Breaking Bread and Barriers with Kurvball Whiskey's Lisa Leventhal

Prepare your palate for a culinary escapade as your host Carl Fiadini serves up a delicious auditory feast. Get ready to be whisked away on a journey where scrumptious crawfish meet creamy grits, and where Jeff's knack for transforming national food days into epicurean delights is nothing short of magical. Our tablescape is set with a sourdough sandwich that dares to dance with smoked chicken and roasted grapes, and a chicken pot pie empanada that'll take you straight back to your family's dinner table. Plus, I'll give you a hint of the munchie-centric mayhem planned for our 4/20 event that's guaranteed to tantalize taste buds without a hemp leaf in sight.

Raise your glasses high as we chat with pioneer Lisa Leventhal of Kurvball Whiskey, who turned the tides of the pandemic into her own brand of success. Her story isn't just about the amber liquid in your glass; it's a narrative of breaking through barriers in a whiskey world o

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 1:04

hello food fam. This is the walk and talk podcast where you'll find the perfect blend of food fun and cooking knowledge. I'm your host, carl fiadini. Welcome to the number one food podcast in the country. We're podcasting outside at Images Studios, where food photography comes alive and I get to eat it.

Speaker 1: 1:23

First things first. Last week we had New Orleans celebrity chef Sean Pooch Rivera in studio representing the Big Easy, and he cooked up an amazing crawfish and grits man. I gotta tell you something it was pretty amazing. I said amazing and I mean it. If you missed the episode, go and listen. Pretty amazing, I said amazing and I mean it. If you missed the episode, go and listen.

Speaker 1: 1:42

Today, jeff is cooking up some goodies after the show. More on that momentarily from the big man himself. Thank you, peninsula Food Service for supplying the proteins for today's productione Chefs in the central Florida area. Peninsula is the largest distributor of Creekstone Farms beef in the southeast United States, complete with a fully staffed butcher shop. To help you solve all of your kitchen inconsistencies, check out the Dry Age Program 2. Okay, our guest this week is one of the owners of Curveball Whiskey. It's barbecue whiskey. Yeah, I said barbecue whiskey. Also amazing, lisa Leventhal. She's a badass female who made the best out of COVID. It's a great story. Stay tuned. Lisa is on deck. Jefferson, why don't you pop the clutch? Slam to that pre-shift baby and let's get going.

Speaker 2: 2:40

Heck, yeah man.

Speaker 1: 2:40

Let's get cooking, my man.

Speaker 2: 2:41

It's Wicked this week, man. It's Wicked podcast. Wicked cool, yeah, all right. So I kind of wanted to develop the menus over what national food days are, because every day there's a national food day. For instance this is no April Fool's joke April 1st is sourdough bread day, so we're doing a sourdough uh bread sandwich. It's gonna be a little different. It's gonna have some smoked chicken on there, or roasted grapes, whipped brie, rosemary pistachios and some bourbon bacon. Gonna be some yumminess there. Roasted grapes, man, that sounds actually. That's, um, that rings a bell right there, dashos and some bourbon bacon. Going to be some yumminess there Roasted grapes man.

Speaker 1: 3:23

Actually, that rings a bell right there. I like it.

Speaker 2: 3:26

I did it one time we were doing a dinner. We did like a bruschetta, but we didn't use tomatoes, we used the roasted grapes instead. It was fantastic. I never thought that who would have thunk to throw a grape in a a roasted or oven and roast it.

Speaker 1: 3:42

But it's really good. I mean, I like I've sauteed grapes before and use it as a stuff for um, uh with a pork chop, yep.

Speaker 2: 3:50

Yeah, yeah, they're definitely good. And then, um, believe it or not, it's on. The 8th of April is empanada day, so we're going to do a chicken pot pie one. I actually have three of those. There's a nice dipping sauce to go along with that one. Smoked chickens in there, celery root puree, roasted carrots, so there's different textures in there. Caramelized onions. It was so good. Both my wife and my daughter had three yesterday.

Speaker 1: 4:13

Wait a minute, are you saying that that's later today? Yeah, oh, john actually talked, he whispered.

Speaker 2: 4:21

I heard it though.

Speaker 2: 4:25

He's now whispering, john, and then today, 4-4, it is actually two food days. Today there's the burrito burrito, and then we got a chicken corton bleu. The burrito is going to have smoked shredded chicken, cuban-style pink beans, rice collards, and then that's going to be wrapped up in a flour tortilla, and then the chicken croissant is going to be stuffed with a bourbon ham, gruyere cheese I have mataki mushrooms to go along with that roasted carrots and then a pomegranate demi-reduction with some potato puree. So that's going to be really nice too as well. You're going to have a hard time today, I think.

Speaker 1: 5:02

I don't think I'm going to have a hard time at all.

Speaker 2: 5:03

I mean deciding which one you like the best.

Speaker 1: 5:06

Not eating.

Speaker 2: 5:08

We know you're very handicapable of eating. Yeah, what are we talking about here? How was last week, by the way, all the food you took home to the fam? Everybody was happy.

Speaker 1: 5:16

Oh, my goodness, are you kidding? Turns out that my, you know the grits, grits, my mother-in-law's favorite thing. I didn't know who would have known God. Oh my God, I love it. Yeah, it works out great.

Speaker 2: 5:31

Speaking of 420, what's happening on 420? I love this man, so the 420, we're doing a munchie menu over with a collaboration with the porch market over in winter park. Uh, chef steven and chef josh, mike, jay frankie and those guys over there, we're gonna be over there throwing it down from, I think was it 7, 30, 7 o'clock to 9, 30 or something like that. Uh, past the hors d'oeuvres, it's all themed I'm going to re-emphasize this themed around marijuana. There's no marijuana in it. If you come to the event high, I can't do anything about it, but you will eat, but you will definitely eat.

Speaker 1: 6:14

Uh, the menu is going to be popped out and we don't advocate for any of this, by the way, it's just really cool food yeah, especially, um, the one that's going to be wrapped in the egg roll, the spring roll shaped like a joint.

Speaker 2: 6:27

Oh, my goodness, gotta throw it down, man, yeah do you heard every?

Speaker 1: 6:31

what did you say?

Speaker 2: 6:32

when you, we mentioned, when I mentioned it was 420. What? What happened on that call I?

Speaker 1: 6:36

just never seen such a bunch of giddy people in my life like for me. You know, whatever, up or down, I don't care, what you do is your business. You know every long story short you get a bunch of uh, restaurant tours and chefs and stuff in one place, you know, and the moniker of 420 comes up and again it's like 11th grade all over again.

Speaker 2: 6:56

Um pretty amazing. Yeah, yeah, but it's gonna be a fun event. I mean we're gonna have nightingale uh ice cream cookies. They make them themselves. They make the ice cream, the cookies they should smash them.

Speaker 1: 7:08

The menu looks deep. Yeah, it's, it's a, it's really a layered menu and it's I'm super excited creek stone.

Speaker 2: 7:16

Uh, beef tenderloin. I think there was foie gras on one of them. There's oh no, I'm getting confused with the competition on the 28th. I was going to say there's pork from Happy Tales, but that's from the 28th. That's the different thing. That's a different event that I'm doing with Jason Lynn and Lance Cook. We're going to have chicken from Happy Tales. We have tuna on the menu, which I'm really psyched about, and then I think he's doing Ooh a can, can. That's what chef Steven's doing. That's the oink, oink, right. And then we're doing the tuna as a puff puff. No pass, right.

Speaker 1: 7:56

Yeah, okay, anyway, so we're going to put, we put the menu up um on the socials and everybody get to see it, and oh yeah it's like 128 per person, six courses and liquor included right beer, wine or liquor included and that's a great.

Speaker 1: 8:14

So, uh, it's winter park, orlando, which is a super cool area. Um, you know the porch there. You know that's uh's three restaurants plus the, the meteorine market. It's super, super awesome. These are great. This is a great gang of individuals and I'm excited, man, cause you know we're starting to do this whole. You know we talk, we talk cooking and food. This is what we are, what we do, and now we're actually we're doing it for the, for the peeps, for the masses. We're we're doing these things.

Speaker 2: 8:46

It's pretty cool yeah, and we'll still get back to the farms, but obviously we're not doing a farm event in june, july august, september, october no no, unless they have air conditioning. Yeah, sorry, right, not doing that, oh my goodness. Um, we can do a lot of barbecue, though, speaking of which, which is a good segue.

Speaker 1: 9:07

Well, yeah, it is a great segue and and um, we actually got to get. We have to get back on a call with uh chef steven uh-huh, because he did bring up a really great idea. I'm not going to break it right now. Maybe next week About barbecue and some stuff.

Speaker 2: 9:23

Oh yeah, it was Tuesday. You were talking because we were together and you mentioned that. Correct, keep it.

Speaker 1: 9:28

I don't know. Close your mouth, tell me.

Speaker 2: 9:29

Shut your mouth. Shut your mouth. You know what Don't? We have a guest today.

Speaker 1: 9:36

We do. She's very patient. All right, let's welcome Lisa to the program. How are you doing?

Speaker 3: 9:47

I'm good. How are y'all doing?

Speaker 1: 9:49

Man. You know, if I was any better, I don't know what I would do with myself.

Speaker 3: 9:55

I love that for you.

Speaker 1: 9:56

Yes, it's pretty amazing. It's what we do. I can't speak for the other two. John's just, you know John's just staring at me, lost. No, that's that's. That's a lie. That's a lie. All right, um, so a little background. We met, um, you know, jeffrey and pooch, and you know john wasn't with us when we were in the uh world food championship in dallas last year, but we were very fortunate and very cool. It was very cool to meet you at the event and you basically kept us hydrated for about a week with your glorious, glorious barbecue whiskey. So thank you for that.

Speaker 3: 10:35

I tried. You're welcome, my pleasure.

Speaker 2: 10:37

Yeah, that was one of the things about that whole thing. It was like everyone was like there's no water. I'm'm like, but there's bourbon, but there's definitely so, but there's alcohol, right?

Speaker 1: 10:49

I mean, at the end of the day we had to hook up, yeah, yeah, I mean I feel like I'm indebted to you for that, um, because it made the whole experience, it amplified the whole experience, enhanced it well, and it was good drinks too who doesn't love a happy hour, right oh my god, yeah.

Speaker 1: 11:07

So let's, let's, let's do this. Um, by the way, we're going to be shooting. Um, you know, we, you were nice enough to send, uh, you know, some, some fun stuff and uh bottles our way and we're going to be shooting that later John will be um yeah, unfortunately we're not drinking right now because someone won't let us take a drink because the bottle can't be opened.

Speaker 1: 12:15

Yeah, I'm not mad, I'm not it's not your fault, it's you know, all right. So, um, literally like the absolute literal statement yes, buzzkill, for sure, dad's here we can't drink. Granted, it's a little early, but whatever, that's never stopped anybody before somewhere, somewhere, indeed, um, when so you first? Uh, how did you first become interested in whiskey, and what? What led the start of the company?

Speaker 3: 12:59

So I mean, I've been in the hospitality industry my as well as Darden and Outback before moving to the West Coast and working for a hospitality group out there.

Speaker 3: 13:11

That's probably where I became a lot more involved in the beverage side of the hospitality business. I was the beverage director for a group that owned restaurants, bars, nightclubs, hotels, retail, you name it. We had it. So I had a really fun job of going to Kentucky and buying barrels and barrels of bourbon and going to Mexico and buying barrels and barrels of tequila and being flown all over the world to do a bunch of fun stuff, and definitely brown spirits were always my favorite. I gravitated towards whiskey and bourbon. Bourbon is the original American spirit, right, so there's a lot of pride that's taken in the way that it's made and aged and the entire process is just very exciting and interesting to me. So I moved from San Francisco to Chicago and started working for the Alinea group and then, you know, through COVID, when everything really just shut down, and especially in Illinois and Chicago, nothing was open, unlike Florida and some other fun states.

Speaker 3: 14:37

We, a group of my friends who all come from the industry, all have different backgrounds in the industry, we found ourselves barbecuing a ton outside, because you could really only spend time outside together and drinking, going through a lot of the whiskey and bourbon that we had all stashed up. Um, a couple nights, maybe some barbecue sauce made it into some whiskey and the next morning we were kind of like, was that a good thing or was that a bad thing? What happened? So we really started toying around with the idea of bringing a fun and exciting new product to market that had never really been thought of. From nuts to bolts, from the marketing, the branding, the demographic we were going after, trying to make a product for the masses. That, again, was just really fun and exciting and new.

Speaker 3: 15:33

I like to call it the flavored whiskey that nobody saw coming and that nobody asked for. But here we are. So that's kind of. You know how we got into the swing of things. You know we were all industry vets, so we kind of had a pretty good jumping off point when we were figuring out the recipe and exactly the flavor profile that we were looking for. So we launched our product in the fall of 2021 in a non-barbecue, centric state, to see if we were crazy, like if we either created the world's biggest flop or something that actually had legs, so opened in wisconsin in october of 2021, and then, by the end of 2021, we had sold through everything we had made yeah, but and so, and which is a wonderful problem to have, but you guys, there's like what 12.

Speaker 1: 16:37

There's like 12 owners in this thing, right?

Speaker 3: 16:40

yeah, there's 12 of us. Each of us has really different backgrounds, but we kind of all stay in our impromptu sort of thing and, uh, I got to hear some of the story.

Speaker 1: 17:05

uh, ahead of time, but, um, yeah, uh, that that's pretty amazing. So, as you're, as you're going through this process and it's so, it's the. It's the liquor industry, it's whiskey Um, you're a female entrepreneur, did you? Were there any special challenges there with that? Like you, you've done a lot of traveling. You've done a lot with this. Any any, any hiccups there? What was that like?

Speaker 3: 17:36

um, it's always interesting, right? I wouldn't necessarily say that it's been challenging. Um, a lot of doors have been open to us, very fortunately, because of relationships we all have in the industry. Um, I will say, I still usually end up being the only woman in the room, so I hope that that continues to change and evolve over the years. But bourbon and whiskey have always been dominated by men until pretty recently with the emergence of products like Uncle Nearest and stuff like that. So it's nice because it seems that people are ready for some new perspectives and some new ideas. So I do feel like I've been very welcomed in where I have been invited. Yeah, it's almost as if.

Speaker 1: 18:34

I agree because it's almost well. When we were growing up, it seems like females were relegated to like Amaretto Sours. You know what I mean. And, um, yeah, yeah, and, and, and, and. We were, you know, and the, and the fellas were with the, with the Brown liquors and whatnot.

Speaker 3: 18:52

Old fashioned in Manhattan.

Speaker 1: 18:55

Um, and you know, I've noticed myself, you know, just, we're all in the business here as well and surrounded by you know, restaurant folks and restaurateurs and whatnot, and I've noticed that, yeah, man, there's a, there's a huge shift on the palate for, for the, on the female side, for the, for the whiskeys and bourbons. I mean I think that's amazing, I think it's great because you know it's, it's a different experience, it's a sipping experience. It's not like you know, tequila or vodka, where you're banging these things and all of us, you know, just for the. This is a whole different experience in my perspective.

Speaker 3: 19:30

For sure. Yeah, I like to refer to us as a gateway whiskey or bourbon. You know it. Really, a lot of women are intimidated by brown spirits, right Like men collect them like they're Pokemon in real life. It's a real life hunt sometimes and that is intimidating. I just recently moved to Texas and, unlike other states I've lived in, the allocations for products were a lot easier. So, you know, I showed up to like a Spex at eight in the morning, when they don't open till 10, to grab a bottle of Blanton's. But in any other state I wouldn't have had any problem just going in and purchasing. And yeah, these guys were like all in a discord talking about me being in line because I was the only woman there. Um, but yeah, it's, it's, it's interesting.

Speaker 1: 20:22

So, speaking of, uh, speaking of different, um, you know, whiskeys and liquors and whatnot, what sets curve ball, apart from some of the others that are out there? Like what? Obviously it's a barbecue based profile. Um, tell us more about that, because it's it's a barbecue-based profile. Tell us more about that because it's easy. I will say this before you jump in.

Speaker 3: 20:55

It's so easy to drink and smooth and it weighs so nice on the palate. Yeah, it's pretty dangerously easy to enjoy. The viscosity is really nice and there's no burn at all. Flavor profiles from the smoke and different savory ingredients and components even, you know, I made sure that there was even a salinity that you can taste in the flavor profile that kind of keeps you wanting to sip more. You know, being in the industry for so long, you know I grew up on like jaeger right, so for me that's kind of the original shop brand.

Speaker 3: 21:29

Then, moving into like the early 2010s, where fireball was just rebranded into what it currently is and became such a hit, part of the evolution for flavored whiskey was moving from Fireball to Screwball.

Speaker 3: 21:44

Screwball did a really great job at stealing market share in the shot market and in the flavored whiskey market by being able to convert into cocktails. So not only were they a shot brand first and foremost, but the other applications are really what started to get them a lot of depletions and pull through in the market. Curveball was made in kind of with a three-prong approach. Right, we're always going to be true to a shot brand. We convert really easily to cocktails, as you guys have tasted, mostly their classic cocktails with a smoky twist. And then Curveball was also created with the culinary aspect in mind. You know people don't really cook with Jaeger, fireball or Screwball, but we've got pitmasters all over the United States using the product. We've got restaurants using the product in food items, from baked beans to sauces, to marinades, to glazes, to even dessert, like creating caramel out of the barbecue-flavored whiskey to get those notes of smoke into a dessert.

Speaker 2: 22:57

I just want to let you know. He's looking at me right now, lisa, he's looking at me when you just so yeah, you have a new assignment. Yeah, he's obviously, the wheels are turning on the bus right now. Well, I'm more in the trip.

Speaker 1: 23:49

You're like the lisa, you're like the pied piper uh, over here, and I'm just gonna follow you off the the pier, you know, oh, oh, wow.

Speaker 3: 23:57

Perfect yeah.

Speaker 2: 23:59

Yes, Talk about the proof Like. Is that normal for bourbon? Is that why it's more easier?

Speaker 3: 24:08

It's not Bourbon's usually 80 proof unless you've got something that's obviously overproof. So we didn't want to. We wanted to make sure that it could be consumed at room temperature, which is I prefer the drink. Whiskey and bourbon neat, um, we didn't want it to have any burn. Like I said, it is kind of a gateway. Uh, whiskey or bourbon, um, and we wanted it to be more approachable. Um, if you've tasted some other flavored whiskeys, like Howlerhead, it's like a banana flavored whiskey. That one is 80 proof and it's just hot. I can't. I have a hard time figuring out, like, what to do with it, how to consume it, and I feel like, if I'm looking at it with a question mark, what's the general consumer looking at it like? So we are right in between Fireball and Screwball as far as proof goes, or right in between. We thought that we've tasted a bunch of iterations, if not hundreds of iterations, of the product at different proof levels and this was kind of the sweet spot that was the most approachable.

Speaker 1: 25:19

What was the inspiration for the name Curveball?

Speaker 3: 25:24

So the liquor industry is pretty cutthroat and part of creating this new product was, like I said, bringing fun back into the industry. We really wanted to throw the industry a curveball. Like I said, it's the flavored whiskey that no one saw coming and nobody asked for, but for me it's the little engine that could right. And then we wanted to pay homage, obviously, to the barbecue community and let them know that we take what they do very seriously, which is how we got to kind of the Weber kettle-esque skull that looks a little intimidating but with a spatula and fork to really hammer home, kind of what to expect from what's in the bottle, that sweet and smoky flavor.

Speaker 1: 26:22

I feel like you really hit a niche with that, because the barbecue community is super, super tight knit relationships.

Speaker 3: 26:31

wise, the barbecue community is like the opposite of the liquor industry. I have never met so many people who have welcomed me into their homes, who have welcomed me into their RVs, into their camps. They will literally show you how to do everything, Whereas I thought that that would be such like a. They'd be like complete gatekeepers and like try to shut everyone out. They're just so talented at what they do with like it's like muscle memory, that they'll literally show you exactly what they do and just know that you won't be able to recreate what it is they do Like. That's how bold the barbecue community is. They got no secrets and it has been pure magic and joy to meet these people and I feel so honored to work with as many of them as we do.

Speaker 1: 27:21

Yeah, I think that's pretty amazing and, for the record, that's how I feel about this whole podcasting thing. You know people, I have conversations every week and you know I get a lot of questions like what do you think about this, what do you think about that? I'll share it all with you because chances are it's going to fizzle. Anyway, it's a lot of work. Oh my goodness.

Speaker 3: 27:41

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 27:41

So I can appreciate that a hundred percent. All right, you. You told me you'd been to every state now doing tastings, right?

Speaker 3: 27:51

Yeah, we started opening up all 50 states kind of in the middle of 2022. And then we didn't get finished opening all those states until May of 2023. So I have just been running and gunning. Even though there are 12 of us, there's really only four of us that travel and I'm the only one that doesn't have kids. So I travel like the most. Uh, yeah, every weekend, every, yeah, every waking moment, pretty much.

Speaker 1: 28:27

But that was, that was. Uh, that was because you, you guys, picked up some serious distribution, correct?

Speaker 3: 28:35

We did. Um, we were super fortunate to attract the attention of Southern Glaciers at the beginning of 2022. And then we signed a contract with them at the end of June in 2022 to go nationwide with them in all 44 markets that they're located. And then we opened the other six markets with other distributors where Southern didn't have availability or didn't have presence. So, yeah, this is our first full year that we are in all 50 states and I have relocated myself to Texas to tackle this giant state head on.

Speaker 1: 29:18

Well, congratulations for the uh for the win on distribution. That's, that's really an amazing accomplishment. So hats off there. Um, thank you. Yes, of course, uh, so, traveling. So we've all done our fair share here in this uh, on this particular podcast of traveling. But you're doing it for tastings, you're doing it for all sorts of stuff. I mean, what sort of? Do you have any really cool stories?

Speaker 3: 29:47

You must have a story or two. I mean I do have quite a few stories. I mean we definitely take a grassroots approach to everything. You know, we're not Gallo or Diageo or Bacardi. We don't have unlimited budgets and stuff like that. So a lot of the events and everything that we've done have really been kind of like under the radar, getting help from pitmasters and friends by like legitimately smuggling in our wares and then me just smiling and nodding at people and pretending like I'm supposed to be there and sticking as much whiskey in people's mouths as I can. Pretty much.

Speaker 1: 30:32

And so, but all right, you've done that. I mean, if it were me, I probably wouldn't be able to tell any of these stories. Um, I mean, these are.

Speaker 3: 30:42

I mean, I probably shouldn't admit to any of these stories.

Speaker 1: 30:45

Well, let's just say that it's not you and it's hypothetical. What do you got?

Speaker 3: 30:49

Yeah, Hypothetically speaking, um, our first endeavor into kind of an event was actually Memphis in May in 2022. It was my first really big interaction with all of these barbecue all-stars and meeting all of these people that I idolize. It's funny I never get starstruck when I meet athletes or celebrities, but chefs are just like I just put them on a pedestal. They just do something that people can't. I don't know. I just think they're the greatest and these pitmasters have been so much fun to work with. They're a little more laid back than normal chefs, A lot more laid back. I will say that they're a little more laid back than normal chefs.

Speaker 2: 31:40

A lot more laid back. I will say that they're a lot more laid back.

Speaker 3: 31:46

They can be. They have their moments. Everyone's got their moments. So, yeah, really just being able to sneak into places Like we had. We were with Heath Riles the year that he won ribs at memphis in may, um, and we were just pulling carts and carts and carts of whiskey and handing out little minis and trying to keep our head down every time the cops passed us or just smile and nod and, um, pretend like we were supposed to be there. You know, it's just like, yeah, we're allowed to do this. This sounds great for us.

Speaker 1: 32:24

It's almost like you were pushing, like you know, cds out of the back of your car.

Speaker 3: 32:29

You just you know that's 100% like you know. Yeah, like opening up my jacket with the Rolexes inside, like it was definitely like that, and I really didn't have a plan at all for if we were going to get caught other than maybe crying, but, um, that was all I really had at my sleeves. Lady tears do do get you in a lot of trouble sometimes um I can tell you that that man tears that.

Speaker 1: 32:55

all you get is ridicule and jokes, so just keep it to yourself.

Speaker 3: 33:03

Yeah, but yeah, I mean on the road we've been able to meet crazy putmasters and different restaurant groups, like that's how we met Famous Dave's and Dave Anderson and have a really wonderful partnership with them and Dave Anderson and have a really wonderful partnership with them. I was fortunate enough to be able to get back to some of my Disney roots and work with them on some different uh programs and festivals and, uh, it's been really nice to reach out to old friends and make new friends and introduce this crazy new product to people one day at a time, right introduce this crazy new product to people one day at a time, right, um, yeah, hello, uh, hashtag, uh, you know, walk and talk media, sure?

Speaker 1: 33:46

um, I mean, I mean, what are we talking about here? What are we doing, you know?

Speaker 2: 33:50

so you mentioned that you worked and you're starstruck by chefs, but you actually worked for one of the best chefs in the united states down. How was that time period? Chef Grant Ackett, because I assume who you're referring to. Yes, you mentioned the restaurant group.

Speaker 3: 34:10

I did. He's a wonderful human being and it was always such an honor to just be in the same space as him. You know, his mind is a beautiful mind and I've been fortunate enough to dine with the company a few times and every time I just I can't imagine how they would outdo what they've done in the past and it still takes my breath away. Outdo what they've done in the past and it still takes my breath away. It's, um, one of the most entertaining dining experiences and theatrical dining experiences anyone could ever have. Whereas, you know, like, the french laundry is just so classic and beautiful, and of course there's is just so classic and beautiful and of course there's nothing wrong with an experience like that.

Speaker 3: 35:04

But Alinea is just over the top, like a once in a lifetime experience, and he is just, he's a kind person who is always willing to talk to you and listen to you, um, and I think that's because of how he had been treated early in his career and where he really was able to flourish and grow under, like Thomas Keller's tutelage. So he is a great person, it's a great company. I I miss working for those guys. It was a good time.

Speaker 2: 35:34

Do you have your product there? Because I would. I would wonder what he would do with it.

Speaker 3: 35:38

Do you have your product there?

Speaker 2: 35:39

I don't, but I mean, I would wonder what he would do with it, literally, I would be horrified to even ask. But I would wonder what he would do with it for it.

Speaker 3: 35:49

Have you seen their like wine list? I mean, yeah, it's very possible he could do something incredible with it.

Speaker 2: 35:55

I mean he made food fly Like, let's not lie, he'll figure something out, but um you know that is definitely you know when you said that I've tried when, when you said he makes literally makes food fly, I looked over at carl. I'm like you, you know he does that. He's like yeah, okay yeah, he does that, he does that so you mentioned that the idea came about when you guys were barbecuing and some of the sauce and some of the spices, so, and some of the pit masters are using this um, what are some of the like, the flavor profiles that really stand out, that people have used your product with.

Speaker 3: 36:30

That you were like, oh my god, this is amazing um, so I like to accent our product with different flavors because I'm also the you know my colleagues would call me the mixologist. I feel like I'm more of a drank slanger than a mixologist, so I love playing with flavor profiles. For me it was important to have kind of a very mainstream barbecue flavor, very similar to a household item that everyone knows, which is like the barbecue-lazed potato chip is kind of where I felt like that really has nostalgia for people. Everyone knows what that flavor is. The second they open the bag, right, they know what to expect and what to taste.

Speaker 3: 37:29

I like enhancing the product with outside flavors like star anise, adding cinnamon, adding vanilla, adding fresh vanilla to the whiskey when making like a sauce or a glaze is a game changer. Um, cloves, uh, when you're making cocktails, the use of fresh lemon juice just pulls all of those really fun um, savory flavor profiles and components out of the whiskey in such a beautiful way and helps enhance the smoke. So yeah, for me I like adding things to it and kind of manipulating the flavor profile a little bit to pull on different ingredients that I know are in the product. You know, it's kind of like the Coke recipe, right, we each have like six ingredients and no one has all of them together in one place at one time.

Speaker 2: 38:28

Yeah, one of the things you do taste. When you taste this right away, like for me, it's almost like my the rub I use in the process of barbecuing, mixed with bourbon. So and it's funny enough that I actually use bourbon as the moisture content to cook the meat, so I don't use like water baths or anything like that. I'm enhancing the flavor. I brine. For instance, my bacon is brined with bourbon and I just realized that yeah, I need to use your.

Speaker 3: 38:57

That's where I started. That's where I started. That's where I started too. I've always cooked with alcohol, just because I love foods. I don't know how else to say that.

Speaker 2: 39:08

Well, it adds complexity. A lot of times people ask me well, why do you have to cook everything, especially my desserts? I have to infuse some sort of liquor into it. To me, it's, it's layers, it's layering flavors.

Speaker 3: 39:21

Complexity, it's complexity 100%.

Speaker 2: 39:24

It's like if you're going to have an orange dessert, then use Grand Marnier or Triple Sec. If you're going to do something that's a little bit naughty, then you use Curveball Because it's got those spices. It's got those. No, I'm being serious, it's because it's got those. No, I'm being serious, it's because it's got the smoke. It's got everything you need that you want to do in it. For instance, if you're doing a uh, campfire s'mores, perfect yeah, 100 or so, like you mentioned, carmel I make a campfire.

Speaker 3: 39:52

I make a campfire coffee in the morning with curveball, because I can drink with you. It doesn't matter what time of day, day or night. I mean, if I had bloody merry mix right now, I would have a drink in front of me. I'm just in a hotel room and I didn't plan properly shame for shame.

Speaker 2: 40:13

So when you said I have coffee with this in it. We both looked at john, because john makes us Cuban coffees. We looked right over at him. We're like, okay, we're doing this after the call.

Speaker 3: 40:28

It's so good in coffee.

Speaker 1: 40:30

I think we're going to have to change some of the routines here. That's where I'm at. What are we cooking with this man?

Speaker 2: 40:37

What are we doing? We're going to cook some stuff with it, definitely, yeah, yeah, I did you hear that, at least because he doesn't have his mic on. He just said you're not opening my bottle I'll send you more bottles.

Speaker 3: 40:54

You know I'm my mom's got a whole stash in hollywood right now. If you guys were closer.

Speaker 1: 40:59

Oh yeah, she's from Hollywood. Oh, you're from.

Speaker 2: 41:02

Hollywood yeah, she's from Hollywood. What part of Hollywood does your mom live in? The Hills, hollywood Hills, emerald.

Speaker 3: 41:09

Hills, Hollywood Hills. She lives at like 46th and Fillmore street.

Speaker 2: 41:14

She's a neighbor to my mother, literally, yeah, literally. A neighbor to my mom she's over on 56 got it in the president's streets, yeah yep I know them well that's how you know, that's what's funny, that's how, growing up, I knew my presidents doing the same thing absolutely 100. If it wasn't for hollywood, I would not do which came first. Well, there's grant, there's hayes, there's garfield. Author, I can still do it.

Speaker 1: 41:42

Cleveland wow, on the other side is hair arting.

Speaker 3: 41:52

So funny, yeah, small world yeah, very small world, yeah, I don't because I was on.

Speaker 1: 42:00

I lived on washington in 56 for a while oh yeah yeah that's that's uh.

Speaker 2: 42:05

That area right now is an old fogey home now yeah, that way.

Speaker 1: 42:10

Well, you had a hollywood medical center that was right down the street, which is now memorial, probably memorials all over the place.

Speaker 2: 42:16

Now it took over yeah everybody was like you were born in hollywood, but you weren't born in uh memorial hospital. Why not? I'm like I was. I don't know. I was born wherever my mom was. Well, I didn't have a choice. You were, you were in uh I was. I was living. My mom and dad lived in hollywood. I was born in north miami general hospital for some reason I have no idea why, because we were in hollywood my sister was born in mount sinai yeah, but everybody, everybody was having their kids in North Miami, so why not?

Speaker 2: 42:41

Memorial at that point.

Speaker 3: 42:43

I'm pretty sure I was born in North Miami too. I don't think Memorial had a children's hospital.

Speaker 2: 42:51

Like a pregnancy ward Back when I was born, back when I was little 53 years ago.

Speaker 1: 42:59

Stop it. We're losing audience every time you do that.

Speaker 2: 43:01

No, actually we're getting the age. We're losing the younger, gaining the older. And then we have Lisa. Come on with a curveball. Then we just throw in a wrench in the whole process.

Speaker 3: 43:14

We're bringing them back With that.

Speaker 2: 43:16

they will.

Speaker 3: 43:16

We are. This is made for the children.

Speaker 2: 43:18

Am I 21?

Speaker 3: 43:18

I mean 21 and older. Thank are.

Speaker 2: 43:19

We are. This is made for the children.

Speaker 3: 43:20

What Over 21. I mean 21 and older Right, we know.

Speaker 1: 43:23

Thank you, because John just put his hands in his face. John's like dang.

Speaker 3: 43:27

I've got to edit now. Sorry, john, don't have a heart attack.

Speaker 1: 43:32

Listen, we have a thing here where we aim not to do any editing, okay.

Speaker 2: 43:40

That's a good goal.

Speaker 1: 43:41

It really is and we do really well with it, Except for me, Except for right Jeff. Jeff a few times it's always something from within. It's like the call's coming from inside the house, it's like that. But at the end of the day we almost John. He perked up a little bit and then you saved it.

Speaker 2: 44:01

so we're good, lisa, it's okay no editing so far I will say that this is the most drinkable bourbon out there. So if you're wondering, I don't like bourbon. I'm not going to go for it, because it's a brown liquor and it's harsh, it's burned, just like lisa was saying this hands down. I couldn't believe it because, also, this saved me when we were in Dallas, cause there was literally there was no water anywhere in the place. No, she kept us.

Speaker 1: 44:26

I said I know.

Speaker 2: 44:29

Let's be honest, you were walking around, so you didn't know the story about curve ball, because I found out about it because you were walking around judging. So Lisa and I had several conversations because I was trying to rehydrate and people are going to be like you were trying to drink. I'm like no, I was literally trying to drink water or anything.

Speaker 1: 44:46

This was a life and death scenario.

Speaker 2: 44:48

Yeah, I was also trying to wash down the seven pounds of shell crawfish.

Speaker 1: 44:56

Yes, indeed. Yeah, I don't know. I don't know when we're getting together again, lisa, but we need to get something on the calendar.

Speaker 3: 45:05

I know, I know I'll have to let you know the next time I'm in Orlando and we should go drinking around the world at cot and drink curve ball.

Speaker 2: 45:17

Uh, sure, okay, Maybe we'll have Stefan come out. Uh, the pastry chef over there, I'd love to get him on this thing too. This program, he's a great guy. Do you know stefan, over at disney he's like the head person what property? He's the head person of all of uh the pastry shops. He's the the guru of I don't he's.

Speaker 2: 45:39

He's just a gem of a person. So, if we do, I want to hook him up so you can taste this, because him and the chocolate with this and his mindset would be just amazing, truly so good.

Speaker 1: 45:51

See, when these things when these things come up on these podcasts, I just want to click the button off and go and go like I was shut it down and let's get the hell out of here. Let's go now.

Speaker 2: 46:01

So what we have to do is we get ryan manning and lisa when she's in town and we all go over, because that's a definite thing where stefan would meet us. Give him the bottle of curveball, let him go work his magic with the chocolate and let us be there for the tasting right. But I want him to put me. I want him set that up. Let me sit in the apron.

Speaker 1: 46:21

Yeah, I want to be there.

Speaker 2: 46:22

Oh yeah, you want to be in the apron.

Speaker 1: 46:23

Yeah, Like you're doing something, yeah well, just poke my head out a little bit, like let me just see what's going on, you know yeah.

Speaker 2: 46:29

I would love that to go have drinking around the world. I love doing that.

Speaker 3: 46:34

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 46:36

Again, here I am.

Speaker 3: 46:36

Feature curveball during Food and Wine Festival Can you be there in two hours, lisa.

Speaker 1: 46:41

Is that all I'm saying? She's in Dallas, it's the fall.

Speaker 3: 46:44

You guys, we should wait till the fall. You know, florida, let's wait till. It's not True story.

Speaker 1: 46:50

True story.

Speaker 3: 46:52

The surface of the sun.

Speaker 1: 46:57

I live in just circular disappointment.

Speaker 3: 46:59

All right, no problem, we'll wait till the fall.

Speaker 1: 47:01

Okay, all right.

Speaker 2: 47:05

Are you going to be an Indy for the World Food Championship?

Speaker 3: 47:10

I am going to be an Indy for the World Food Championship. We have partnered with Famous Dave's again to sponsor the Barbecue All-Star Series, which is how you win a golden ticket to the World food championship for barbecue.

Speaker 2: 47:24

Nice Yummy. So what I was just thinking about, just so you guys know, when pooch was here last week he he kind of handed me off a little tray of those soft shell crawfish. I'm thinking we'd use like a, like what he was doing the piggy with this turf, the surf or the turf, yeah, surf. So I was thinking maybe more of the lines of a surf and turf curve ball, the crawfish, maybe some meat barbecue, something that like that, that range, okay.

Speaker 1: 47:57

Okay, I can dig it. What's the? What's the application? I, I can dig it. What's the application? What are you going to do?

Speaker 2: 48:02

I'm going to do a salted caramel demi with curveball.

Speaker 3: 48:08

She's good. I like reducing her down. It's probably my favorite food application for curveball.

Speaker 1: 48:16

I'm salivating right now. It's almost like a Pavlov dog scenario. They ring the bell. I just start drooling. It's that's what's happening.

Speaker 2: 48:23

I almost went Pavlova which is a cake that I actually would be really good yeah. That would actually really be good Pavlova with that, oh my goodness.

Speaker 3: 48:32

I probably would, you're not wrong.

Speaker 1: 48:35

I'm just so I you know, I did go to the doctor a few weeks ago and everything came back pretty okay. You know what I mean? Wait, so we can do this, let's make it happen.

Speaker 2: 48:44

We're still amazed at that. Are you sure it was your samples that were tested?

Speaker 1: 48:49

I'm shocked, I really am, but it's like having another, you know, second life of this thing.

Speaker 3: 48:56

Another lease on life, yeah.

Speaker 1: 48:58

Listen, who knew you don't understand the debauchery that goes on with these over here on production day.

Speaker 3: 49:06

I have an idea.

Speaker 2: 49:07

You missed it because he came in and he was like I was with the doctors last week. I'm like, did you have grease come out of your blood or was it blood?

Speaker 3: 49:18

Was it like cleaning a fryer? What happened for you?

Speaker 1: 49:22

There was a yeah, he's like let me get the grease trap.

Speaker 3: 49:25

I'm like all right, there you go, you know.

Speaker 1: 49:28

All right, Lisa. What's your socials? How do people find you?

Speaker 3: 49:34

They find us at wwwcurveballwhiskeycom. That's probably easiest way to find where you can buy the product. We're in total line nationally, and then at curveballwhiskeycom for Instagram and my Instagram handles at barbecue whiskey woman.

Speaker 1: 49:53

Oh man, all right. Um, thanks for being on the uh on the program today. You're amazing, your gang of co-owners are amazing, your product is amazing, and I feel like we're going to do some more stuff with it, and hopefully with you guys too. Crack a bottle open without John noticing it.

Speaker 2: 50:11

Yeah, I think we're going to do it. No, he's shaking his head.

Speaker 3: 50:13

no, that would be awesome. He's like no, don't touch my whiskey.

Speaker 2: 50:17

Yeah, that's what he just did.

Speaker 1: 50:18

All right, stay on the line. We're going to catch you off air in a second In the green room. In the green room, jeff, john, as always, great production Chefs, peninsula Food Service, central Florida. For the meats, we are out.