Membership (acfchefs.org) to learn more about becoming a member. We close with a reminder for everyone to get your tickets and for our @fiuhospitality students to #volunteer at @sobewff @sobewffvolunteers. See you on the beach! Support the show (http://Hospitality.fiu.edu)

BacardiTALKS -  Episode 52 An afternoon conversation with two industry leaders and trailblazers. Dr. Anne Brock, Master Distiller of Bombay & Ms. Stephanie MacLeod, Master Blender for Dewar's Dr. Anne Brock is the esteemed Master Distiller for BOMBAY SAPPHIRE, whose incredible technical experience and education has made her a visionary in the gin category. Holding a position on the board of directors at the Gin Guild, Anne brings her passion for gin to her role at Laverstoke Mill. Working alongside the Master of Botanicals, Ivano Tonutti, Anne is responsible for fulfilling the global demand for the world’s most popular gin, leading a team of 14 distillers at Laverstoke Mill to produce every drop and bottle of BOMBAY SAPPHIRE enjoyed around the world. Stephanie Macleod, the Master Blender at Dewar’s. Stephanie joined John Dewar’s and Son’s in 1998, becoming Blender Designate in 2003, and has most recently become only the seventh Master Blender in the company’s almost 175-year history. Assuming the role of Master Blender, Stephanie endures to preserve the famed legacy of the World’s Most Awarded Blended Scotch Whisky. Stephanie opened up about the details of her work, how she started at Dewar’s and some of her favorite ways to experience this storied scotch whisky. Support the show (http://Hospitality.fiu.edu)

It's the beginning of the holiday season. In this episode, we are joined by Julio Ruiz, the East Coast Sales Manager for our official glassware collaborator Riedel Crystal of America, Inc.   Have a listen and learn about the history of the 265-year-old family-owned company. We talk about the wine glass styles and what you need for your personal collection, or what you need to add to your Christmas shopping list. Professor Dodge discusses the new Riedel mixology series of glassware and guest host Dr. Oren Hertz asks the question of when to decant a wine.   We close out the show with some holiday cheer and talk holiday wine recommendations and our Thanksgiving guilty pleasure. Let the holidays begin!   Support the show

We are just 125 days away from the 21st Annual @sobewffest! What better way to kick off #sobewff season than to speak with Chaplin school's own Andrew "Kappy" Kaplan '03. Kappy dishes on his time at FIU, his first-time meeting with Rachael Ray at the festival and his career growth since that meeting as her VP of Culinary Operations. Students and industry veterans alike will benefit from Kappy's advice. We touch on Kappy's leadership role and giving back via his work with "No Kid Hungry." Coincidentally, our Chaplin School has taken over FIU's Food Pantry this month, so we encourage all to donate to ensure we reduce food insecurity both in our school and community! You can donate directly from Amazon using the link go.fiu.edu/wishlist.  Please also welcome the debut episode for guest "Barstool" Professor Cristina Moguel sitting in for Professor Connors! Support the show (http://Hospitality.fiu.edu)

Our guest this week has been nominated for 17 Emmy Awards and has won 7 times!  Now he’s an awarding-winning rum producer – he must be the ‘Real McCoy’! This week we are joined by filmmaker and rum aficionado, Bailey Pryor. Bailey is the Founder & CEO of The Real McCoy Rum, which is based on a film he produced for PBS of the same name.   We are also joined by Professor Gabe Urrutia. Professors Dodge and Urrutia get to RUM GEEK it up with Bailey and get the facts straight on aging and labeling. “Sober curious” and a conversation on the future of rum close out this informative episode. Listen, Laugh & Learn. Support the show (http://Hospitality.fiu.edu)

Support the show (http://Hospitality.fiu.edu)

It’ South Beach Wine & Food Festival’s 20th Anniversary and what better way to celebrate than have one of South Florida’s favorite Chefs join us! This week Chef Jeff McInnis joins us from the popular Bravo television show, “Top Chef” fame and now restaurateur. This three-time James Beard Foundation nominee is building his own brand of restaurants across America. Jeff shares his career path and his journey of becoming a Southern-inspired Chef. His passion for the industry shines through and he has some great advice for young hospitality professionals. The Speed Rail is back this week with a coastal chef inspiration round from Dim Sum, surfing, and the go-to spots in Charleston South Carolina Support the show (http://Hospitality.fiu.edu)

This week we are celebrating the 175th anniversary of the globally renowned and celebrated Blended Scotch Whisky DEWAR’S! The Guys are joined by not one, but two spirits professionals. Ms. Jacqui Seargeant (@jacquiseargeant) is the Global Heritage Manager & Whiskies Archivist and brings a wealth of knowledge to the conversation and the best Scottish Brogue (accent) the show has heard. Gabe Cardarella (@gcardarella) the North American Whisky Ambassador at Bacardi adds wonderful stories about this legendry Scotch Whisky. The amazing Professors Gabriel Urrutia (@looksmelltaste) is guest host this week and drops some DEWAR’S knowledge and his love for all things Whisky. “good whisky becomes great whisky when sharing it with good people over good stories”– Gabriel Cardarella Support the show (http://Hospitality.fiu.edu)

Support the show (http://Hospitality.fiu.edu)

What a treat for the 2 Barstools and a Knife team to be joined by world-acclaimed chef, restaurateur, author, and all-around awesome person Chef Norman Van Aken. While we did not get a chance to talk about chef's multiple James Beard awards, we did talk about his humble beginnings doing odd jobs from "hot tarring" roofs to his first entry into the culinary world as a short order cook. Chef tells some amazing stories about the long list of culinary talent that has flowed through the ranks of his restaurants, to the eternal friendship he developed with Chef Charlie Trotter. We could not agree with Chef more when he shared his advice on getting into the culinary/hospitality world: "This business chooses you. You don't choose it." and his drive to be a "lifelong learner." We know you will hear the same passion we did, which will make you hungry to learn and hungry to eat some of Chef's delicious food! We close out the show with some Speed Rail Key West recommendations from the guys & Chef Norman. Please take a listen, enjoy this episode, and be sure to check out any of Chef Norman's six cookbooks and his personal memoir . We certainly enjoyed the conversation and could have spoken for hours!!!!  Support the show (http://Hospitality.fiu.edu)

Listen to our very first BacardiTalks featuring Pete Carr, Ryan Bibbo and Heidi Hinkle Vargas, Moderated by Director Brian Connors and Hosted by the Bacardi Center of Excellence. Support the show (http://Hospitality.fiu.edu)

How lucky are we here at the Chaplin School and at the 2 Barstools and a Knife podcast? We teach our students daily to surround themselves with the best and brightest. Today, we helped them in that effort with our guest speaker Heidi Hinkle Vargas who is one of the best and brightest on Pete Carr's team over at Bacardi North America, who just happens to be the Chaplin School's partner in all things spirits. Heidi discusses her role as VP and Managing Director of On-Premise for Bacardi and her career path in getting to that position. Heidi shares stories overcoming the challenges of a huge hotel opening in Vegas and now working through the current challenges with Covid. Heidi discusses some "hot off the presses" news and stats with our students that really give us all cause for optimism in the Hospitality world. Heidi also shares the thoughtful philanthropic work Bacardi has done to give back to our community. Heidi closes our show with some great student advice and reminds us of Bacardi's vision for this year: Outsmart, Outwork, Outperform. It is a vision we share here at 2 Barstools and a Knife and at the Chaplin School...enjoy this episode!  Support the show (http://Hospitality.fiu.edu)