David Rodriguez brings much needed microbrews to Miami

By: Katie Lawrence/Staff Writer

David Rodriguez wants to bring his passion for craft brewing to the Miami masses.

Rodriguez, a hospitality major, will get to serve his beer at this year’s South Beach Wine and Food Festival as the winner of the first-ever Lee Schrager Excellence in Leadership Award for Excellence in Wine and Culinary, which he won last year.

Lee Schrager, the founder of the festival, bestowed three students with his award for their work with the 2010 Wine & Food Festival. Rodriguez earned his award for his help coordinating the logistics of setup, transportation, and consumer education on the many wines and beers served over the weekend fiesta of feasts and drinks.

“It was a great honor,” said Rodriguez, who credits his win to the help and encouragement received from Professor Barry Gump. “You have to want it. Essentially, I felt there were hundreds, maybe thousands of students there from the hospitality school and you have to take every opportunity to help out and make sure things run smoothly.”

“[Rodriguez] is one of those students professors dream about,” said Gump, a beverage management professor and holder of the Harvey R. Chaplin Eminent Scholar’s Chair in Beverage Management at the University. “I have no doubt David will continue to be an outstanding brewer, either as a home brewer, or as a professional brewer.”

Under Gump’s tutelage, Rodriguez was also awarded the Harvey R. Chaplin Scholarship last year, allowing him to travel to Key West for their inaugural BrewFest to donate and promote one of his original beers. The awards have also led to an internship with Southern Wine and Spirits, one of South Florida’s largest beverage distributors.

The 22-year-old beer-brewing student started his career at the University pursuing a journalism degree, but quickly realized his passion lay elsewhere.

“I enjoy eating good and drinking good,” said Rodriguez, who has worked at a slew of restaurants across Florida since his first job at a Quiznos sub shop.

“My love of food and beverage made me realize I wanted to do that [on] a management level.”

This year, Rodriguez will be assisting Patrick Jong, the event manager for Fontainebleau Miami

Beach Presents Wine Spectator’s Best of the Best Sponsored by Bank of America, a sold-out event that showcases Wine Spectator’s 90-point or higher wines paired with the creations of 42 celebrity chefs.

He will also assist Chef Roger Probst at the hospitality tent working in culinary, and has brewed his own imperial Oktoberfest beer that he will serve at several tents and events throughout the festival.

Miami has a notably small microbrew scene for such a large city, and Rodriguez, who will graduate in Summer 2011, aspires to eventually open a brewpub.

“Leading up to that, I definitely hope to study with the experts at Southern Wine and get my feet wet studying what these professional do,” Rodriguez said.

And the absence of microbrews is what drives him.

“It’s a lacking market and I think people deserve to drink well,” Rodriguez said.

The 2011 Wine & Food Festival is scheduled for Feb. 24 to 27. For tickets or more information on events and participating chefs visit sobefest.com