Southern Hospitality Will Train 'Bourbon Sommeliers'

New York-based Southern Hospitality will start construction at Denver's St. Elmo Hotel this October, and for anyone who's skeptical about the caliber of this restaurant, let's start with its bourbon program. According to Nation's Restaurant News, One Republic frontman and Southern Hospitality co-owner Ryan Tedder has drafted bourbon connoisseur Victor Matthews, chef/owner of Black Bear Restaurant in Colorado Springs, to build the restaurant's bourbon profile. The dude knows his bourbon, and apparently, he intends to train bourbon sommeliers:

"Of course Southern Hospitality has a bourbon room, and I’m writing a bourbon guide to train all of our staff and make sure everyone is a bourbon enthusiast and master... We might even call a person, once I’m finished training them, a bourbon sommelier. Its not as complicated as wine — there are only about 70 major bourbons — but it is complicated. You have to know what you're tasting, and you have to know how to sell it."

Matthews says that he'll feature 60-70 bourbons at Southern Hospitality, including a number of bourbon flights — even Colorado bourbon flights. Gee, one day, we'll have a sommelier for everything.

· Creating Bourbon Sommeliers [NRN]
· All Southern Hospitality Coverage [EDen]

Southern Hospitality at St. Elmo [Photo: Adam Larkey]