I will be speaking on an Additive Free Tequila Panel at BCB Next Week!

I was recently offered the opportunity to speak on a Panel with Matt Robertson from Ensueño Tequila, Rob Gerard, the Tequila Collective, and the amazing award-winning spirits & cocktail journalist and author, Emma Janzen. I actually referenced some of Emma’s work a few weeks back when talking about the Tequila Matchmaker situation.

I am beyond honored to even be in the same conversation as Rob & Emma, let alone sharing the stage with them on such an important topic.

Our goal with the panel and discussion is to ensure guests walk away not only with a better understanding of the Additive Free Tequila issue, but also with some practical takeaways that people can take back to their bars and restaurants to improve their additive-free offerings. 

What is Bar Convent Brooklyn?

Bar Convent Brooklyn is an international bar and beverage trade show. There are seminars, tastings, brands showing off cool stuff, and a ton more. It’s basically the second biggest coming together of the Bar World of the year (first being Tales of the Cocktail).

On top of the actual convention, various brands and prominent bars are known for putting on great events at night. It’s like one giant party for business, with great pop-up bar events along the way. This year will be my first year attending and off the bat I’ll be on a panel. How insane is that?!

My friend Jordan Hughes, AKA High Proof Preacher, will also be hosting a seminar on ‘How to Produce Scroll-Stopping Cocktail & Spirits Content’

He’ll be hosting it on Wednesday at 12:15 if any of you are there and want to see a master in action. I can’t wait to watch it. I know I can certainly learn a thing or two from him and there are so many other great events.

So if you’re in New York City next week from Monday to Wednesday, maybe I’ll see you around! Come swing by the Ensueño booth on Tuesday if you’re attending BCB, I’ll be slinging some original cocktails and having a good time.

^{America’s Largest Alcohol Distributors is (probably) Getting Sued by the Government Over Alcohol Prices}

Here’s the scoop: the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is gearing up to take everyone’s favorite distributor, Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits, to court over antitrust concerns. It’s all about alleged behind-the-scenes deals, with Southern Glazer’s accused of buttering up major retailers with secret perks and kickbacks.

Why does that matter to you?

Based out of Florida, Southern Glazer’s is a heavyweight in the alcohol scene, representing a whopping 7,000 brands across 44 states, pulling in a hefty $26 billion in revenue in 2023. If you work in the restaurant industry, you probably have a Southern rep who bothers you weekly.

This case would represent yet another move by the Biden administration to rein in dominant companies (in all sectors of the economy, not just in the food and beverage industry) as it tries to demonstrate that it is fighting to bring costs down for the average consumer. Whether that is actually true has yet to be seen but with a

The FTC’s case is not yet finalized, but one source said the commission is likely to allege that Southern Glazer’s has been providing “secret kickbacks” to large retail customers and violating the 1936 Robinson-Patman Act. 

Navigating the legal waters won’t be a walk in the park, however. Alcohol laws are a tangled web of state regulations, adding an extra layer of complexity to this high-stakes showdown.

No official comments from either party have surfaced yet, but this isn’t Southern Glazer’s first dance with legal trouble—they’ve had their fair share of legal spats in the past.

What does any of this mean?

The alcohol industry is a crazy, old, and tangled mess and I have my doubts that this suit will even go anywhere. For that matter, even if it doesn’t actually result in lower prices for us everyday consumers, it would be nice to see someone try.

Given how the economy is going this year, if this suit goes anywhere and this does help prices come down, I will be a happy camper.

More Incredible Restaurant Movies & TV

Last week we wrote at length about how much I loved The Bear, and that got us thinking—what other movies and TV shows have also depicted the insanity of restaurants?

Try giving these movies a watch next :

Boiling Point (2021): Holy shit, get ready for a ride. This movie was filmed in one take and captures the mounting pressure and intense drama of a busy restaurant kitchen on one of the busiest nights of the year. Is it realistic? It’s definitely over-dramatic and a stretch, but it definitely successfully captures the essence of the stress it takes to run a Michelin-rated kitchen. Really good attention to culinary detail as far as movies go. If you like the Bear, you’ll like this. Did we mention this was shot in ONE TAKE?!

Chef (2014): Jon Favreau does an amazing job playing a chef who quits his job at a prestigious restaurant to start a food truck. What works here is the fact the you can really tell that Favreau understands and loves food. Watch the scene in the movie where he makes Aglio e Olio for Scarlett Johansson and tell me this guy doesn’t have a passion for food.

Big Night (1996): Stanley Tucci and Tony Shalhoub, two amazing actors. This focuses on two Italian immigrant brothers running a restaurant, portraying the stress and passion involved in preparing an extraordinary feast to save their business. Widely considered to be one of the best critically rated culinary films out there. Tucci is a well-documented foodie in real life and you can certainly tell from this.

The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014): A story of a culinary rivalry between an Indian family and a Michelin-starred French restaurant. Something about this movie pulls at the heartstrings. Not the most hard-hitting, not the most edgy depiction of the industry, but one that shows the powerful nature of food and its ability to bring people together. Feel-good movie and well-acted.

Ratatouille (2007): Ok, we know. It’s an animated film about a rat who dreams of becoming a chef in a Parisian restaurant. Roll your eyes all you want, but if you love food you can’t not enjoy this movie.

Burnt (2015): Don’t watch this movie. It sucked. Bradley Cooper has some highlight-worthy scenes but the whole thing tries way too hard and is a walking cliche.

In Other News:

• Certificadora Royalty, posted on IG that they are now an accredited Tequila Regulator. Well keep an eye out for any more developing news.

• Kevin Kos posted a video on making Limoncello 3 different ways which i thought was great.

• The Eleven Madison Park crew is expanding into the bar world