Free with program registration. Registration opens on Monday, October 18.

Location: The Kampong – 4013 South Douglas Rd Coconut Grove, FL

Sip of History delves into South Florida’s past and present through moderated conversation with artists, activists, and community stakeholders from a variety of disciplines. Hosted by a HistoryMiami staff, each conversation will explore a different topic centered on the diverse stories of our local communities. Each conversation will be paired with a Miami inspired cocktail created by author and Mixologist Gabriel Urrutia.

For this special evening, join HistoryMiami Museum’s Resident Historian Dr. Paul George and the Director of The Kampong, Craig Morell, for a conversation on South Florida’s unique environment with an in-depth look at the history of The Kampong, Dr. David Fairchild’s former residence.

The Kampong of The National Tropical Botanical Garden is the former residence and garden of famed USDA horticulturist and plant explorer, Dr. David G. Fairchild and later, Catherine “Kay” Hauberg Sweeney. The Kampong began not as a botanical garden, but as a personal collection motivated by Fairchild and Sweeney’s love for, and scientific interest in, ornamental, edible, and ethnobotanical plants. Today, the garden is renowned for its irreplaceable historic collections of rare and unusual varieties of tropical and subtropical fruits, palms, and flowering trees, shrubs and vines. The National Tropical Botanical Garden is a not-for-profit, non-governmental institution with nearly 2,000 acres of gardens and preserves in Hawai‘i and Florida. The institution’s mission is to enrich life through discovery, scientific research, conservation, and education by perpetuating the survival of plants, ecosystems, and cultural knowledge of tropical regions.

Featured Speakers:

Dr. Paul George

For three decades, HistoryMiami Museum’s Resident Historian Dr. Paul S. George has toured his way to local, national, and international acclaim with his continuing series of historic tours. Through walking, coach, and boat tour experiences, Dr. George has welcomed tour participants on a memorable journey of South Florida through its historic neighborhoods, landmarks, and sites. As a Miami native, author, and former college professor, Dr. George has gained fame for his uncanny ability to recall the most impressive details about the people and places that make South Florida so unique.

Mr. Craig Morell

Craig is a lifelong horticulturist, starting his love of plants in the 1970s, growing orchids on the windowsills of his parents’ home in Milwaukee. After reading David Fairchild’s book “Garden Islands of the Great East” as a teenager, Craig decided to pursue horticulture as a career. Following the trail of a career in horticulture, Craig attended the University of Florida-Gainesville, working in nurseries along the path to an education in ornamental horticulture, as well as apprenticing with a master orchid hybridizer in Gainesville. After graduation, Craig worked at the Florida Dept. of Agriculture at Chapman Field; a small orchid company in West Palm Beach; 10 years as Horticulturist at the Boca Raton Resort in Boca Raton; and 11 years as Horticulturist at Pinecrest Gardens in Miami. Currently the Director of The Kampong, Craig calls flowering trees, palms, orchids, bromeliads, gingers and heliconias his favored groups.

Mr. Gabriel Urrutia

Gabriel Urrutia brings over 17 years of hospitality experience all based in the city of Miami. In his previous roles, he has conducted more than 150 training sessions for bartenders, while drawing on his creativity and knowledge to develop over 100 fresh and exciting cocktail menus. Gabe was also a finalist for St. Germain’s Can Can competition in 2011 and winner of the National Dekuyper Challenge in 2016. Born in Miami to parents from Cuba and Chile, Gabe embraces his Hispanic/Latinx roots in everything he does. In 2004, he earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Florida International University, an MBA with a concentration in Marketing from Nova Southeastern University in 2014, and also attained the BarSmarts Advanced certification as well as the Certified Spirits Specialist certification from the Society of Wine Educators. He is also Level 1 from Court of Master Sommeliers and WSET Level 1. At the age 28, he was nominated and shortlisted for “Young Achiever of The Year” at the London International Wine Fair 2009 by The Drinks Business. He was the only nominee from the United States. In 2019, he was selected as one of Wine Enthusiast’s 40 under 40 Tastemakers of America and most recently started a podcast, Miami Accent, chatting with anyone and everyone in the beverage world locally. Also in the same year, Gabe wrote Miami’s first cocktail book in history, Miami Cocktails: An Elegant Collection of Over 100 Recipes Inspired by the Magic City. Miami Cocktails was nominated in 2020 for the prestigious Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award for best new book.

Must be 21 or older to attend. Capacity is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Be advised that audio and video recording during this program is prohibited without written consent from HistoryMiami Museum. 

 

In partnership with

 

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To request materials in accessible format, sign language interpreters, and/or any disability accommodation, please contact Hana Squires, Accessibility Coordinator, at accessibility@historymiami.org or call (305) 375-1621 at least two weeks in advance of your visit to initiate your request. TTY users may also call 711 (Florida Relay Service.

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Release

By entering the premises, you consent to interview(s), photography, audio recording, video recording and its/their release, publication, exhibition, or reproduction to be used for news, web casts, promotional purposes, telecasts, advertising, inclusion on web sites, or any other purpose by HistoryMiami Museum (HMM) and its affiliates and representatives. You release HistoryMiami Museum (HMM) its officers and employees, and each and all persons involved from any liability connected with the taking, recording, digitizing, or publication of interviews, photographs, computer images, video and/or or sound recordings. By entering the premises, you waive all rights you may have to any claims for payment or royalties in connection with any exhibition, streaming, webcasting, televising, or other publication of these materials, regardless of the purpose or sponsoring of such exhibiting, broadcasting, webcasting, or other publication irrespective of whether a fee for admission or sponsorship is charged. You also waive any right to inspect or approve any photo, video, or audio recording taken by HistoryMiami Museum (HMM) or the person or entity designated to do so by HistoryMiami Museum (HMM) You have been fully informed of your consent, waiver of liability, and release before entering the premise.

Image courtesy of The Kampong