Dutchess County, NY (October 7, 2020) — Today, The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and The Vale Fox Distillery announce a new virtual, live cooking series: Around the Kitchen Table. The series, featuring top CIA alumni, supports the college’s Financial Relief Scholarship and is hosted on the interactive platform, Topeka. Kicking off Sunday, October 18, at 5 pm EST, this one-of-a-kind event will invite participants into the kitchens of renowned chefs including Maneet Chauhan ’00, JJ Johnson ’07, Johnny Hernandez ’89 and Katianna Hong ’05 for simple, at-home cooking demos and conversation, alongside cocktail pairings by esteemed barman Jeffrey Morgenthaler using The Vale Fox Distillery’s award-winning Tod & Vixen’s Dry Gin 1651, which he helped create.
This event is open to the public and free of charge; however, those interested in supporting the future leaders of the food & beverage industries can select upgraded experiences by making a tax-deductible donation to the CIA Financial Relief Scholarship. The Vale Fox Distillery will be matching donations dollar for dollar. Upgraded options include being able to ask live questions on camera and a “backstage pass” for a virtual meet-and-greet with the chef. The link to RSVP is HERE and the event schedule is as follows:
- Sunday, October 18: Chef Maneet Chauhan, Founding Partner/President, Morph Hospitality Group
- Sunday, October 25: Chef Johnny Hernandez, Founder/President, Grupo La Gloria and True Flavors Inc.
- Sunday, November 1: Chef J.J. Johnson, Chef/Partner, Ingrained Hospitality Concepts, LLC
- Sunday, November 8: Chef Katianna and John Hong: Award-winning, Los Angeles-based Chefs
The versatile Tod & Vixen’s Dry Gin 1651, made with unique botanicals ranging from Makrut Lime to Red Roobios Tea, will be featured both in food and cocktail recipes. Recipes with a list of ingredients and tools will be emailed to each participant in advance of each event so they can cook alongside the chefs. The gin is available for purchase HERE.
In addition to supporting this event series, The Vale Fox Distillery is proud to announce a new scholarship fund for CIA students interested in pursuing a career in the beverage industry. For more information on the scholarship, please contact Erin Decker, erin.decker@culinary.edu.
About The Culinary Institute of America: Founded in 1946, The Culinary Institute of America is the world’s premier culinary college. Dedicated to developing leaders in foodservice and hospitality, the independent, not-for-profit CIA offers master’s, bachelor’s and associate degrees with majors in culinary arts, baking & pastry arts, food business management, hospitality management, culinary science and applied food studies. Its conferences, leadership initiatives and consulting services have made the CIA the think tank of the food industry and its worldwide network of more than 50,000 alumni includes innovators in every area of the food world. The CIA has locations in New York, California, Texas and Singapore. For more information, visit www.ciachef.edu.
About The Vale Fox Distillery: The Vale Fox Distillery is a new, small-batch estate located on a 120-acre plot amid the rolling hills of the Hudson Valley region of New York State. They currently offer ultra-premium Tod & Vixen’s Gin, inspired by the finest botanicals selected to meld perfectly with classic cocktails. A series of barrel-aged gins and a limited-edition American single malt whiskey are also in progress. Operations are run by its founder, Eral Gokgol-Kline, a former business investment expert for ventures across the globe. Beverage industry leaders Arthur Shapiro, Harry Cockburn, Douglas Cruikshank and the late Jim Swan each had a distinct role in the distillery’s creation. Revered cocktail professionals Gaz Regan, Leo Robitschek and Jeffery Morgenthaler applied their expertise to the development of Tod & Vixen’s Gin. Rounding out the team is Master Distiller Eric Bachli, an award-winning brewer-turned-distiller with a degree in Biotechnology from Harvard University Extension.
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