A C F Members To Tour Maker's Mark Distillery During Northeast Regional Conference In Cincinnati

St. Augustine, Fla., March 27, 2008 - The American Culinary Federation (ACF), Inc., the largest association of professional culinarians in North America, will take an evening tour of the historic Maker's Mark Distillery, Inc. in Loretto, Ky., Saturday, April 5 as part of the 2008 ACF Northeast Regional Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio, April 5-7.

The 2008 ACF Northeast Regional Conference, will bring 500 chefs, cooks and foodservice professionals from across the region to Cincinnati to enjoy networking opportunities, educational sessions, demonstrations, culinary competitions and much more. The private event at Maker's Mark Distillery will be the perfect ending to the first day of the conference. Maker's Mark Distillery is the only operating distillery in America designated as a National Historic Landmark. Originally built in 1805, the former gristmill distillery is in the heart of "bourbon country" known as Distillery Row. It became the home of Maker's Mark in 1953.

ACF members will travel to Kentucky to learn the fine art of whiskey making. Guests will enjoy the distillery's 19th century charm as they explore the master distiller's house, fermenting room and the barrel warehouse. An old-fashioned pig roast, live music by Taylor Farley & Blue Rock, will follow private guided tours of the facility and a special ceremony created specifically for ACF members by the Maker's Mark staff, complete with one-of-a-kind mementos.

"Those attending this year's ACF Northeast Regional Conference will have quite a treat at the Maker's Mark night event," said Mark Wright, CEC, AAC, ACF Northeast Region Vice President. "They will get a behind the scenes look at this historic and fascinating place while enjoying a night of great food and good music."

Chosen for its big city vibrancy and small-town charm, Cincinnati is the location of the 2008 ACF Northeast Regional Conference hosted by ACF Greater Cincinnati Chapter. Bringing more than 500 chefs, cooks and foodservice professionals to the city, the conference will provide attendees with numerous opportunities to advance their professional development and enhance their culinary skills through informative business seminars, forums, clinics and cutting-edge demonstrations. In addition, the conference will offer participants the opportunity to learn about the latest cooking trends and techniques.

Sponsors of the 2008 ACF Northeast Regional Conference and national award sponsors include: American Lamb Board; Barber Foods; Badia Spices; Beef Information Center; Buckhead Beef Company; Butterball Farms, Inc.; Canada Cutlery Inc.; The Cheesecake Factory Bakery, Inc.; Contessa Premium Foods; Custom Culinary, Inc.; GFF, Inc./Girard's Dressings; John Morrell & Co.; La Brea Bakery; Lactalis Foodservice, Inc; Lobster Select; Maker's Mark Distillery, Inc. ; Mann's Fresh Vegetables; MARS Foodservices; Mind's Eye Resource Management, LLC; Nestl� Professional; NEWCHEF Fashions; Nueske's Applewood Smoked Meats; Pearson Prentice Hall; Queensgate Foodservice ; RC Fine Foods, Reinhart Foodservice; R.L. Schreiber, Inc., Rubbermaid Commercial Products; Snake River Farms; Splenda�; SYSCO Food Services of Cincinnati; Tyson Food Service; Unilever Foodsolutions and Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.

The American Culinary Federation, Inc., established in 1929, is the premier professional organization for culinarians in North America. With 20,000 members spanning more than 230 chapters nationwide, ACF is the culinary leader in offering educational resources, training, apprenticeship and accreditation. In addition, ACF operates the most comprehensive certification program for chefs in the United States. ACF is home to ACF Culinary Team USA, the official representative for the