Dalla’s Amy Flores started down the straight and accepted path of college and a “real” job. For some this is a fine and regular endeavor, but as Amy’s mind grew more creative and sought out more diverse experiences, a desk job just wasn’t enough. Enter Hospitality stage left, and then a connection between people, spirits, and stories enrich Amy’s life forever. After years behind the bar, time in distribution, and now as an educational liaison for Collectif 1806, Amy shares some of the finest Remy Cointreau products to the masses while conducting roundtable chats about insights with industry legends. We chat Bon Iver, Cognac, community college, and more.
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Ep 250 – Nicola Olianas: Making the Bitter so Sweet
Nicola Olianas eats and breathes hospitality. As an Italian native, his surroundings were always rooted in food and community. The lifestyle of learning, fostering communication, and appreciating nature were at the foundation of his journey. But as it can sometimes feel limiting, his insular Italian neighborhood couldn’t satisfy Nicola’s cultural and travel inspired appetite. After studying abroad and rooting his passion for hospitality with some academic feats, the greatest handshake yet occurred: forging his relationship with the Fratelli Branca family. We all know and love Fernet, but let’s dig a little deeper. We chat fatherhood, health, hosting, and more.
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Products Assigned a Mexican Denomination of Origin
One of the most riveting conversations at the San Antonio Cocktail Conference 2018 was a class focused on the DO’s of Mexican spirits and how those should/could be protected. The class was hosted by Ricardo Pico, Dr Ivan Saldana, Sergio Mendoza, and Miriam Pacheco. I was unfamiliar with many of the other artisinal and agricultural products protected in Mexico. Here’s a helpful list provided by the panel. Tequila (1974) Agave Spirit produced in Michoacan, Guanajuato, Nayarit, Tamaulipas, and Jalisco Mezcal (1994) Agave Spirit produced in Oaxaca, Michoacan, San Luis Potosi, Zacatecas, Tamaulipas, Guanajuato, Durango, Guerrero, Puebla Olinala (1994) Craft Talavera (1995) Pottery Café de Veracruz (2000) Coffee Bacanora (2000)…
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Brandy is Dandy
Spirits like Cognac and Armagnac are world renowned treats. But did you know that they are Brandies just like Pisco or Calvados? In fact, most Cognac bottles used to read “Brandy de Cognac”. As the globally recognized cachet of “Cognac” grew, the verbiage was dropped. Brandy is a delicious category filled with rich cultural tradition and massively contrasting terroirs. I created the following infographic to help understand a bit more about Brandy across the globe. This is a good start, but there are even more varieties of Brandy…