54 minute read
FRONT & BACK OF THE HOUSE BY GAEL HEES PAYS A VISIT TO SPIEDINI ITALIAN RISTORANTE and gives us an update since Owner/Chef Gustav Mauler retired and Chef Matthew Burwell took over Spiedini at the JW Marriott in Summerlin. I became friends with Chef Mauler several years ago when I sat on the ACF Chefs Association of Las Vegas Advisory Board where Chef Mauler was an active member when we worked together on various charitable organizations. Spiedini has been known as an excellent Italian restaurant off the Strip with customer-friendly pricing
Chef Burwell Helps Fuel Slow Evolution of Spiedini Italian Ristorante
By Gael Hees Gael Hees is a Las Vegas freelancer, and founder of the blog, The Steamy Side of Vegas, Living the Spa Life. She writes for national publications and has won numerous awards for printed materials and videos. Follow her at steamysideofvegas.com or email, gael.hees@icloud.com with questions, suggestions or comments.
Advertisement
Chef Gustav Mauler created a classic Italian eatery when he opened Spiedini Italian Ristorante at the Resort at Summerlin. The restaurant quickly became known for its impeccable service and authentic dishes including osso bucco, tagliolini with lobster, and lasagna Bolognese al forno. Twenty years later in July of last year, Chef Mauler retired, leaving the restaurant to JW Marriott to manage with menu, decor, employees, kitchen and reputation intact. The challenge was to find the right leader to build on Mauler’s successes.
Looking within, the company found two good candidates for the position. Megan Shaver was first promoted to executive chef and then in the fall was promoted to sous chef for the entire Resort at Summerlin property. Matthew Burwell was named executive chef in October, after serving the company for just three years, starting as chef de partie, and then making his way to sous chef. After being promoted, Burwell continued to learn from and observe the kitchen operations for several weeks before making any changes. Paying careful attention to what worked and what didn’t, he slowly started tweaking things to better suit hismanagement style. His first changes involved creating more teamwork among the kitchen staff members. He started cross-training people on different positions to cut down on log jams during peak production times. “It is really important that everyone is helping and supporting each other,” said Burwell. “Many cooks have the mentality that ‘I’m just working the sauté station so that's all I’m going to do.’ I think that sort of separation causes problems and work slowdowns. There has to be goodcommunication and support.” When asked about how he managed moving from the position of a peer in the kitchen to executive chef, he replied, “I've tried to keep a separation between personal and professional relationships, especially since moving out here. I’ve made that mistake, become too close of friends with coworkers. If you want to advance, that has to be your priority from the get go. You can’t come into a restaurant just to make friends and think that you’re going to advance. I’ve developed that separation to where we’re friendly and have fun, but there is a time to
get the job done and stay focused.” As to the menu, Burwell has left that pretty much as it was under Mauler’s direction. “The person before me was Chef Megan,” said Burwell, “and we just tried to do our own specials rather than make menu changes. I’ve adapted some of my ideas to the offerings but don’t see any reason to change the menu at this time.” Burwell grew up in Toledo, Ohio and started in the restaurant business as a teenager, washing dishes and eventually working his way up to cook. The decision to become a chef led him to Monroe, Michigan, where he attended culinary school at Monroe Community College. Upon returning home, he snagged a job at Bottle Employee Five, a gastropub, where he worked his way up from cook, to sous chef, to executive chef. After five years, he made the move to Vegas and worked at a locally-owned Italian restaurant in Summerlin before moving to Spiedini. “Advancing in your job is a lot of hard work,” said Burwell. “It involves gathering as much knowledge as you can and turning around and putting that knowledge to use and exhibiting that you’re absorbing that knowledge.” He apparently paid attention when one of his culinary school faculty members said, “The moment you stop learning is the moment you get left behind in this business.” He likens this to the competition for customers among Las Vegas restaurants. “If you just stick to what you’re doing, you’re going to become outdated and a piece of the past,” he said. “To really hold onto what you’re doing, you have to constantly evolve. That’s what I see a lot of the restaurants around town doing.” As to Spiedini’s evolution? Burwell didn’t want to say too much, but he did share that a new pizza oven—scheduled to arrive this summer— will add a whole new section to the menu. He also indicated that there would be a few more additions and changes. He wants the details to be a surprise. Spiedini Italian Ristorante theresortatsummerlin.com/dining/fine-dining/spiedini
What’s Cooking
By Bob Barnes Bob Barnes is a native Las Vegan, editorial director of The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional, regional correspondent for Celebrator Beer News and covers the LV restaurant scene for Gayot.com. He welcomes your inquiries. Email: bob@lvfnb.com
Photo credit: A.D. Cook & 18bin 18bin Proving to Be a Good Fit for the Arts District
In late September 18bin opened in the heart of the Las Vegas Arts District in a space that formerly housed Bar Bistro and most recently Urban Lounge. It would seem the location at Charleston and Art Way between Main and Casino Center, adjacent to the Arts Factory warehouse and gallery, would beg for a venue with a cool art vibe and it seems that 18bin is a perfect fit. The bin in the name alludes to the group’s 702bin location in the Downtown Container Park, which Sonny Ahuja and Don Welch opened in 2013. The 18 references its historic 18b district site spanning 18 blocks that is home to more than two dozen art galleries and studios, along with boutiques, stores, bars and restaurants. While the 702 sister restaurant only encompasses a mere 640 square feet in the shipping container space its housed in, 18bin dwarfs it in size, measuring 4,000 square feet of interior space and 5,000 additional square feet of patio. Don Welch flexed his creative muscle to create an eclectic art décor, with artwork and murals by local artists, colored windows, mismatched vintage hanging lights, rustic wood tables and flooring, plush brown leather booths and the centerpiece of the bar: a large mural celebrating the 1973 underground movie They Call Her One Eye. Welch is equally proud of the patio, which he referred to as his baby. Interspaced throughout the area with several tables are trees, vines, flower beds and herbs. There’s also a wonderful artistic functional wood-carved creation of a table and chairs which I found to be quite comfortable. The restaurant’s website describes it as a meeting place, and it has all the fixings to fit the designation: with board games, video games, a legit sound system playing mainly classic rock and a vintage TV outfitted with a VCR and old movies that patrons are free to play while they hang out on a comfy couch and chairs. The elevated space the TV is set up on doubles as a stage, where DJs and live bands perform on select nights. The beer selection, which includes 9 drafts and 2 dozen bottles and cans, is rounded out with an international selection with a wide range of beer styles, most of which are not found everywhere. During my visit I found Delirium Tremens, Bavik Super Pils, Konig Ludwig Weissbier, Hofbrau Dunkel, Fuller’s London Pride, Einstok White Ale, Lindeman’s Cuvee Rene, Hitachino Nest Red Rice Ale, Boon Kriek, Tre Fontaine Trappist and Andechs Doppelbock Dunkel. There is also quite a large spirits list, with dozens of bourbon, whiskey, scotch and rye expressions from around the world; more than a dozen mescals and tequilas; and a collection of gin, rum, vodka and several liqueurs. Heading the kitchen is Executive Chef Jenn Landry, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of New Orleans with nearly 25 years of experience (for more on Chef Landry, see Pat Evan’s
Chef Spotlight in our Dec. issue https://lvfnb. com/articles/chef-spotlight-fa3b60988d11). In describing her food menu she said, “Like the décor, nothing matches, but everything fits well.” We enjoyed her beet salad with grapefruit segments and charred grapefruit vinaigrette; carrot/parsnip hummus (which changes daily); clam bake with potatoes, Kalamata olives, white wine and chorizo; and her New Orleans influence shined brightly in her jambalaya made with Andouille sausage and herb-marinated chicken served with long grain rice and southern spicy sauce chicken lollipops. We finished with a very decadent and unique addicting dessert: bacon-crusted monkey bread with pork belly caramel. As is fitting for a location brimming with culture, 18bin is family friendly, with no gaming or smoking and only the bar area off limits to minors. 18bin is also friendly to your wallet, with food items mainly from $7-12 (and are not increased during First Friday) and during the daily happy hour from 3-6 p.m. there are even deeper discounts with draft pints beginning at $3.25, house wine and well drinks for $5.50 and food offerings such as 3 roast beef sliders for $8. 18bin is open Sun.-Thu. 11 a.m.-midnight, Fri.- Sat. 11 a.m.-2 a.m. and beginning on February 29 a weekend brunch will be served. To view the complete food and drink menus visit https://18binlv.com/eat. 18bin 107 E. Charleston Blvd., Suite 150 702-202-2484
The Front Yard at Ellis Island Hosts Its First Beer Dinner Ellis Island’s The Front Yard, which opened in late 2019, hosted its first beer dinner on Feb. 6. Held in the second level of the new venue, the six-course beer dinner proved quite popular, as it sold out to the first 50 attendees to book it. The evening began with a welcome beer, a traditional Bavarian Hefeweizen with slight notes of banana and clove. We were welcomed by Head Brewer Michael Keys, who shared how he and fellow Head Brewer Eddie Leal have been brewing since they were kids, before they were old enough to drink legally, and that the longtime friends and co-workers had celebrated their silver anniversary of brewing for 25 years by coming over to brew together at Ellis Island two years ago. Throughout the evening we were entertained with comments about the food and beer pairings from Michael, Eddie and Ellis Island Corporate Chef Joe Perez. The first course paired Elote Bites—a cheesy deep fried Mexican-style cornbread with roasted corn and poblano crema—that complemented the easy-drinking Mexican Light Beer it was paired with. Next up was Smoked Salmon Carpaccio with an
avocado salsa paired with Rauchbier, of which Eddie said is a very unique beer made with malt smoked with beechwood that made the brewery smell like a campfire when they brewed it. Michael added that this style originated in Baumberg, Germany and is one of his favorite beer styles, and was a test beer for entry to the Great American Beer Festival. I must confess this has never been one of my preferred beer styles, but this version changed my mind, as it had just a touch of smokiness to make it enjoyable and was a good match for the slightly smoked salmon dish it was matched with. Belgian Beer Cheese Soup, which Chef shared is going on the new menu, was served alongside the brewery’s Belgian Tripel, which was one of the prime ingredients used in the dish. Eddie commented that he added Belgian candi sugar to the brew, and though it weighs in at 8% ABV, it doesn’t taste that strong and could sneak up on you. Mussels with Spicy Sausage was matched with a Czech-style Pilsner brewed with Noble Czech hops, which was enhanced by the flavor in the dish. Michael and Eddie related that Pilsner is a go-to style for brewers, as they are often glorified janitors and a well-made Pilsner is a great beer to be refreshed with after a hard day’s work.
Photo credit: Joe Urcioli Braised Short Ribs with Creamy Polenta was made with the California Common it was paired with instead of using stock. Eddie related that this is the same style as the iconic Anchor Steam and is an amber lager with Northern Brewer hops fermented at ale temperature to get more character.
The finale was Smoked Bourbon Ice Cream with sweet pralines and a caramel Stout reduction matched with an Oatmeal Coffee Stout infused with cold brewed coffee from the local Bad Owl Coffee Roasters. Eddie said he added the coffee grounds in a separate tank at a cold temperature so the coffee would add less bitter flavors. This inaugural beer dinner hit all the right notes, with use of a sound system making it easy for all to hear the comments; seamless service with no lags, even though servers had to lug trays full of dishes up to the second floor; a great price of only $50 for six courses, which also included a commemorative engraved pint glass; and most importantly, outstanding food and beer. Look for more special events, which I’m told will include wine dinners, spirits pairings and more beer dinners.
By Jackie Brett Jackie is a freelance public relations specialist and writer specializing in the Las Vegas entertainment and travel scene. Her writings have appeared in magazines and newspapers nationwide and on numerous websites. Email: jackiebrett@cox.net
ENTERTAINMENT Pitbull returns for the sixth year with five performances of his new residency “Pitbull–Get Ready Vegas” at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood, April 22, 24-25 and Sept. 10-11.
Adam Lambert, American Idol star and Queen lead singer, will bring his “Velvet” show in support of his new album to The Venetian April 22, 24-25. “Extravaganza–The Vegas Spectacular” from “WOW–The Vegas Spectacular” creators at the Rio will make its North American premiere March 14 at Jubilee Theater inside Bally’s. “RuPaul’s Drag Race Live!” made its world premiere at Flamingo with a residency featuring six queens. Accompanying the production is RuPaul’s Werk Room retail store and theatrical environment. New show “iLuminate Presents: Happy Hour” will open in the Sin City Theater at Planet Hollywood March 26 highlighting performance group, iLuminate, a 2011 finalist on America’s Got Talent. Las Vegas’ longest-running headliner, Frank Marino, has permanently joined the longestrunning production show “Legends in Concert” at the legendary Tropicana. Hollywood psychic medium Thomas John opened his intimate show at Cleopatra’s Barge inside Caesars Palace with 6 p.m. performances.
Derek Hough will bring his new dance-centric show “Derek Hough: No Limit” to the Flamingo for multiple dates from June 2 into November. Bon Jovi is kicking off 2020 with new music and a tour stopping at T-Mobile Arena Saturday, June 20. Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons will headline three shows April 9-11 in the Paris Theatre where “Jersey Boys” played for nine-years.
Terry Bradshaw, who showcased his knack for comedy, singing and storytelling headlining “The Terry Bradshaw Show” last year in the Atrium Showroom at the Luxor, will kick off a residency starting March 19. Caesars Entertainment has extended Mat Franco’s “Magic Reinvented Nightly” for five more years at The LINQ where it opened five years ago. Bachata superstars Aventura making their first U.S. tour in more than 10 years will stop at T-Mobile Arena Saturday, March 28. Fifth-generation psychic medium Dallisa Hocking opened “Psychics & Spirits: The Live Show” at Binion’s Gambling Hall in the Apache Showroom. Lauv will perform at The Chelsea in The Cosmopolitan Saturday, Aug. 22 as a stop on his “~howi’mfeeling world tour~.” The final date for Gwen Stefani’s two-year residency at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood is May 16. Grammy-nominated alt-rock band Everclear will perform at M Resort Saturday, April 11. Latin cumbia superstar Fito Olivares will visit The Railhead inside Boulder Station Friday, May 1. The 7th annual Big Blues Bender four-day Las Vegas-based music festival will take over Westgate Sept. 10-13. Carlos Santana’s residency, “An Intimate Evening with Santana: Greatest Hits Live” in its eighth year at Mandalay Bay in House of Blues will continue into fall 2020.
DINING • BEVERAGE HIGHLIGHTS Circa Resort & Casino under construction on Fremont Street has revealed its lineup of restaurants…steakhouse Barry’s Downtown Prime, 8 East featuring pan-Asian cuisine, Project BBQ, Saginaw’s Delicatessen and Victory Burger & Wings Co. True Food Kitchen promoting health-driven dining opened its first Nevada outlet at The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace along with True Bar, the company’s first standalone scratch-bar. The inaugural evening EVOLUTION Las Vegas Food & Wine Experience on April 18 will replace decade’s long UNLVino and be held at the new Caesars Forum Convention Center. Nobu opened at Bally’s following the closure of Nobu at Hard Rock Hotel, which shut down for rebranding and will reopen as Virgin Hotel in fall 2020. New Mexican restaurant concept Elio will debut at Wynn March 19 occupying space adjacent to Encore Beach Club. Prendi is a new grab-and-go eatery with a Focaccia Bar in the Sahara’s updated hotel lobby. Moon Palace at The Palazzo is a new quickserve, compact menu of Tastys, Hot Chips and Half Dips. Aristocrat Technologies launched the first Buffalo Bar at Rampart Casino in Summerlin. The second 24/7 El Dorado Cantina opened at Tivoli Village serving authentic Mexican cuisine. Tekka Bar, an original Japanese handroll and sake concept inside Block 16 Urban Food Hall at The Cosmopolitan, has introduced a guest chef handroll monthly series. Steak ‘n Shake at South Point received the 2019 Franchise of the Year Award from Steak ‘n Shake Corporate.
ABOUT TOWN The D this month will reveal BarCanada, an ode to Canadian sports and culture, on the second floor with a 20-seat bar surrounded by 85-inch TVs. The Sahara opened its new Poker Room with seven tables, an LED video wall, food options by Northside Café and daily tournaments. Las Vegas-residency artists Shania Twain, Christina Aguilera and Aerosmith are starring in the ad for Las Vegas’ new slogan, “What Happens Here, Only Happens Here.” New York City’s Clean Market will open its first West Coast NutriDrip location at Wynn this spring offering its signature NutriDrip Wellness and Recovery IV infusions. Tonino Lamborghini, known for its legendary bull icon, opened the first mono-brand boutique in the U.S. at Caesars Palace in the Appian Way Shops. The Hunger Games: The Exhibition at MGM and Swarovski revealed limited-edition jewelry and accessories for The Hunger Games fans. Three first-to-market retailers—energetic fashion boutique Altar’d State, tech-savvy b8ta and contemporary men’s brand Psycho Bunny— opened at The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. Las Vegas, the 100th National Fitness Campaign partner, unveiled the city’s first Fitness Court digitally connected outdoor gym at Bill Briare Family Park.
•Wholesale distributor of exceptional quality dried spices and specialty foods to the finest hotels and restaurants •Owned and operated by a former chef with over 20 years of experience •Custom packed Herbs and Spices •Custom Spice Blends •Private labeling •Now Certified Kosher
The Restaurant Producer: Jerry Prendergast, Prendergast & Associates
Benjamin Brown, MBA is Restaurant Editor of The SoCal Food & Beverage Professional. A seasoned writer and consultant, Ben works with Fortune 500 companies and mom & pop shops alike in Marketing, Analytics, Consumer Insights, PR and Business Development. Contact Ben at Ben@lvfnb.com or follow him @Foodie_Biz.
Jerry Prendergast, Founder of restaurant consulting firm Prendergast and Associates, has been a driving force behind myriads of restaurant projects, from sole proprietorships to large-budget operations around the world. From his humble beginning as a dishwasher to managing a project portfolio that includes some of the country’s most acclaimed eateries (and a stint as a professional tennis player in between), Prendergast’s career has encompassed virtually every aspect of getting a restaurant off the ground. Prendergast shared a bit more detail about his upbringing in the restaurant world, his work as a consultant (or a ‘restaurant producer,’ as he appropriately calls it) and his advice to aspiring restaurateurs looking to turn dreams into feasible, tangible and profitable reality. You describe yourself as a ‘restaurant producer.’ Can you elaborate on what this means? A producer is someone who takes an idea and makes it into a reality. Take a movie producer: They’ve either brought a product, or script, by a writer or director. They then bring in the director of photography, the associate producer to work on contracts, the financial manager to assess how the project will sell, and oversees the team that will create the final product. Okay, so your niche is getting restaurants from the idea phase to their actual opening. Talk about what goes into that process.
The first thing we do is help people build a financial structure
for their restaurant. We try to analyze how much money we can raise, or they can raise, and then map out costs. Then we assess their attorney, their accountant and whether they know the restaurant industry. Those are the first two most important hires. Then come the real estate person, the architect and the kitchen designer. They all have to be able to work together and create your vision. Once we find a location, we put together the final budget and plan specific to that location. By then we’ve brought in the contractor and we start putting together the blueprint. From there, we start staffing and training leading up to the restaurant’s opening. I also usually want to be around for the first 3 months after opening. I don’t want to turn something I’ve worked on for 18 months over to a new team that soon. You don’t have a baby after nine months and expect it to be an adult after it’s born. It’s nice to have ‘historical decision making’ around. As a funny example, I worked on a project more than 20 years ago and recently walked into the restaurant for the first time in decades. I saw equipment being brought in for live music. The staff didn’t know that we had installed a sound system when we first built the place. There was a coffee machine blocking the main control panel. That was a $750K entertainment package that got lost in the handoff to new management over the years! Lastly, I put together a binder of essential information about the restaurant: the backstory, phone scripts, etc. to get people onboarded as quickly as possible. And it can get even more complicated depending on where the restaurant is located? You have the health department, the liquor authority and so many other groups where you have to get permitted. It varies state by state and can become a completely different process depending on where you are. When I get a new project, the first thing I do is figure out how the process works [in that state] so I know which members of the team to bring on first. For example, I want a local architect almost everywhere. I may have an interior designer from LA, but if the restaurant is in Florida, they’ll be working with an architect in Florida. Let’s go back a few steps. What inspired you to go into restaurant consulting and what was your career path like before you started your firm?
I grew up in Hudson Valley in New York. My grandfather was a partner in a hotel company, and he put me to work in the hotel as a dishwasher and a prep cook. I stayed working in restaurants throughout high school and college, where I got my bachelor’s in business administration and finance, and my master’s in economics. I took a year off to play professional tennis, but Wilson decided that I wasn’t worth sponsoring after that [laughs]. Afterward, I came back to New York with the plan to get my brokerage license and work on Wall Street. Instead I took a job managing a restaurant that wasn’t open yet. I successfully opened the restaurant by managing the projects the team couldn’t otherwise handle. I still had the intention of working on Wall Street, but kept getting called in to work on new restaurant projects. From 1979- 1990 in New York, I opened around 25-30 establishments. I moved to LA in 1991 and a personal connection set me up with my first restaurant clients out here. That’s what I’ve been doing ever since. And how do you get new clients now?
90% of my business is referrals. Whether it’s a real estate agent trying to get a tenant to take a location and realizes the person doesn’t know enough to get the project done, or an investor looking for an expert to help the team get a restaurant off the ground. I also joke that the reason you hire me is that I’ve probably made or seen every mistake that can possibly be made. But in all seriousness, I ask them questions they don’t have answers to. When they realize they don’t have answers and those answers are important to move forward, they begin to understand the value of my experience. What is some advice you think all restaurant owners should abide by?
Prepare and plan. Don’t jump into a space. Before you sign a lease or do anything else, you should know what it’s going to cost to do that project in that location. People fall in love with a location, and then decide to bring in the architect and contractor before getting a good idea of the location’s true costs. They run into all sorts of issues that can go way over budget. Never fall in love with a location. Never do a deal you can’t walk away from. If you don’t get the deal that works for you, walk away. Make sure you hire the right team of people. No matter who you are, it’s the people who you put together that make a project work. My grandfather said to make sure to hire people who know more than you do. They make you look smart. I try to do that on every project I work on.
Wine Talk with Alice Swift
Alice Swift, Assistant Editor and Journalist for The Las Vegas and SoCal F&B Professional, is passionate about hospitality/F&B, education and instructional design, with 15+ years of experience. In 2016, she moved from Las Vegas to Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, working for the UH System as a multimedia instructional designer, while maintaining her hospitality/F&B ties through writing, teaching and consulting (Swift Hospitality Consulting). email: alice@lvfnb.com | website: www.aliceswift.com By Alice Swift
Ready-to-Drink (RTC) Beverages, the NEW New Moneymaker
It’s always been a well-known fact that in the restaurant business, beverages are the big moneymaker, in particular, soft drinks. The business’ cost to purchase the flavors and equipment is quite low, so establishments can price with high profit margins. When looking at the bigger picture, the non-alcohol drink market globally is US$1,146,791m in 2020, with more than 60% made up of soft drink sales. 1
However, there is a larger revenue stream in another sector within the beverage world, and you guessed it—it’s the alcoholic drink sector. Alcoholic beverage market totals US$1,587,868m worldwide for 2020, with beer taking the market majority at US$615,933m. 2 In recent years, I have been discovering more and more “craft” beverage establishments popping up everywhere in all my residences. From Claremont, California (Claremont Craft Ales, Last Name Brewing), to Las Vegas (Banger Brewing, Bad Beat Brewing), to Hawaiʻi (Beer Lab HI, Ko’olau Distillery), craft breweries and distilleries are everywhere! Non-alcohol beverages are a whole other world, with categories like water, non-alcoholic cocktails, energy drinks and health drinks rising to the surface. However, lately during my grocery store visits, I have been noticing some changes to the supermarket layouts of beverage products. A sector called the Ready-to-Drink, or RTC beverages, have really started to take over the supermarket inventory. There are entire endcaps, aisles, and even refrigerated sections next to chilled beers that have become privy to RTC drinks. Not only have new products been coming to market and changing floor layouts in stores, but changes to the packaging and design of beverages have also been evolving. Read on to learn more. Evolved Packaging and Marketing Because of the need to evolve and innovate to increase beverage consumers, producers and companies are needing to think outsidethe-box and experiment with ways to disrupt the market. Millennials have seen a surge in alcohol consumption in recent years, going for the “custom” beverages, whether it’s the artisan mixologist-created cocktails in hipster bars, or the “limited” edition flavored spirits and mixers. Design has always been a factor in purchasing decisions of beverages like wine. In the past, we have seen the classic, more ornate wine labels, with script font and to some event with gold foiled text to represent higher end wines. The customer base of the 21st century is looking more for the minimalist look. Clean, simple packaging design, with sans serif fonts. At the same time, bright colors are appealing to audiences, especially product that are Instagram-able! Social media plays such a large role in the food and beverage industry now, so it only makes sense that packaging and visual design of beverage is now focused on being camera-ready. Ready-to-Drink Beverages in Off-Premise Establishments One market that has been around for a while, but seems to have really come to light in the past few years, are with Ready-to-Drink (RTC) alcoholic beverages. Why sell hard alcohols and mixers separate when you can combine them and flavor them with an endless number of possibilities? When visiting the average supermarket that has a decent wine selection, I now see a new section that has formed in recent years. During my last visit to Safeway in Hawaiʻi (a.k.a. Vons in other states), an entire set of shelves has
now been dedicated to these RTD beverages! Based on the research, there is one key reason for the surge in demand: CONVENIENCE! 3 This is the primary reason that demand for RTD beverages have taken off in recent years.
To aid consumers to support their convenience, there are a few key packaging components to RTD beverages. Rather than large bottles of wine, spirits or mixed drinks, the focus is now on single-serve portions. Packaging now mimics other non-alcoholic drinks that have taken off, most notable being coconut water and healthy energy drinks. Slimmer cans (like Red Bull cans), and Tetra pack (like the single-serve coconut water, made from similar materials as the classic “juice boxes”) seem to run the majority for RTD drink packaging. The earliest brands I can remember that gained in popularity are the Budweiser branded Lime-A-Rita and Straw-Ber-Ritas, which started in 2012 and 2013, respectively. The other common mixed drink that makes sense to can, would be the classic “Jack and Coke,” which has evolved into an entire line of Jack Daniel’s Country Cocktails with something for everyone. Now there are entire aisles and sections dedicated to RTC wine, beer, cocktails, seltzers with alcohol, malt beverages, and more! Next time you stop by the supermarket, explore the beverage aisle and see how much they have evolved over the years. From the graphic design and packaging, to the innovations of the drinks themselves, the beverage market refuses to grow stagnant and continues to predict what will be the next “it” thing. Until next month, Cheers~! Alice
what’s BREWING
By Bob Barnes Bob Barnes is a native Las Vegan, editorial director of The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional, regional correspondent for Celebrator Beer News and covers the LV restaurant scene for Gayot.com.
He welcomes your inquiries. Email: bob@lvfnb.com
Mojave Brewing Now Open in Downtown Henderson Last month Mojave Brewing opened to enthusiastic and steady crowds. Situated in an old Bank of America building in Downtown Henderson at 107 S. Water St. (at Pacific), part of the charm is the still intact vault, as well as a larger-than-life mural by local artist Marley Richmond with a depiction of the brewery’s mascots: a jackrabbit and a coyote, chosen for being animals native to the Mojave Desert (more on the Mojave moniker later). There are also large windows providing lots of natural light, an industrial ceiling, garage doors that can open when the weather permits and front and back patios. The brewery is a collaboration of owners John (aka Griff) and Kristi Griffin and Nate Carney, with John and Nate sharing the brewing duties. John, who moved here with Kristi from Detroit in 2000, when asked how the name was chosen, shared it was selected because: “the Mojave Desert is the place where my dreams came true.” As to his choice of Water Street in Downtown Henderson he added, “This space has a lot of personality. It was a giant open space and we had to dig up the floors, add drains, piping and two patios. We saw a lot of opportunity here and after talking to the other business owners (on Water St.), have found a strong, supportive community.” John is a retired schoolteacher and longtime homebrewer who has brewed since 1992. After deciding to make brewing his next career he spent a few months at Joyride Brewing Photo credit: Joe Urcioli & A.D. Cook
in Colorado, brewing daily on a 10-barrel system (the same size as his system at Mojave) to familiarize himself with how to ramp up brewing small homebrew batches to much larger commercial versions. The opening lineup of beers included a range of beer styles, with the 10% Fire Wolves, a malty Belgian Tripel; Shotgun Wedding, a blonde ale with raspberry and Serrano pepper that brought the clean flavor of the pepper without the heat; Skragzilla, a 5.5% easy-drinking blonde ale; Exit 23, a pale ale with noticeable hop flavor; Almost Famous, a 6% robust porter; Bones Brigade, an 8.2%, 85 IBU IPA with hop flavor, but not overpowering bitterness; and Mojave Export, a quite flavorful foreign extra stout. I must say I was impressed with the quality, variety and cleanness of all the beers. In addition to the beer, Mojave Brewing offers ciders and is reputed to be the first-ever cider house in Nevada. John explained he chose to offer ciders, which are gluten free, because his wife Krista has celiac disease, but also to provide an alternative to those who are not beer drinkers. Initial offerings include Freedom of Peach and Out Cider (apple blend made from Washington State apple puree). So far the ciders have been proven to be very popular, which does not surprise me, as they are quite delicious. While no food is served, there is an exclusive menu from the nearby Water Street Pizza with sandwiches, wings, chicken fingers and pizza, which are delivered to the brewery. Mojave Brewing is open Mon.-Wed. 4-10 p.m., Thu.-Sat. noon-midnight and Sun. noon-10 p.m. This new opening brings the surrounding
area’s brewery tally to five, including Lovelady just steps away, and Astronomy, Bad Beat and CraftHaus a few miles away at the Booze District.
Beer District Brewing Opens in Arts District After years of planning, jumping through numerous hurdles and delays including government permits, inspections and buildout transforming an old building into a brewery, Beer District Brewing has finally opened its doors. Located within the Arts District at 914 S Main St. a few blocks north of Charleston, the 10-barrel brewhouse started pouring beer the last week of February. The new brewery is owned by Jimmy Doyle and his wife Camelia and Clyde Lipp. Camelia has graced the tasting room with her very beautiful artwork and Clyde will serve as Brewery Manager. The original artwork is not the only attribute, as there is an attractive black and white marble bartop, an epoxy floor and plenty of natural light via several windows, including one that looks into the brewery. There is no gaming but plenty of board games, which adds to a social vibe where people aren’t glued to a screen and actually talk to each other. While no food (other than bags of snacks) is served, there are several nearby restaurants from which you can order food to be delivered to your seat and food trucks will be stopping by periodically. The building, which had been vacant for seven years, was a former Firestone Tire store built in 1962, which happens to be the same year Jimmy was born. The large colorful sign on the outside walls of the building, which Camelia
helped to design and paint, makes it easy to spot as you head down on Main, and it cleverly lists the GPS coordinates. Parking in the area can be problematic, so a big plus is that Beer District Brewing has 20 parking spaces. Jimmy shared he had won five best-ofshow awards in local and state homebrew competitions and after one such win was interviewed for an article and when the reporter asked why he wasn’t brewing professionally, a bell went off in his head. It was shortly after that he and his homebrew buddy Clyde (who related he had jumped into homebrewing with both feet), began making plans to turn pro. Jimmy still holds onto his homebrewing roots, and his 20-gallon homebrewing setup has been relocated to the brewery and is being used for test batches. Plans are to eventually have all of their brews flowing from the 20 taps, which will soon be the case as Jimmy has time to brew more. During my visit I was able to sample four: Hue Hefeweizen, a 5.2% Bavarian style; Vegas in a Bottle, a 10% imperial stout; Sunshine & Haze, a very citrusy 6.5% West Coast hazy IPA brewed with Galaxy and Sabro hops; and Sip City, a blonde milk stout on nitro with additions of coffee, cinnamon and lactose. I found all of the beers very enjoyable and full of flavor, and the tasting room has a comfortable feel where I wouldn’t mind spending time at, so I’d say Jimmy and company are off to a great start. At press time the hours are still being worked out, but Beer District Brewing is open daily. For more info visit www.facebook.com/ thebeerdistrictbrewery.
The Mad Fermentist Opening this Month in the Arts District As I write this The Mad Fermentist is just weeks from debuting in the second level of the Three Sheets craft beer bar on Casino Center in the Arts District, but Brewmaster/Founder/Coowner Allan Harrison filled me in on his new contract brewery. Allan is Brewer at Astronomy Aleworks, which is where he is brewing the beers for his new endeavor, which will allow him to brew what he describes as “crazy, unique, eclectic, boutique beers no one else is doing.” A former chef, he is incorporating his culinary background as most of the beers will have some food aspects, and he is using more expensive, high-end ingredients. As for the name, it reflects the name he gave himself years ago when he was homebrewing in his backyard as a self-proclaimed “mad scientist of beer,” and he considers the new bar his beer laboratory. Allan describes the initial lineup in great detail as follows: Dynamic Equilibrium—6% German Helles Vollbier Lager with Barke Pilz, Munich, Aromatic and Rye malts; hopped with Saaz and Hallertau Blanc; and fermented with Weihenstephaner Lager yeast. In addition, there is a version of this lager lightly aged (for 30 days) in a Jim Beam barrel. Consonance & Dissonance—6% Bavarian Hefeweisse Bier split into two beers, made with Weyerman Pils, Malted White Wheat and Flaked Wheat; lightly hopped with Tettnanger; and fermented with Weihenstephaner Wheat
Ale yeast. The Consonance has a blend of tangerine, pomelo, Meyer lemon and orange blossom honey added; and Dissonance has blueberry, blackberry and raspberry purees. A Liquid Perception of Harmonic Partials—8.5% NEIPA Creamsicle with Maris Otter, White Wheat and Flaked Wheat; very aggressively hopped with Azacca, Equanot and Mandarina Bavaria; and fermented at a cool 100 degrees with Voss and Hornindal Kveik and with a touch of vanilla extract. Sine Wave—the NEIPA previously mentioned but with a ridiculous amount of peach puree added. Amplitude—aka Milk Dudz, 10% Baltic Porter made with too much Belgian Pale 2 Row, Brown, Chocolate and Midnight Wheat; hopped with Galena; and adjuncted with brown sugar, lactose and D-180 Belgian Candi Syrup. Liquidious Meniscus—6% Kettle Sour Weisse with Barke Pilz, White Wheat and Flaked Wheat; hopped with Tettnanger; soured using Lactobacillus Plantarum; and fruited with plum puree. The opening is slated for March 6, starting at 2 p.m, which happens to be during First Friday, during which all beers will be $5 with raffles for gear and gift certificates at 4, 6, 8 and 10. Hours will be Sun.-Thu. noon-10 p.m. and noon-midnight Fri.-Sat. Although Three Sheets is not open during some of those hours, The Mad Fermentist has its own entrance. As always, great beer happens in Vegas!
Tara Empson: Belief, Balance & Business
By Erin Cooper & Christine Vanover Erin Cooper and Christine Vanover have been residents of Las Vegas since 2007. Vanover is also a UNLV Alumnus. Cooper is a Territory Manager for the Resort Wine Team at Southern Glazers Wine & Spirits. Both women founded Twinkle Toast in 2017. info@twinkletoast.com • www.twinkletoast.com Facebook: @TwinkleToast Twitter: TwinkleToastLV Instagram: TwinkleToastLV
We recently had the privilege to interview Tara Empson, the tenacious, young CEO of Empson & Co. Her portfolio is nearly 50 years old and was built with passion and intention by her parents, Neil and Maria Empson. When did Empson & Co. begin and how many wineries does it currently represent?
Empson & Co. was founded in 1972. Prior to that, my parents worked out of a small reception room in their apartment building as agents until they had enough money to establish the company. My mother always told me about how they made sacrifices to start achieving their dreams. She spoke about how she would go to the supermarket with the little money she had and how many times she had to count coins to afford to buy that night’s dinner. Thanks to their dreams and sacrifices, today we export to 32 countries worldwide and represent 52 wineries and 5 craft spirits. How are the wineries within your portfolio selected?
My father always told me to choose based on two vital points: the quality of the product and most importantly the quality of the person behind the product. If you truly believe in what you have, then the relationship will last. There are bound to be times when you are more successful and times when you are less successful but if you don't have a strong and trustworthy relationship with the producer, then the odds of overcoming hard times will be low and the partnership will suffer. Very wise words in my opinion, as today we have wineries in our portfolio that we have represented for over 40 years and one that has been with us for 48 years. Not a bad track record! What did you do prior to joining the family business in 2006?
I grew up following my parents around the world. I came to Italy when I was 4 years old and was immediately introduced to the wonderful people that still surround me today. Over time, my concept of family became about the relationships that I had with our office staff and our producers. My parents did not believe in babysitters and I would attend business dinners and fall asleep on my mother's lap many nights. As a consequence, my strongest desire is to be with the people I love and to try my best to make them happy as they always did for me. What has been the greatest challenge and/or most rewarding part of succeeding your father as CEO?
This is certainly not an easy moment for us considering our portfolio is 97% Italian. This said, I am not scared of a challenge and the upside is that it forces you to work together, find alternative solutions and forge ahead. The most rewarding part was taking the reins and feeling that I was supported and accepted. I say this because being an heir to your parents’ company is not always easy. The assumption is that the road has been paved for you, but the reality is that if you don't earn the trust and respect that you need, the road ahead is going to be filled with rather large potholes with no one to help you fix them. What do you think is the most common misconception about Italian wines?
That just because marketing has taught us that Italian wine is the symbol of vacation and a casual lifestyle, it is often not true. There are a lot of big names out there that are oriented towards “easy” drinking “aperitivo” style wines but the truth in my opinion, is that producers are more and more oriented towards finding excellence in quality and authenticity. If you could only choose three wines from your portfolio to drink for the rest of your life, what would they be and why?
This is a very hard question. I am often asked which is my favorite and it always throws me for a loop. The reason being is that I believe wine and the experience you have is tied to circumstances. For example, there are times you will be at a dinner and someone will open up an amazing wine but for some reason, even if you are enjoying it, it doesn’t touch your soul, and there are other times, perhaps after a hard day at work where you come home, pour yourself a glass, and feel like you are somehow complete. That being said, I am a big fan of island varietals and volcanic soils. How are the new potential U.S. tariffs on wine affecting your business and the livelihoods of the families you represent?
With such great vintages out there, and the exceptional releases of the latest Barolo and Brunellos, it hasn’t been ideal for us, for sure. That said, I believe you can develop an action plan if you know what you are facing and in my opinion, what has really hurt the most, up to now, has been the uncertainty, fear and silence that has taken over the market. This sense of irresolution and uncertainty has caused more damage than the final decision itself. We are a financially stable company, thanks to my parents’ wise choices and sacrifices, so we are prepared as best as we can be to weather the storm and support our families. What is your greatest piece of advice for young women in the wine business?
Don't overwhelm yourself and remember to be proud of who you are. I was recently asked this question and my answer was that as women, we try to take on the world and although our multitasking is very admirable, we forget to be kind and forgiving to ourselves. We are often driven by success but forget how vital our own mental and physical health is as one can’t thrive without the other. What do you imagine you would be doing if you weren’t CEO of Empson & Co.?
Proclaim myself the ruler of a small Caribbean island and if that fails, as I don't think the odds would be in my favor, then I would work with animals. If you had to choose one varietal that best represents you and your personality, what would it be and why?
Maybe Carignano. It is very resilient and has survived Phylloxera in some areas. It thrives in the Mediterranean and loves the sun and sand. It has a strong backbone, but is soft on the palate. I would consider myself a fighter and although it’s not a preference, when I am subjected to hard times, I subconsciously thrive as one is forced to learn and adapt. I can be quite intense at times but at the end of the day, nothing makes me happier than kicking back and spending quality time.
By Nicholas Bilt Nicholas Bilt, a Hospitality Management student at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, represents the Epicurean Society, a collection of food and restaurant enthusiasts. Nicholas is the journalist for Epicurean Society, and is sharing the club’s experiences with the public. Coming from an arts high school for culinary arts and hospitality, Nicholas looks at food and service from an artist angle.
Epicurean Society is starting this new semester with a bang, as we have expanded our leadership board from 3 to 7. In addition to our co-presidents Jennipher Chung and Savannah Reeves, and our treasurer Leslie Barba, we have added secretary Karren Bae, marketing manager Alfred Tsai, social media manager Christina Yuan and journalist, me, Nicholas Bilt. I am taking over the articles from Savannah, so thank you to Jennipher, Savannah and Leslie for picking me to take over as Epicurean Society’s reporter. Karen, Alfred, Christina and I are very excited to be on board and are eager to bring our skills to the table. With the expansion of our leadership we are creating more opportunities for all of our members. For instance, our marketing manager, Alfred, is reaching out to more properties and we are starting to have more restaurant tours. Our tours are there for our members to meet top industry professionals at the top restaurants in Vegas to learn firsthand what goes into running these premiere restaurants. Our first tour was of the Eiffel Tower Restaurant at the Paris Casino. The tour was a great success! Lyle Tolhurst, the restaurant’s divisional supervisor, led us on the tour of the restaurant. Coming out of the elevators we were greeted with a view of the kitchen and all of the cooks hard at work. It really gives a wow factor and sets off the dining experience with a bang. Turning to the right you can see the bar before making it over to the host stand. Walking past the host stand towards the dining room we were treated to the fantastic view that Eiffel Tower Restaurant is famous for. Mr. Tolhurst showed our members how they are continually evolving in how they operate their table reservation system, as the hottest seats in the house are the ones by the window overlooking the Bellagio Fountains. The way they do reservations now has increased their table turns per night. Mr. Tolhurst let us in on some top-secret information on which table he considers the best, but I will not be able to reveal that information here. Fun fact: the Eiffel Tower team sees about 4 to 5 proposals every night.
We got to meet the Executive Chef, Chef Joung Sohn, and she talked to us about the menu and how Eiffel Tower Restaurant strives to bring authentic French cuisine to Las Vegas. One thing that Chef Sohn told us is that a number of guests are surprised when coming to dine at Eiffel Tower, thinking that French cuisine is served in smaller, delicate portions. Chef went into detail about how they are always researching new trends in the food industry and are constantly evolving their menu to keep up with people’s ever-evolving curiosity for new flavors. The rack of lamb, the creme brulee, and the souffles came highly recommended from the team. Another fun fact is that Chef Sohn was one of the first female executive chefs on the Strip. Towards the end of our tour we walked in on the pre-shift meeting for the night and got to meet the whole team that makes the magic happen. That was an amazing experience; the manager introduced us as the future leaders of the industry, and they all applauded for us, which was an amazing moment. It was a true warm welcome to the Las Vegas hospitality scene. Our members loved the opportunity to be able to visit the Eiffel Tower Restaurant and
hear firsthand from the team and learn what makes the restaurant so special and how they keep improving and evolving in the extremely competitive food & beverage market here in Las Vegas. On behalf of all of Epicurean thank you so much to Mr. Tolhurst and everyone at the Eiffel Tower Restaurant for the tour. You made our very first property tour a great success! We are currently in the process of planning more restaurant tours for our members to learn more about different restaurants in Las Vegas and how they operate. In addition to our Eiffel Tower Restaurant tour, we are starting to plan Epicurean Society’s annual pop-up restaurant on April 23; we will be calling it Around the World with Epicurean. We will be taking our guests on a journey around the world through food, serving 12 different dishes from different countries: 3 appetizers, 3 entrees, 3 desserts and 3 drinks. We have just started planning and the menu is not finalized, so I am not yet able to talk about it. From the early talks we have had in our leaderboard and with all of our general members it is sure to be a big treat. We hope to see you when we tour the culinary world on April 23; it is sure to be a delightful culinary trip around the world.
By Ben Brown MARCH GLADNESS How Kadee and Karl Malone are Spreading Happiness One Rum Bottle at a Time
Photos Courtesy: Karl & Kadee Malone
Countless hours of exertion, pushing your body and mind to levels previously thought impossible, your focus on one goal, your motivation fueled by one burning passion, is a common practice among elite athletes. Bit this hard work and ambition cannot stay contained within the confines of the field, the court or the weight room. It’s a way of life, a force as strong as ever within NBA legend Karl Malone, and a mindset he’s passed down to his children. Now, 16 years after retiring from basketball, Malone is business partner with his daughter Kadee, and dare we say the duo is bringing as much passion to the rum business as that Malone and Stockton brought to the Utah Jazz in the late 90’s.
“The fact of the matter is that when we open up a business, it’s not just for sh**s and giggles. It’s real,” Karl said. “People pick up on your passion, and [E. Leon Jimenez Rum] is now something that’s a part of us. If you’re going to share a piece of yourself with the world, then you better make sure you’re putting everything you have into it.” Speaking through his thick Louisiana accent, Karl emphasizes ‘us’ and ‘we,’ noting that he and Kadee may have joined forces because they’re family, but business is growing because of her own hard work, dedication and savvy. “She just jumped right into it. You can’t teach that…it’s something you gotta have within you,” Karl said. “I’ll be the first to tell you that I don’t make any decisions unless I run them by Kadee.” The two first got into business together when they opened Legends Cigar and Vape, a humble smoke shop in Ruston, Louisiana where the family resides. Karl’s passion for cigars began during his NBA career when he smoked one to celebrate a big win, and he sought to turn it into a business after retirement. Building the shop took the greater part of three years, providing lessons for the father-daughter team to learn from, that eventually set them up for their success with E. Leon Jimenes. “Kadee initially owned the construction [of Legends Cigar and Vape], but we soon realized that it held challenges outside her control,” Karl said. “I found myself raising my voice to my
daughter, but realized that the things we were fighting over weren’t her fault. I had to check myself and say ‘Kadee, you were right.’” When Legends opened, the two had more than a smoke shop between them. They had a newfound professional relationship and compatibility. And for Karl, this meant instilling Kadee with new responsibility. “I called her one morning and had her come to the store,” Karl said. Kadee showed up, originally thinking there was something wrong, but was greeted by a smile from her father, and news that would change her life. “I just said ‘Congratulations, you’re the owner,’ Karl said. Kadee took the news with delight, viewing ownership of the store with incredible potential to expand the family’s brand. “The facial expressions that people make when they try any of our stuff is priceless,” Kadee said. “Their jaws drop, their eyes sparkle. It’s amazing. We wanted to make [Legends] feel like our house, like what we have as a family. Everything is about family. We try all the products out ourselves.” And the ultimate test they both agree on showcases their dedication to quality. “All of our products stand on their own. If you take our name off the label, they’re still gonna love whatever they’re having,” the two of them said. The search for quality led Karl and Kadee to E. Leon Jimenes rum, during a series of visits to
their cigar supplier, La Aurora in the Dominican Republic. After a few conversations, the pair seemingly fell into the rum business by accident. “I never drink dark liquor, ever. Then we were down in the Dominican Republic, where we called ‘The Godfather’ [La Aurora President Guillermo León],” Malone said. “They had a rum that got a 97 at the Chicago Wine Institute. They knew they had something special, but it was just sitting on the shelf.” After trying it for the first time, the Malones decided to take some back home to the US to share with their friends. The rum was met with overwhelming approval, and they kept asking for more. That went on for two years. “We have a tendency to give things away, then it got serious,” Kadee said. “I said ‘Dad, you gotta stop giving away the rum.’” They saw a business opportunity to take E. Leon Jimenes rum to the US commercially. They just didn’t expect La Aurora to agree as quickly as they did. “I said ‘Dang, we’re your best customer,’ so I asked La Aurora if I could be a distributor,” Malone said. “They said yes, and I said ‘Dang, what have I got myself into!’” The pair are now responsible for the brand’s distribution across the US, and are proud to add E. Leon Jimenes rum to their portfolio of premium products tied to their name. “It’s a high-end rum and it’s pricey, but the fact of the matter is that anyone can drink it, and that’s what we’re all about,” Karl said. “It’s one of those rums you can have in a casual setting or in a suit and tie. When people have it, they’re going to know that it’s a true experience. Everyone who tries it comes back for more.” E. Leon Jimenes rum is a blend of selected rum reserves, aged eight years in virgin American Oak barrels. It’s then taken out and aged an additional two years in French Sherry casks. It promotes flavor notes of honey, red fruits, vanilla and cocoa, and is bottled in the Dominican Republic’s prestigious Barcelo distillery. A 750ml bottle typically retails for ~$100. “[Aurora] made this rum so it could pair with every La Aurora cigar, and they have thousands of strands,” Karl said. “And it’s made with sugarcane juice and not the syrup. That’s why you don’t have the headache the next day,” Kadee said. E. Leon Jimenes is expanding rapidly, entering the Las Vegas market with Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits and is on track for continued expansion, but the road has been far from easy, requiring Karl and Kadee to lean heavily on the passion that brought them into the business in the first place. “People said no and shut the door in our faces. We didn’t get detoured. You can’t look at the money part of it. You have to look at your passion, and for all the people who tell you can’t do something, show them all the ways you can,” Karl said. “Whatever your dream is, whatever your goal, whatever your passion, don’t let them take that away from you. People pick up your passion…we closed two restaurant deals in Las Vegas just because they saw how much we loved and believed in this rum.” “When people tell you no, don’t stop. Someone is going to say yes,” Kadee added. “My dad
taught us from a young age that we have to work for anything we want. With Legends, I was the one who painted the store. I did so many things for it, and that’s how I earned the business. I worked for it.” At the same time, they’re staying true to their ideals for family. They began distributing E. Leon Jimenes in their home state of Louisiana, through a handshake deal with a local wholesaler and importer. To this day, they haven’t signed a contract. “That’s the great thing about trust and loyalty. We’re helping them because they’re helping us,” Malone said. “That’s the great thing about our community [in Northern Louisiana], where we all feel like family and looking out for each other.” The same principles apply to Legends and the myriads of other businesses each Malone oversees. From Kadee’s CBD line to Karl’s ventures in logging, real estate and transportation, the end goal is to support the community. “We open up the type of business that people need, not something to compete with a place that’s already open,” Karl said. He’s also cognizant of his celebrity status, and is the first to acknowledge that while he retired from basketball in 2004, the athlete’s mindset and the passion he’s instilled in himself and his family are a lifelong commitment. “The first thing everyone says to us is ‘We know you’re here now, but are you going to be here when we actually start the business?’” Malone said. “They talk to us about all the celebrities who come and go, and ask us, ‘What’s gonna be different?’ All I can give them is our word, and everyone who takes it sees exactly how much we stand by what we believe in.” And just like that, you realize the man’s endless NBA accolades are not his identity, but rather a product of his identity, built on a foundation of passion. The spotlight shines on Kadee, who may not have inherited her father’s thick southern accent, but got every bit of the athlete’s mindset that’s paved her own foundation for success. Karl and Kadee Malone are taking E. Leon Jimenes rum to new heights, but this entrepreneurial journey isn’t just about business. It’s about family.
CHARDONNAY SUMMER
