The Connecticut Restaurant Association (CRA) hosted its annual Golf Classic at Lyman Orchards Golf Club in Middlefield on June 26, presented by title sponsor Sysco. Participants were treated to lunch before teeing off to play 18 holes, courtesy of US Foods. Sponsors also included Datapay Payroll Services, Performance Foodservice, DoorDash, Chefs’ Warehouse, Pullman & Comley LLC and Tanda Hospitality. Tasting stations featured dozens of brands, including Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Jameson, Lenny’s Lemonade through Murphy Distributors, Dockside Brewery, spirits from Sovereign Brands and The Cocktail Chemist canned cocktail line, among them. The beverage cart sponsor was Brescome Barton. Additional sponsorships and support from the beverage trade included Allan S. Goodman; The Beverage Journal; Eder Bros., Inc.; Molson Coors; Pernod Ricard; Star Distributing; and the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of Connecticut, among them. Cocktails and a farm-to-table dinner followed the day of golf, led by a renowned lineup of local chefs, including Franck Iglesias, Foxwoods Resort Casino; Ken Arnone, Jealous Monk; Tom Kaldy, The Charles; Tyler Hodge, HooDoo Brown BBQ; and Clark Neugold, Foundry Kitchen & Tavern. Approximately 256 golfers took part in the day, with dozens of additional contributors and sponsors, which supports ProStart and culinary scholarships through CRA’s Connecticut Hospitality Educational Foundation, among charitable efforts.
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- The Connecticut Restaurant Association (CRA) hosted its annual Golf Classic at Lyman Orchards Golf Club in Middlefield on June 26.
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- Scott Dolch, President and CEO, CRA; Aubrey Lamonica, Co-owner, Eli Cannon’s; Rocco Lamonica, Co-owner, Eli Cannon’s; Jesse Springer, New England Brewing Co.; and Lee Rapp, General Manager, Eli Cannon’s Tap Room.
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- Jason Vocke, Worldwide Wines; Mike Sosensky, Worldwide Wines; Michael Murphy, Brescome Barton; and Paul Murphy, Brescome Barton.
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- All of Allan S. Goodman: Jeff Conelius, Jeff Sansone, Dave Heller and Kurt Graf.
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- All of Murphy Distributors: Charles Laverick, Mark Crilly and Paul Flynn.
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- Hartley & Parker Limited, Inc.’s Tim Morrell and Paul Angelico.
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- All of Eder Bros., Inc.: Bill Barford, Michelle Mauro, Henry Lavado and Justin Lenig.
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- All of Star Distributors: Nolan Aurelia, Mark Mattei, Dan Hundt and Dennis Fitzgibbons.
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- All of Connecticut Distributors, Inc.: Mike Copeland, Kyle Ronopski, Nadine Gengras and Jay DiFranzo.
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- Team Molson Coors.
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- All of Tito’s Handmade Vodka: Mike Parzych, Christian Martinez and Rick Modi.
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- Team Beamhouse.
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- All of The Charles: Rocco McNelly, Tom Kaldy, Mike Oliver and Bryce Hardy.
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- Brand Ambassadors Stephanie Mendez, Jamie Harvey and Carolyn Thompson showcasing Jameson Orange Whiskey.
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- Brand Ambassador Emma Pawlak, Tito’s Handmade Vodka.
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- Brand Ambassadors Jody St. Laurent, Mary Babinksi and Alex Seigel with brands distributed by Murphy Distributors, including Lenny’s Lemonade and Murphy and Monico Irish Cream.
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- All of Dockside Brewery: Bob Chicone, Lisa Borrelli, Kyle Phillips, Makaila Cavender, Tom Hanley, Elaine Pick and Scott Burrell.
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- Dimitrios Zahariadis, Owner, The Cocktail Chemist Beverage Co.
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- Brand Ambassadors Sage Reinhardt and Heather Kekac for Sovereign Brands.
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- Cocktails and a farm-to-table dinner followed the day of golf, led by a renowned lineup of local chefs.
Photos by Michael Leung.
