12-Week Academy of Spirits, Mixology and Fine Service
Offered once a year, this 12-part comprehensive course covers the history, culture, and techniques of spirits and cocktails. Designed to prepare students for leading international certifications in wine and spirits.
5-Day Academy of Spirits, Mixology and Fine Service Bootcamp
Offered once a year, this 1-week, 5-day accelerated course covers the history, culture, and techniques of spirits and cocktails in our 12-week program. Designed to prepare students for leading international certifications in wine and spirits.
Discover the key wine regions of Europe. We will cover the impact that geography, climate, wine laws, winemaking, and historical traditions have on the style and flavors of the finished wines.
Discover the key wine regions of the New World. We will cover the impact that geography, climate, wine laws, winemaking, and historical traditions have on the style and flavors of the finished wines.
MasterClass – Blind Tasting, Service Technique, Wine List Construction
Get business basics. We will demonstrate techniques to analyze the structure and flavor of wine through blind tasting as well as cover proper wine service and wine list construction.
MasterClass – Introduction to Sake and the Spirits of Asia
Build a beverage foundation for Baiju, Shochu, and Soju. Participants will learn the process of sake production, taste examples of the most common styles, and discuss proper ways to serve it.
Get bar ready! This stand-alone, 4-hour session covers the basics of distilled spirits. Learn about the different varieties of spirits, their ingredients, the distillation process, and proper service technique.
Ready, set, sip! This stand-alone, 4-hour session covers the basics of wine appreciation: description and tasting of key grape varieties, basic principles of winemaking and vineyard practices, and proper service technique.
Trends 101: Wine, Spirits and Beer Trends of Nevada
Details coming soon!
A Center of Innovation & Education
The Academy at Southern Glazer's of Nevada “raises the bar” in food and beverage education. Established in 2000, the Academy has graduated thousands of food and beverage professionals who have gone on to work in influential positions at resorts and restaurants in Las Vegas and beyond. The unique learning space is fully integrated with a host of impressive audio and visual tools that enable remote learning of various classes and events. Advance your career today!
Joe Phillips was part of the opening team for the Bellagio Resort in Las Vegas and became a Master Sommelier during his career there. He is an active examiner and educator for the Court of Master Sommeliers and a Certified Educator for the Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET). Joe is a Director of Product Education for Southern Glazer’s Wine, Spirits, and Beer of Nevada and makes frequent guest appearances at many venues in Las Vegas, Reno, and UNLV’s William F. Harrah College of Hospitality. He previously managed award-winning wine programs for the Bellagio Hotel & Casino and the MGM Grand Resort in Las Vegas.
Livio Lauro, Master Mixologist
Livio Lauro started his beverage career more than 25 years ago in Southern Italy at the famous Club Valentino, and later at the cocktail-centric Dolce Vita. The recipient of several prestigious awards in international cocktail competitions, Livio was recognized in 2002 for passing the final Capo Barman AIBES exam, the most prestigious testing series sanctioned by the Italian Bartenders Association. Livio is widely recognized as one of the most instrumental figures in the resurgence of the United States Bartenders’ Guild (USBG) and is the founding President of the Guild’s Master Accreditation program which is the premier national testing body for bartenders in the United States.
Eric Mummert, Director of Product Education
Eric Mummert has 16 years of experience in the beverage industry as a buyer and in sales at both the wholesaler and supplier levels. He joined Southern Glazer’s Nevada in 2021 and today serves as an instructor specializing in wine and beer. Eric holds multiple certifications in beer and wine from organizations like the Wine Scholar Guild, Society of Wine Educators, and Court of Master Sommeliers and has significant experience with spirits.
