Virtual Networking
Choose from one of the two virtual networking events Crowe will be offering. Each event offers a break from the stress of the day and will allow you to network with colleagues in the industry while learning something new!
Virtual Bourbon Tasting and
Craft Cocktail Demo
Virtual Cooking Class
Join Crowe partners Glen Combs and Eric Boggs to learn about the diverse characteristics of bourbon and how to craft the perfect cocktail. Bourbon recommendations and electronic recipe cards will be provided for the signature drink and a mocktail that will complement any event.
Five lucky participants will be randomly chosen to receive a special “bourbon” prize (sorry, not the liquid) after the event.
Join retired Crowe partner Bob Benson and professional chef Marlee Belmonte as they demonstrate the preparation of some diverse dishes. A shopping list and electronic recipe cards will be provided if you wish to cook along as they talk about their missions and meals.
Five lucky participants will be randomly chosen to receive a cookbook gift set recommended by the chefs after the event!
Meet Your Hosts
Glen Combs
Crowe Partner
Bourbon Fan
Glen has been a bourbon fan long enough to remember when top shelf bourbon only meant Maker’s Mark. His taste for bourbon started when he was going to Kentucky football games when he was in college. He’s fortunate to live in Lexington, Kentucky from where he can travel to any location on the bourbon trail within a couple of hours. He and his wife, Jamie, haven’t visited them all, but plan to complete the trail in 2022. Glen buys bourbon to enjoy and share with his family and friends. His most prized bottle is a half-pint of JW Dant which is at least 70 years old.
During this session Glen will share a few of his recommendations, talk about bourbon etiquette and show you how to make a Bluegrass Old Fashioned. He’ll provide the recipe so you can try it and share the joy of bourbon with others, as well.
Eric Boggs
Crowe Partner
Bourbon Fan
Eric’s been a bourbon fan for as long as he can remember…which isn’t long due to all the bourbon. After moving to Nashville, TN in 2012, Eric found America’s native spirit to be a great conversation starter to get to know people and their tastes. He and some of his neighbors founded a neighborhood whiskey club to create a community around their love of bourbon. The club has structured bylaws, annual dues, a defined meeting format and even whiskey colored blazers to allow for fun along with the education. The club has hosted many up-and-coming brands, in addition to established labels, and now has three chapters in multiple states.
During this session Eric will share his bourbon journey and lessons learned, talk about forming a whiskey club and show you how to drink whiskey his favorite way, neat.
His favorite whiskey quote:
“Too much of anything is bad, but too much of good whiskey is barely enough” – Mark Twain
Thomas Bolton
Maker's Mark® Diplomat
Thomas Bolton is a Maker’s Mark® Diplomat, sharing bourbon love and brand education through the entire state of Kentucky. When Thomas began his career with Maker’s Mark in 2016, he brought with him over a decade of experience in the beverage industry. As a brand Diplomat, Thomas is a storyteller, guardian and educator about all the things that make Maker’s Mark so special. Each and every day, Thomas introduces the best bars, restaurants, retailers and the public to Maker’s Mark, Maker’s 46, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength and one of the industry’s most innovative programs – the Maker’s Mark Private Select Experience.
Bob Benson
Retired Crowe Partner
Volunteer Chef
Immediately after Bob’s retirement from Crowe in 2016, he attended the International Culinary Schools program at the Art Institute where he graduated #1 in his class. Between Sarah’s Kitchen and the Treasure Coast Food Bank, he is in the kitchen four days a week preparing between 1000 - 1400 meals for the food insecure. Bob has participated in numerous catering events prior to the pandemic, and these events are starting to be scheduled for dates in the near future.
Bob is on the South Beach Wine & Food Festival Prep Team, which prepares all the food for the Food Network demonstration celebrities at this annual, four day, charity event.
Marlee Belmonte
Marcellus Foods VP / Professional Chef
Former "Chopped" Contestant
Marlee Belmonte is a professional chef with 10+ years of experience in the Bay Area’s culinary scene where she has perfected the art of cooking for anywhere from 3 to 300 people at a time. Her skills were showcased on the 2019 season of Food Network’s “Chopped”. Marlee is the co-founder and VP of Culinary at Marcellus Foods in Salt Lake City, UT. Marcellus Foods is the world’s first fresh prep grocer that handles most of the time and effort of cooking from scratch by selling prepped ingredients that are one step away from becoming great meals.
Visit www.marcellusfoods.com to learn more about Marcellus Foods and its mission to make it easy for everyone to eat well at home.
