MIAMI & DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is giving its world-renowned Harrah’s College of Hospitality a world-class facility – The Hospitality Hall. This 93,500 square-foot hall will feature the Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits Beverage Academy along with a state-of-the-art kitchen, learning, meeting and office spaces.
Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits (“Southern Glazer’s”)—the largest North American wine and spirits distribution company— has been a long-standing partner with UNLV. Over decades of collaboration through UNLVino, an annual wine tasting event that funds student scholarships, it was only natural that Southern Glazer’s would become an extension and founding sponsor of the Hospitality Hall.
“UNLV has been a great partner for decades and when asked to contribute to the new Hospitality Hall there was no hesitation,” says Larry Ruvo, Southern Glazer’s Sr. Manager Director of Nevada. “We are proud to be able to invest not only in the school but in the students who will be taking their classes in the Southern Glazer’s Beverage Academy and to educate future beverage leaders of our industry.”
With so much emphasis being placed on the beverage industry in Nevada, the Southern Glazer’s beverage academy will welcome approximately 50 students in a large, open classroom that will feature a full-service bar where students can get hands on experience while they fulfill their requirements. This academy will provide students with the opportunity to experience real world situations in a classroom setting
“We believe that beverage operations should have its own track,” says Stowe Shoemaker, Dean of the college of Hospitality. “Beverage is driving the business today, and we’re confident that Southern Glazer’s is going to provide the top industry insights and education for our students.”
While classes will begin Jan. 16th in the new building, the Southern Glazer’s Beverage Academy is set to open Fall 2018.
Expertise in Wine and Spirits Education
There are only 147 Master Sommeliers in North America, and 15 of them work for Southern Glazer’s.
Southern Glazer’s employs 20 Master Mixologists across North America, responsible for educating bartenders, beverage buyers, and corporate clients about the latest trends in cocktail culture. Michelin star chefs, national restaurant chains, international hotels, and top spirits brands rely on Southern Glazer’s expert Mixologists to help them develop world-class beverage programs that raise the bar for today’s demanding consumers. Southern Glazer’s Mixologists hold multiple certifications from accredited organizations such as the U.S. Bartenders Guild, BarSmarts, the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, Society of Wine Educators, and the Cicerone Certification Program, to name a few.
Southern Glazer’s has more certified wine experts than any other North American wine and spirits distributor. Its employees have successfully completed more than 5,000 wine, sake and spirits education programs, from introductory to master-level achievements.
These include:
- Over 2,800 Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) wine & spirits certifications;
- 19 WSET Level 3 Awards in Sake;
- 1,600 Level 1 Court of Master Sommeliers®;
- 120 CMS Certified Sommeliers;
- 20 CMS Advanced Sommeliers;
- 14 Master Sommeliers®;
- Over 600 Certified Specialists of Wine (CSW);
- 16 Certified Wine Educators (CWE); and
- 117 Certified Specialists of Spirits (CSS).
About Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits
Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits is North America’s largest wine and spirits distributor, and the preeminent data insights company for alcoholic beverages. The Company has operations in 44 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, Canada, and the Caribbean, and employs more than 20,000 team members. Southern Glazer’s urges all retail customers and adult consumers to market, sell, serve, and enjoy its products responsibly. For more information visit www.southernglazers.com. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @sgwinespirits and on Facebook at Facebook.com/SouthernGlazers.
