Forging Connections for Beverage Professionals
Center for Beverage Education & Innovation
CENTER FOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
JWU’s Center for Beverage Education & Innovation is an innovative learning hub that aims to unite the university’s culinary and hospitality strengths with beverage industry partners.
Under the leadership of Center Director Brian Warrener, the Center is also advised by an industry council of high-profile alumni, beverage professionals and thought leaders.
Additional guidance is provided by a selection of JWU faculty from the College of Hospitality Management (COHM) and the College of Food Innovation & Technology (CFIT). Together, they serve as advisors, ambassadors and supporters of the Center’s mission.
About the Center for Beverage Education & Innovation
The Center is a universitywide effort that unites and focuses JWU’s legacy of excellence in culinary and hospitality education.
Priority areas for the Center include:
- Creating a venue for internal and external research and development.
- Offering management training opportunities for local beverage professionals.
- Hosting conferences, competitions and other events to bring the community together.
- Collaborating with JWU’s eCenter and other colleges on interdisciplinary projects and research.
- Additional programming will encompass safe alcohol consumption, career training, health and wellness initiatives, and social justice.
Labs and Spaces
Every one of the university’s beverage learning spaces fall under the umbrella of the Center, including:
PROVIDENCE
- Mixology Lab
- Wine & Spirits Tasting Lab
- Coors Beverage Lab
- Bigelow Tea Classroom
- Bistro 61
CHARLOTTE
- The Mixology & Craft Brewing Lab
- Hospitality Beverage Lab
“This Center will offer even more opportunities to give our students hands-on experience in the beverage industry, while forging stronger connections with our partners.”
PROFESSOR MICHAEL SABITONI
Scholarships & Competitions
The Center for Beverage Education & Innovation is focused on strengthening experiential, interdisciplinary opportunities for students from the Providence and Charlotte campuses, as well as from the College of Professional Studies (CPS). Hands-on fellowships, competitions and educational opportunities for students include:
- bar & restaurant-JWU Culinary Fellows: Twenty students are selected each year for a culinary-focused work/educational experience on the floor of the bar & restaurant Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada.
- bar & restaurant-JWU Service Fellows: Fifteen students are selected annually for a service focused work-educational experience on the floor of the bar & restaurant Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada.
- bar & restaurant-JWU Bar Fellows: Two students are selected for a beverage-focused work-educational experience on the floor of the bar & restaurant Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada.
- bar & restaurant-JWU Student Scholarship: Two scholarships are awarded each year for funded travel to the bar & restaurant Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada.
- Bully Boy-JWU Cocktail Competition: JWU students mix cocktails using product supplied by Bully Boy. Winners receive a funded trip to the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, Illinois.
- Better Rhodes-JWU Wander & Found Cocktail Competition: JWU student teams mix non-alcoholic cocktails utilizing Wander & Found NA wines. Winners receive a funded trip to the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, Illinois.
Beverage Competitions at JWU
Industry Leadership
“JWU has a longstanding reputation for world-class beverage-related educational programming, and this is an opportunity to extend that expertise to the larger community,” said Jason Evans, Ph.D., dean of JWU’s College of Food Innovation & Technology. “The beverage economy is changing rapidly, creating a number of exciting opportunities for entrepreneurship and product innovation. The Center will play a role in that evolution, helping businesses and entrepreneurs navigate challenges and opportunities in the evolving landscape.”
Center Director Brian Warrener, MBA
Associate Professor Brian Warrener has been teaching at JWU since 1995 and has been a full-time faculty member since 2002. He is committed to providing students with engaging and relevant instruction in the classroom and connecting the beverage industry to JWU’s unique areas of excellence. Warrener earned an MBA from The University of Rhode Island and a bachelor of arts in history from Harvard University.
To ensure relevance of programming for all stakeholders, the Center has established an Industry Council of representatives from the beverage industry, media and education ecosystems. Members of the Council have three primary roles: as advisors, ambassadors, and supporters of the Center and its mission.
Ashley Bray is an editorial and content director for bar & restaurant, the leading information hub for bars, restaurants, nightlife venues, and the wider hospitality sector.
Mark Hellendrung is CEO of Narragansett Brewing Co. He purchased the then-115-year-old brand in 2005, and has grown Narragansett into one of the top five breweries in New England.
Missi Holle is the national on-premise and cruise lines account manager for Kobrand Corporation, focusing her dedicated hospitality career on sales and education in the wine and spirits industry.
Lindsey Johnson is CEO of Lush Life Productions, a one-of-a-kind marketing agency that catapults wine or spirits brands into the culture of drinking well.
Rhonda Kallman is founder and CEO of Boston Harbor Distillery, producer of world-class distilled spirits and located at the Port on Boston Harbor.
Adam Kost '04 is founder and CEO of Goodwell Brands, which specializes in purpose-driven spirits brands like Dirty Shirley and Country Luau.
Anjali Kundra is co-founder and vice president of Partender, a software app that reduces the time it takes to complete bar inventory, ordering and accounting.
Parker Luthman '16 is a bartender and and national cocktail competitor who has been appointed Tales of the Cocktail Apprentice (2017) and PUNCH Bartender in Residence (2021).
Frank Martucci is director of beverage & nightlife for Bally’s Corporation. He has served as director of the United States Bartenders’ Guild (USBG) and president of the USBG National Charity Foundation.
Mia Mastroianni is one of America’s most recognized bar professionals. As seen on “Bar Rescue USA,” this celebrity mixologist has turned her years of experience in the service industry into a career in beverage media and consulting. She also serves on the bar & restaurant Expo’s advisory board.
Daniel Stiller is CEO of Better Rhodes, a platform for consumers to explore a curated collection of alcohol-free products and related content.
Art Sutley is director of northeast & strategic accounts at Savage & Cooke Distillery and a featured hospitality expert for top global media outlets.
The Faculty Steering Committee provides valuable guidance for the Center for Beverage Education & Innovation. In total, the Committee has nearly 200 years of experience as hospitality industry operation and education leadership.
- Associate Professor Marc DeMarchena (CFIT)
- Associate Professor Nicholas Makris (COHM)
- Associate Professor Sarah Malik (COHM)
- Assistant Professor Jennifer Parisi (CFIT)
- Associate Professor Brian Van Gyzen (COHM)
- Associate Professor Russ Zito (CFIT)
Contact Us
For inquiries or to support beverage initiatives at JWU, get in touch.
The Center for Beverage Education & Innovation
Johnson & Wales University
8 Abbott Park Place
Providence, RI 02903
Center Director Brian Warrener
401-598-1100
Email