The SOMM Journal

April / May 2017

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76 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } APRIL/MAY 2017 As the role of the sommelier has evolved, so have tangent opportunities and newly created positions. Eric Larkee is a prime example of a novel hospitality career path, which began as a back waiter at Madison, Wisconsin's Edgewater Hotel and culminates as Director of Licensing Operations for The Genuine Hospitality Group in Miami. We recently met with Eric to discuss his career trajectory as a somm and the unique path that unfolded before him. What was your first job in the hospitality industry? Eric Larkee: I started as a back waiter at the Edgewater Hotel in Madison, Wisconsin, and quickly progressed through the ranks to table captain and maître d'. This was old-school and I learned to cook tableside classics like Caesar salad, steak Diane and bananas Foster. Everyone that came in ordered an appetizer, entrée and dessert, and this is when I first learned the impor - tance of selling wine to increase the check average and earn more. My strong desire to learn caught the attention of the beverage manager who used to let me sit in at buying sessions. I was only 20 at the time—so I was told to taste, watch and learn, but don't say anything! How many years have you spent in the hospitality industry? Eighteen years Always on premise? Yes When did you know you wanted to be a sommelier? Before I could pronounce it (laughing). In the late '90s, I did not see a professional career path as a sommelier but was very interested in wine. I worked for a while in Manhattan as a server and bartender at Savoy in Soho. That is where I began to learn more about the details of what made quality wine. I moved over to Wallsé in the West Village to continue bartending and started working with the incredible all-Austrian wine list. I eventually moved off the bar to work closer with the head sommelier and a friend of mine who was a server and would later work as a som - melier and beverage director in the city. At this time, I started to meet other som- meliers at French restaurants who were not French-speaking, and I realized that my lack of French didn't disqualify me from the position somewhere with the right fit. Where did that opportunity lead? That would lead to my first posi - tion as Beverage Director and Maître d' at Wallsé. Here I had the opportunity to build and entire beverage program including wine, beer, spirits and cocktails. This was the beginning of the cocktail craze, so I was able to expose people to a new experience. Explain the progression from Sommelier to Director of Licensing "A Very Rewarding Experience" SOUTHERN GLAZER'S WINE & SPIRITS' MATTHEW CITRIGLIA INTERVIEWS ERIC LARKEE, DIRECTOR OF LICENSING OPERATIONS FOR THE GENUINE HOSPITALITY GROUP, MIAMI photos by Benjamin Rusnak Q: Q: Q: Q: Q: Q: Q&A Matt Citriglia, Director of Education at Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits Florida (left), with Eric Larkee, Director of Licensing Operations for The Genuine Hospitality Group, Miami.

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