Sip or Skip? RTD Espresso Martinis
Espresso martini
The affair with the espresso martini is still going strong as we exit 2024 and head into 2025. Many industry sources show that the espresso martini is one of the most ordered cocktails in bars worldwide. Devotion to this cocktail shows no sign of abating. And in recent years, liquor store shelves are filling up with a myriad of ready-to-serve (RTS) espresso martini products. This month, the power-house brand Absolut unveiled their RTS espresso martini. Do we need another packaged coffee cocktail on the shelf? Are any of them hitting the mark? How do consumers navigate the options?
Here is the lowdown on four brands that make it easy to enjoy a finely crafted espresso martini at home without the hassle. First, let’s break down the difference between ready-to-serve (RTS) and ready-to-drink (RTD) products. RTS cocktails typically come in bottles with multiple servings. You may need to shake or stir some RTS cocktails, depending on your preference for sweetness and texture. RTD cocktails are often single portions and ready to open and consume right away. Now that we’ve got that covered, let’s get into the options.
Absolut Cocktails Espresso Martini
The latest ready-to-serve espresso martini on the market comes from the Swedish vodka darling Absolut. One bottle contains ten cocktails and is 20% alcohol by volume (ABV). This cocktail includes Absolut Vodka, Kahlúa coffee liqueur, real espresso, and simple syrup. The bottle instructions suggest you should shake the cocktail with ice for a foamy top. I can’t imagine drinking an espresso martini without shaking it first. The act of shaking a cocktail incorporates air into the liquid, adding a frothy texture while chilling the liquid and adding a little dilution. Shaking can bring down the level of sweetness or thin out a viscous texture. This cocktail is as expected, I can taste the Kahlúa and the espresso. It tastes like a cocktail with precisely measured ingredients, and the texture is nice. This recipe leans into the sweetness rather than the bitterness of the espresso, but a proper shake balances everything out.
Hoodoo Espresso Flavored Vodka
The next RTS espresso martini comes from the Cathead Distillery in Jackson, Mississippi. Cathead makes Hoodoo with their six-times-distilled corn vodka, direct-trade single-estate coffee, and demerara sugar. Each bottle makes ten cocktails and is 30% ABV. The packaging is unique and feels like a wine or brandy bottle, cork top and all. The bitterness of the coffee comes through to make Hoodoo unique. It’s in balance with all the other flavors, it’s just more noticeable in this cocktail. A few shakes released the aromas, and when chilled, the texture was silky smooth. The coffee flavors in this cocktail throughout the experience are a standout.
Ketel One Espresso Martini
Ketel One out of Schiedam, Holland jumped into the RTS game in 2023 with their collection of RTS cocktails. This bottled cocktail also makes ten cocktails and is 20.1% ABV. Ketel One crafts their vodka with Non-GMO European wheat. This espresso martini contains real sucrose sugar and natural flavors. The brand advertises additional chocolate and hints of orange flavors. The coffee scents were strong. Flavors of dark chocolate, a touch of spice, and a hint of orange peel emerged and intensified post-shake. Ketel One’s Espresso Martini has a big bitter finish which is a favorite hallmark of a flavor-balanced espresso martini.
Kahlúa Canned Espresso Martini
Since warmer weather is on the horizon for those of us living in colder climates, despite what that little jerk Punxsutawney Phil says. Having an Espresso Martini option on the go is a must-have in warmer months. Crafting cocktails to be shelf stable with ingredients that are natural or taste natural is not an easy feat. Making them ready-to-drink is even more challenging. Kahlúa is the go-to coffee liqueur for many cocktail makers when mixing up espresso martinis. Kahlúa has crafted their own canned espresso martini. The smart nitrogen widget in the cans lets you pop the top and pour. The nitrogen widget forces the bubbles to the top of the can as soon as it’s opened to deliver that coveted froth without the use of a cocktail shaker. Made with grain vodka, roasted coffee and the brand’s famed coffee liqueur, this canned cocktail hits all the right notes. The cans come in 6.8 ounces and each can is 6.5% ABV.
You can’t go wrong with any of these options, whichever you choose. Whether you’re craving an espresso martini after a long, hard day at work and you don’t want to mess with the work involved with putting together a cocktail. Or, having a delicious and easy option for entertaining. We may not have gotten our hoverboards in 2015, but at least we have ready-to-drink cocktails. Vive la future!
Looking to make your own espresso martini? Check out these espresso martini versions.
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Cognac Expert
cognac-expert.com is the leading online platform for all things related to Cognac. Founded a decade ago by brother-sister team, Max and Sophie, their love of this iconic French drink was literally written into their genes, thanks to the family estate in the Cognac region with over three generations of family history. Today the website has a global readership numbering into the hundreds of thousands, and is a place where Cognac lovers can discover more about their passion, communicate with others of a similar interest, and purchase Cognac from the heart of the region to be delivered anywhere around the world. Follow Cognac-Expert on social media: Instagram @cognacexpert Facebook https://www.facebook.com/cognacexpert/ Twitter @cognac-expert https://twitter.com/cognac_expert
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Colleen Newvine
Colleen Newvine is a Brooklyn-based freelance journalist and marketing consultant with a passion for great cocktails and farmers' market produce. She blogs about living life intentionally (https://newvinegrowing.wordpress.com) and helps her artist husband, John Tebeau, explore bars for his Great Good Places series. Follow her on Twitter @cnewvine.
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Courtney Schiessl
Courtney Schiessl is a Brooklyn-based wine journalist, educator, and consultant who has held sommelier positions at some of New York’s top restaurants, including Marta, Dirty French, and Terroir. Courtney has written for Forbes.com, SevenFifty Daily, SOMM Journal, Tasting Panel Magazine, and VinePair, among other publications, and she is currently pursuing the WSET Diploma in Wines. Follow her Champagne-fueled adventures on Instagram at @takeittocourt.
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Danielle Macdonald
Danielle loves sipping on the perfect beverage whilst exploring and reviewing both its characteristics as well as its image. With numerous articles covering various product genres, her love of journalism and branding has transformed into her profession. With a degree in creative writing, a course at The London School of Journalism, and a desire to lose herself in words and dare one say it- alcohol, Danielle is one happy, creative and beverage passionate woman. Find her on Linkedin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-macdonald-94991ba4/
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Demian and LeNell Camacho Santa Ana
Husband and wife team Demian and LeNell Camacho Santa Ana have over 30 combined years in the beverage industry. Together, they opened and managed Casa Coctel, a reservation only bar, in Baja California Sur, Mexico before landing in Birmingham, Alabama. They are currently working on a children's book Mommy & Daddy are Bartenders in honor of their daughter Damiana.
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Devon Trevathan
Devon Is a writer and producer based in Nashville, TN. She loves to travel, drink, take pictures of cocktails and inhale food. You can follow her @devontrevathan on Instagram and Twitter.
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Devorah Lev-Tov
Devorah Lev-Tov is a food, drinks, and travel writer based in Brooklyn, New York. She has written for publications including The New York Times, Saveur, Eater, October, Robert Parker Wine Journal, Tasting Table, Food & Wine, Conde Nast Traveler, Vogue, Zagat, USA Today, Thrillist, and more. She's traveled to France, India, Italy, China, Israel, and beyond, visiting wineries, distilleries and breweries along the way.
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Dorothy Hernandez
Chicago native Dorothy Hernandez is an editor and writer who is eating and drinking her way through her adopted home of Detroit. She has written for numerous online and print publications, including the Chicago Tribune's RedEye edition, The Detroit News and patch.com. Her love of exploring the best food and drink a city has to offer led her to co-found Epic Brew Tours, which specializes in craft brewery tours in Michigan. facebook.com/epicbrewtours twitter.com/epicbrewtours Connect with her on Twitter at @lennie7vk.
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Dy Godsey
Dy Godsey is a published mixologist, consultant and bartender currently working in Wisconsin. More Low-ABV cocktails can be found on her website, www.funbehindbars.blogspot.com
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Elisa Shoenberger
Elisa Shoenberger is a freelance writer and journalist in Chicago. She has written about food and drink for Wine Enthusiast, Huffington Post, Rewire, Midwesterner, Farm Flavor, and others. She also has written for the Boston Globe, US News and World Report, WIRED Magazine, and others. She has a B.A. in Latin American History from the University of Chicago, M.A. in Latin American Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and an M.B.A. in Marketing and Operations Management from Loyola University Chicago. Twitter: @vogontroubadour and at Mischief and Writing.
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Ellen Kanner
Ellen Kanner is the author of Miami Vegan: Plant-Based Recipes from the Tropics to Your Tableand the award-winning book Feeding the Hungry Ghost: Life, Faith and What to Eat for Dinner. She writes about the intersection of food, culture, community, wellness, and sustainability for outlets including HuffPost, VegNews, and Edible South Florida. She’s a vegan advocate and culinary instructor, recipe developer for major brands, and the creator of the Substack newsletter Broccoli Rising. A fifth generation Miami native, she lives with her husband in — where else? — Miami.
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Elsa Holmberg
Finnish citizen, born in Stockholm, Elsa worked as a cocktail bartender in Nottingham while studying for her Master’s thesis on temperance in 19th Century America. After juggling various ambassador roles in the USA, UK and Scandinavia, she eventually moved to London to work in marketing for various independent Scotch brands. Having left the corporate world, she now focuses on writing about food, drinks, travel and sustainability. Follow her: @elsamixalot
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Em Sauter
Em Sauter is an Advanced Cicerone®, author, beer judge and public speaker who runs the award winning website Pints and Panels which focuses on visual beer education. More info: www.pintsandpanels.com. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @PintsandPanels.
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Émilie Steckenborn
Émilie Steckenborn is a certified sommelier, foodie, and host, and creator of the Bottled in China podcast and blog. Having lived in Shanghai, China, for over 10 years, Émilie oversees wine programs for top-tier businesses in Asia, including serving as the wine consultant for China Eastern Airlines. Her signature podcast, Bottled in China, shares the stories and adventures of passionate individuals, thought leaders, and business leaders in the F&B scene who are shaking things up around the world. In 2019, Émilie was named one of the top future influencers in the global beverage industry.
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Emily Paster
A lawyer turned food writer, Emily Paster brings passion, a sharp intellect and attention to detail to her globally-inspired, Jewish cuisine. She is the author of four cookbooks, including the best-selling Epic Air Fryer Cookbook. Her latest book is Instantly Mediterranean: Vibrant Satisfying Recipes for Your Instant Pot, Electric Pressure Cooker & Air Fryer. Emily lives outside Chicago with her husband and two ravenous teenagers. Find more of Emily’s recipes on her blog West of the Loop.
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Emma Criswell
Emma Criswell is head of the "Grain Team" at Deussen Global Communications, a sales associate at Frankly Wines and a freelance marketing consultant for wine, spirits and culinary brands. A certified sommelier, she loves funky wines, loose leaf tea and running half marathons. She doesn't love bell peppers, or red onions. Follow her on instagram @emmacriswell.
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Emma Krasov
Emma Krasov is a journalist, author, food and wine writer, a panelist for San Francisco International Coffee Festival and San Francisco Pistahan Festival of Filipino Food, a judge for the San Francisco International Chocolate Salon, The Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-off (Sparks, Nevada), and San Francisco International Fragrance Salon. She regularly contributes articles about food and wine, art, entertainment, and travel to Real Travel Adventures online magazine, Kstati Russian-American newspaper, and her own award-winning blog, Art and Entertain Me. Look for Emma’s articles at: Real Travel Adventures, Kstati, and Art and Entertain Me. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
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Eric Zillier
For 15 years Eric Zillier has worked as a sommelier or wine director at some of New York's finest restaurants including Veritas, Alto and Gotham Bar and Grill. He is currently working on a book about his experiences in the wine business.
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Flora Tsapovsky
Flora Tsapovsky is a style, food and culture writer splitting her time between San Francisco and Tel Aviv. She has contributed to publications including San Francisco Chronicle, Bon Appetit, Afar and VinePair. She liked the wine spritzer before everyone else.
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Francine Cohen
Francine Cohen is Editor in Chief of www.insidefandb.com, a regular contributor to Beverage Industry News and www.hotelinteractive.com and a hospitality and spirits industry consultant. She splits her time between developing successful brand marketing strategies and writing about the business of the f&b and hotel industries. Based in NYC, but happy to continue to travel the world, she has an appetite for great food and drink. Especially cheese. And snails.
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Frank Dobbins
Frank Dobbins is a whiskey writer from New Jersey with a focus on America’s Native Spirit. When he’s not writing about spirits you can find him on Instagram @BourbYourEnthusiasm and @BourbEnthusiam on Twitter, where he spends his time interviewing industry luminaries, cracking wise, and doing what he does best: encouraging people to bourb’ their enthusiasm.
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Gabrielle Pharms
Gabrielle Pharms is a Texas-based writer covering all things booze, music, and travel related. Bylines can be seen via VinePair, The Bourbon Review, Billboard, W Magazine, plus many other outlets. You can catch her at a music festival with flowers in hair and a cocktail in tote. Just make sure it’s whiskey. Follow her on Twitter @gabbynikki.
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Gail Ann Williams & Steve Shapiro
Gail Ann Williams and Steve Shapiro are longtime San Francisco residents and beer appreciators who have written for publications such as Celebrator Beer News, BeerAdvocate Magazine, CraftBeer.com, Beer Paper LA and others since they launched their own site, BeerbyBART.com, in 2007 to help locals and visitors explore their local beer scene via public transportation. Gail is also a Certified BJCP beer judge. The couple places a personal priority on traveling to meet beer people and trying fresh beers from the source, with select cultural and outdoor destinations tacked on for good measure.
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Gary Schwind
Gary Schwind is a music journalist and beer enthusiast who learned pretty much everything he knows about beer from Bart Bullington, formerly of Laguna Beach Brewing Company. In addition to being a beer aficionado, he is also an avid fan of music who has had the opportunity to interview countless music artists, including Grammy nominees. He lives in Orange County, California. You can find his music features on glidemagazine.com and americanahighways.org.
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George Koutsakis
As a half-Greek Scotsman, who previously lived and worked in Japanese whisky industry for years, George Koutsakis is a spirits writer specializing in Japanese whisky, world whisky, and spirits. Aside from Alcohol Professor, he currently writes for Liquor.com, Saveur Magazine, Wine Enthusiast, Distiller.com, and acts as head of content for Dekanta.
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Georgia Freedman
Georgia Freedman is a freelance journalist and editor based in the Bay Area. Georgia has written for Food & Wine, the Wall Street Journal, Afar, Martha Stewart Living, and many other publications and is the author of two cookbooks. She also produces the newsletter the California Table, which celebrates home cooks and home cooking from all across her home state.
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James Reddicliffe
James Reddicliffe is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of BK Beer Review, a blog that covers all things beer in the five boroughs. His work has been featured in the New York Times, and when he is not writing about beer or spirits, you can find him spending time with his wife and 10-week-old son Graham, who enjoys bottles of a different kind. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter at @bkbeerreview.
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Jens Kerger
Jens is a freelance bartender in Dresden, Germany who decided he'd rather be a good host, than a mechanical engineer. As of the moment he mainly does guest shifts, spreading the knowledge he acquires and learning with each new bar he gets to "blow up," while seeking a position outside of the country. He also a brand ambassador for Absyntheum Absinthe in Germany.
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Julie Kendrick
Julie Kendrick is a Minneapolis-based food writer with bylines in HuffPost, Condé Nast Traveler, EatingWell and Delta Sky. Follow her on Twitter @KendrickWorks.
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Haley Forest
Having worked in the Hospitality sector for nearly 15 years, Haley Forest has experienced first hand the blood, sweat, tears, and manic joy that comes with it. After being involved in almost every aspect of the industry, from chef to bartender, vendor to general manager, she now is a writer and consultant, traveling around the world exploring bar communities and helping the industry progress as a whole. Follow the adventure at @HCForest.
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Hannah Walhout
Hannah Walhout is a writer, editor, and eater in New York City. When she isn't busy writing, she enjoys cooking, eating shawarma, traveling, and wondering whether or not the obscure beverages she buys during her travels will be confiscated at the border. Follow her on Instagram at @lunchtime_somewhere.
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Hollie Stephens
Hollie Stephens is an award-winning freelance writer originally from London and currently based in New Mexico. Her writing has appeared in VinePair, Pellicle, Hop Culture, and other publications. View more bylines at holliestephens.com, and follow her on Twitter @GlobeHops
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Jackie Armstrong
Jackie is a freelance writer and blogger. She is the founder of One Girl's Dish, a blog dedicated to food and drink events in New York.
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Jackie Summers
Jackie Summers is the founder of Jack From Brooklyn, and the creator of Sorel Liqueur. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @TheLiquortarian.
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Jake Emen
Jake Emen is a spirits, food and travel writer currently based in Washington, D.C. His drinks coverage has been published in Whisky Advocate, Eater Drinks, Tales of the Cocktail, Washington Post Express, Distiller, The Whiskey Wash, Tasting Table, and a range of other outlets. He also runs his own site, ManTalkFood.com, and can be followed on Twitter, @ManTalkFood.
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Jason Horn
Jason Horn's first published story as a professional journalist (well, intern) was called "Whiskey 101," and he's never looked back. He's been writing about drinks, food, travel and cannabis for more than 15 years, including as senior editor at Liquor.com, spirits columnist at Playboy.com and freelance contributor to lots of other publications. Follow him at @messyepicure on Twitter and Instagram or at themessyepicure.com
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Jeanette Hurt
Jeanette Hurt is the author of 15 books on food and drink, including Wisconsin Cocktails, Drink Like a Woman, The Joy of Cider, The Cheeses of Wisconsin and more. She is also the cheese and spirits contributor to Milwaukee Public Radio.
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Jennifer Billock
Jennifer Billock is an award-winning writer, bestselling author, and editor; co-host of the Macabre Traveler podcast; and editor of the Kitchen Witch Newsletter. She is currently dreaming of an around-the-world trip with her Boston terrier. Check out her website at jenniferbillock.com, and follow her on Twitter @jenniferbillock and Instagram @jenniferjoanbillock.
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Jim Gladstone
Jim Gladstone has written extensively about the arts, cuisine and travel. He is a freelance writer and creative consultant based in San Francisco. www.jimgladstone.com.
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John Pomeroy
John Pomeroy is the epitome of balance – in life and in his cocktails. Bitten by the hospitality bug in high school and continuing through college, he used his skills to move ahead when others may have thrown in the towel – literally. John went from dish washer, to busser, to waiter before finding his stride at the bar. He worked as a bartender through college at the award-winning Montrio in Monterey, CA. It wasn’t long, though, before he was recruited to open the Bernardus Lodge in Carmel Valley. Here he had the opportunity to work with and learn from world-renowned chef Cal Stamenov, and sommelier Mark Jensen, formerly of the Highlands Inn. He then went on to graduate school at the University of California at Santa Cruz, where he earned his Masters in Education, as well as the credentials he needed to be an English teacher. His passion, interest, and curious nature about food and spirits remained powerful influences. While developing his knack for identfying flavors on the plate he excelled when it came to working with spirits from distillation to the creation of cocktails. Today, he is able to blend his educational training and passion by working as a spirits advocate and educator, consultant, brand ambassador and journalist. His work has been featured in several magazines, and he recently wrote the cover story for Bar Business. With his active participation in the United States Bartenders Guild, New York Chapter (USBGNY) he has spent the past four years developing and solidifying relationships in the industry, affording him the opportunity to work with many of the most respected names in the business. In addition to working closely on many of New York City's best cocktail programs, he has also consulted Las Ranitas, an eco-resort in Tulum, Mexico, as well as several other venues around the United States. Additionally, his work with Purity Vodka as their national brand ambassador has garnered him even more respect and credibility within the industry, and he regularly contributes to seminars and trainings sessions at cocktail events the world over.
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John Reed
John Reed is the beverage director for Potash Markets in Chicago. He is an accredited WSET2, and has studied wine all over the world. John has also worked with the Beverage Tasting Institute rating wines professionally. With almost a decade buying and studying wine he has gained a unique perspective into the wine industry.
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Josh Powell
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Josh Feldman and Peter Silver
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Joshua Lurie
Joshua Lurie founded FoodGPS.com, a Los Angeles based company that showcases the best-tasting food and drink through online coverage and custom culinary tours. Follow him on Instagram.
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Karan Nagpal
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Kathleen Willcox
Kathleen Willcox has been writing about the business and culture of wine and food for more years than she’d care to reveal. Her work appears regularly in Wine Searcher, Wine Enthusiast, The Vintner Project and many other publications. Kathleen also co-authored a book called Hudson Valley Wine: A History of Taste & Terroir, which was published in 2017. Follow her wine explorations on Instagram at @kathleenwillcox.
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Katie Lockhart
Katie Lockhart is a travel and food journalist, copywriter and content creator traveling full-time around Asia. She writes for National Geographic, Travel + Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler, Robb Report, Afar and many more. You can follow her work and adventures on Instagram @findyourhappyplate.
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Katrina Lobley
Katrina Lobley writes about travel, food, and wine – in short, all the good things in life – and lives in Sydney, Australia. She writes for newspapers including The Australian, The Sydney Morning Herald, and The Saturday Paper. Follow her adventures on Instagram @katrinalobley.
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Kaya Johnson
Kaya Johnson is a professional interpreter from Yorkshire, UK, who is fond of writing and traveling. She enjoys sharing articles on various topics and dreams of writing a bestseller one day. She hosts this website.
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Keith Allison
Keith Allison is a freelance writer, traveler, and professional imbiber raised in Kentucky and living in New York City. His goal in life is to be Nick and Nora Charles. He’s also the author of the book Cocktails and Capers: Cult Films, Cocktails, Crime and Cool.
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Kelly Magyarics
Kelly Magyarics, DWS, is a wine, spirits and lifestyle writer, and wine educator, in the Washington, D.C. area. She can be reached through her website www.kellymagyarics.com or follow her @kmagyiarics.
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Kenneth Haynes
Kenneth Haynes is a Molecular Gastronomist and also a Content Creator who loves to approach the matter of social, artistic and technical aspects of food and drinks. You can read more of his articles on TodayTopReviews.com, a review site that focuses on three niches: wine, beer and cheese.
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Kevin Gibson
Kevin Gibson is a Louisville, Ky.-based writer who writes about breweries, restaurants and the great city he calls home. He loves the Green Bay Packers, loathes cucumbers and once interviewed Yoko Ono (pissed her off a little, too). He also is author of "Louisville Beer: Derby City History on Draft" and other books, and plays in a band called the Uncommon Houseflies. When he isn't running around town chasing stories or poised at his trusty laptop writing, you can often find him at one of the local breweries or chilling on his couch with his trusty sidekick Atticus. Check out KevinGibsonWriter.com to find out more about his books and why he does what he does, or feel free to call him names on Twitter: @kgramone.
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Kim Westerman
Kim Westerman is a certified sommelier and licensed Q-grader, and has been writing about beverages and their various intersections with culture for more than 20 years. She is based in Berkeley, California, where she explores the sensory parallels between coffee and wine at Hedonic Terroir-Driven Coffee, the roastery she founded in 2019 to bring awareness to the influences of terroir — a household word among wine drinkers — on your morning cup of coffee. Follow her on Instagram @hedoniccoffee and @throughtraveler.
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Kristine Hansen
Kristine Hansen is a Milwaukee food, drink, travel, and design writer and author of Wisconsin Cheese Cookbook: Creamy, Cheesy, Sweet, and Savory Recipes from the State's Best Creameries and Farmers Markets: Tours, Trails and Attractions, both from Globe Pequot Press. She also contributes to Milwaukee Magazine, nationalgeographic.com, architecturaldigest.com, travelandleisure.com, and marthastewart.com.
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Laine Doss
Laine Doss is the food and spirits editor for Miami New Times. She has been featured on Cooking Channel's Eat Street and Food Network's Great Food Truck Race. Laine won an Alternative Weekly award for her feature about what it's like to wait tables. A tiki cocktail aficionado, Laine is a judge at the annual South Beach Wine & Food Festival Art of Tiki event and competition and has an extensive collection of tiki mugs from bars she has visited around the world.
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Laren Spirer
New York Contributing Editor Laren Spirer is yet another lawyer (and freelance writer) obsessed with food and drink, who also blogs at Sweet Blog o’ Mine and tweets at @sweetblogomine. She has written for Gothamist, Serious Eats, Time Out New York and Tasting Table.
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Leilani Vella
Leilani finds delight in the bittersweet and salty, and has been known to drink vermouth in the afternoon and sherry in the shower. She began bartending in Italian restaurants in NYC as a means to pursue an environmental biology degree at Columbia University. Her boozy curiosity first developed in her interest of biodynamic oenology while she poured in Italian wine bars to supplement to her role an ecologist for the NYC Parks Dept. Upon moving to San Francisco, she bartended in seasonally inspired restaurants and immersed herself in the world of cocktails. Her work in brand strategy for independent spirits led her to become acquainted with many the characters and traditions of bars throughout North American and Europe as she visited over 150 distilleries. Today she lives in Venice California, serves on the board of Art Beyond the Glass, and can often be found serving G and T’s while sailing across the bay.
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LeNell Camacho Santa Ana
LeNell Camacho Santa Ana once boasted the world's largest American whiskey selection in a retail store in her eponymous Brooklyn shop. She plans to get her brag on again--this time back home in Bama.
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Lincoln Chinnery
Lincoln C. Chinnery III is a freelance cocktail journalist who has written for Edge Publications, AM New York, Metromix and VODA. Lincoln enjoys all the major spirits - Bourbon, Whiskey, Rye and is never too far from his next drink. He's a reader of all thngs related to cocktails and comic books.You can read his bar and liquor reviews at have http://haveglasswilldrink.blogspot.com/ and reach out to him on Twitter @Lincolnwrites.
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Lisa Futterman
Lisa Futterman, ACS CCP, is a cheese monger and freelance beverage journalist based in Chicago. Her love of cheese, wine, and spirits has taken her all over the world—from the Comté aging rooms in Fort St. Antoine in the Jura to the wild agave fields in the desert outside of Oaxaca.
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Liz Susman Karp
Liz Susman Karp writes about culinary history and anthropology, foodways, restaurants, and the intersection of food and culture. Her work has been published in Zagat Stories, Times-Union, Inside Hook, Modern Farmer, Hudson Valley Magazine and Westchester Magazine, among others. She feels fortunate to live in New York’s Hudson Valley, where she enjoys exploring the area’s rich agricultural heritage and offerings.
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Lori Rice
Lori Rice is a food and beverage writer who discovered a passion for beer and world travel over a decade ago while sitting in a biergarten in Vienna. She is a Certified Beer Server and the author-photographer of the beer cookbooks Food on Tap and Beer Bread. Lori resides next door to California’s wine country and she has yet to turn down any opportunity to catch up over a drink. Learn more about her writing and photography at loririce.com or follow her on Instagram @lori_rice.
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M. T. Eley
M. T. Eley is an Ohio-born writer currently living in the San Francisco Bay Area. His work is featured in The Bold Italic, Gilbert!, USA Today, The Columbus Dispatch alongside other outlets. Alongside writing, he enjoys old fashioneds, old books and old souls. You can follow his perpetual 20th-century existence on Instagram @MTEley and Twitter @M_T_Eley.
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Madeline Blasberg
Madeline Blasberg is a Certified Wine Consultant currently working for Etching Expressions (http://www.etchingexpressions.com/) as Official Wine Commentator & Reviewer. She has spent time living in Mendoza, Argentina where she was surrounded by wine, both personally and professionally.
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Maggie Kimberl
Maggie Kimberl is a bourbon writer focusing on bourbon culture and tourism in Louisville and Kentucky. When she's not covering the bourbon beat you can find her browsing through vintage vinyl with her kids or tending to her homegrown tomatoes. Follow her on Twitter, Instagram and check out her blog.
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Manny Gonzales
Manny Gonzales is General Manager and Beverage Director at Foundry on Elm and Saloon in Davis Square, Somerville Massachusetts where he has created one of the most compressive whisk(e)y menus in the North East. When he is not hiking with his family or planning spirit classes at his restaurants he can be found by his fireplace sipping drams of Scotch or Mezcal finding inspiration for his blog Life by the Drop http://blog.saloondavis.com.
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Maria C. Hunt
Maria C. Hunt, is a California-based journalist specializing in cultural stories around food, wine, design, and wellness. Her work has appeared in Esquire, Wine Enthusiast, Dwell, Architectural Digest, Elemental, The New York Times, and Christian Science Monitor. She’s the author of The Bubbly Bar: Champagne + Sparkling Wine Cocktails for Every Occasion (Clarkson Potter, 2009).
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Mark Marnell
Mark Marnell, is a semi-retired Chemist who left the corporate life for a far more rewarding endeavor, Beer Journalism. As a Freelance Writer, Hudson Valley NY Craft Beer Columnist and Beer Blogger, he is discovering the rest of his life, one sip at a time. When not writing about beer or drinking it, he is selling his first ever Craft Beer Crossword Puzzle Book. His motto is Cheers, Beers and New Frontiers! Catch him on Twitter at @MarnellBeer or on his website at www.marnellbeer.com.
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Marnie Ann Joyce
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Mary Charlotte Elia
Mary Charlotte Elia works at The Birch Bar, (http://www.thebirchbar.com/), in Norfolk, VA when she's not otherwise writing curriculum for Sunday school, singing recitals of 19th century German art songs, or presenting papers on 3rd century heretics. She blogs at Water Into Beer and tweets at @CharlotteElia.
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Marysa Mitch
Marysa Mitch is a freelance writer focusing on spirits, beer, and wine. She shares her love for all things food and drink related on her blog, limerence + liquor. You can also follow her on Twitter at @msmarysa.
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Matt Archambault
Matt Archambault is a beer enthusiast based in NYC. With over 15 years of experience behind a bar, Matt is the Amazon.com of beer - if you like this, you may also like... Join him in his own personal journey of exploration and discovery on Untappd (https://untappd.com/user/mattarchambault). In his spare time, Matt has driven a mini-van off a cliff, endured water-boarding, and once appeared on Good Morning America as part of an elaborate prank. Follow him @supercasz.
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Matthew Callahan
Matthew Callahan is a graduate of Roosevelt University in Chicago, where he earned a B.F.A. in Theatre and had a wonderful eight-year career as a stage and film actor. Eventually, his passion for writing, technology, and web design got the better of him and he dove head-first into a career in geek services. In 2011 Matthew founded Digitalimit, a design and marketing agency specializing in helping entrepreneurs and small businesses find their voice online. From time to time, he also enjoys freelance writing -- especially on the topic of good drinks. Matthew lives in New York City with his wife, and their two wonderful MacBooks. Follow him on Twitter @_thinkertinker.
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Meg Roebling
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Melissa Corbin
Melissa Corbin is a Tennessee-based travel and culinary journalist with an appetite for the stories of people and places that make the world unique. Published by Food & Wine Magazine, Matador, Craftbeer.com, among others, she believes the best way toward positive change is loving on those around her and attests to its exponential benefit. You never know where she’ll turn up next. So, give her a holler over on Instagram @melcorbin.
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Michele Herrmann
Michele Herrmann writes about travel, hotels, food and drink, history, arts and culture and other fun stuff for various publications and travel and lifestyle companies.
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Mike Groener
Trying to intersect culinary innovation with the art of distillation. Let's disambiguate the industry of alcohol and share the research. Program manager, distiller, and creator. Follow Genius Gin @geniusliquids.
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Natasha Bazika
Natasha Bazika's writing has taken her around the world. She's covered everything from wine to resorts and dining. She writes for CNN Travel, Travel + Leisure, Vogue Living, and Thrillist Australia. Follow her adventures on @natashagracebazika.
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Neal Bayless
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Nicole del Rosario
Nicole del Rosario is a beer and spirits enthusiast based in Leipzig, Germany. Training to be an actual professor by day and an alcohol professor by night, she spends most of her mornings pondering Kantian ethics at the university and her evenings drinking her way through Europe. Don't be shy and come say hi on Twitter: @happyhegelian.
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Nimantha Siriwardana
Nim is the Co-Founder and CTO of Metacask, the marketplace for spirits-backed NFTs. Metacask also offers the spirits industry’s first fully-integrated inventory management, asset tracking, and marketing solution. Nim has over 20 years of experience in delivering technology solutions and previously worked for Goldman Sachs and Source Capital AG.
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Noah Lederman
Noah Lederman’s writing about the beverage industry has been featured in BBC Travel, Slate, Scientific American, VinePair, and elsewhere. Follow him on Twitter or visit his website.
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Nola James
Nola James is an Australian food and drink writer who splits her time between Melbourne, Victoria and Hobart, Tasmania. She’s a writer and editor for Wine Companion, Australia’s top wine magazine, and regular contributor for delicious.com.au and The Age newspaper, among others. Follow her on Instagram @nolamjames.
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Nora McGunnigle
Nora McGunnigle is a beer, food, and travel writer based in New Orleans. Follow her adventures on Instagram at @beerfoodtravels or her website, beerfoodtravels.com.
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Pamela Wiznitzer
Pamela Wiznitzer has a true passion and zest for the industry that is seen and tasted in every drink she serves. Since 2006, Pamela has been working throughout NYC and currently can be found shaking things up at The Dead Rabbit in the Financial District. She has earned honors from her industry peers such as winning Tyku's 2011 Sake challenge, selected as one of the 20 Diageo World Class 2012 Contestants, a finalist in Pama's 2011 Beyond the Glass.
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Pamela Vachon
Pamela Vachon is a freelance food and travel writer whose work has also appeared in Wine Enthusiast, Bon Appétit, CNET, and VinePair, among others. She is also a certified sommelier, experienced bartender, voiceover artist, musician, and instructor at NYC's Murray's Cheese.
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Pameladevi Govinda
Pameladevi Govinda lives in Brooklyn. She has worked at a number of wine shops in New York City. She is also wine, spirits, food and travel writer with a taste for Muscadet, and a penchant for curry. Her work has appeared in Imbibe, Vibe, CITY, IN New York, Serious Eats, Brooklyn Based, Diner Journal and more. Her previously published work and blog can be viewed at www.gajakattack.com. Follow her on Twitter @PamGovinda.
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Patrick Reed
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Paul Senft
Paul Senft is a Spirits Writer and Reviewer based in Metro Atlanta. His work has appeared in Got Rum? Magazine, Chilled, Distiller, Flaviar, as well as other publications covering a range of subjects related to Spirits, Travel, and the world of cocktails. He founded RumJourney.com and can be found on Facebook.
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Penny Sadler
Penny Sadler is a travel, wine, and food writer based in Dallas, Texas. Multiple trips to California wine country, as well as Italy and France, inspired her studies with the Wine and Spirits Education (WSET). After a stint in Napa Valley she now focuses on writing about wine through the lens of travel and lifestyle. Her favorite wines are the bottles shared with friends. You can follow her on Instagram @adventuresofacarryon and her travel and wine blog Adventures of a Carry-on.
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Pete Slosberg
Pete Slosberg started home brewing in 1979, the year it became legal. He went on to start Pete's Brewing Company and created the iconic Pete's Wicked Ale. After becoming the 2nd largest Craft Brewery, Pete's was acquired. Pete became enamored with Belgian beer and discovered Belgian chocolate. He then went on to start Cocoa Pete's Chocolate Adventures, which was acquired after 7 years. Along the way, he became a certified BBQ judge and also authored the bestseller, Beer for Pete's Sake. He now mentors entrepreneurs at SCORE, an affiliate of the Small Business Administration.
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Phil Galewitz
Phil Galewitz has been writing about the the craft brewing industry in the Mid-Atlantic states since 2011. He lives in Washington D.C. and South Florida. Twitter: @philgalewitz Instagram: Philmorebeer. He visits over 300 breweries a year across the United States.
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Philip Kampe
Philip S. Kampe is a veteran wine journalist who contributes to several print and online publications, moderates wine events nationwide and judges competitions. He is a member of the distinguished Wine Media Guild and resides in the both the New York metro area and the Berkshires of Massachusetts.
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Phyllis Armstrong
Phyllis Armstrong's love of writing and cooking developed early in life. She pursued those passions in her professional career as a freelance writer and as an anchor and reporter for news stations in Memphis, St. Louis and Washington, D.C. She retired from WUSA-TV after 25 years of covering stories in D.C., Maryland and Virginia. She currently writes for Cuisine Noir Magazine. Her articles highlight Black chefs, restaurateurs, food producers, wineries, and innkeepers, both their achievements and challenges. She has a master’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from Northwestern University. Follow Phyllis Armstrong on LinkedIn and on Twitter @sseats
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Rashaun Hall
Rashaun Hall is a spirits, entertainment and culture writer based in the New York metro area. He firmly believes that after cocktails, the best part of going to a bar are the stories. He shares those stories via his Bar Time Stories Podcast. Find more of Rashaun’s writing here.
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Rebecca Treon
Rebecca Treon is a Denver-based food, travel, and lifestyles writer. Born and raised in Colorado, she’s also a fluent Spanish speaker. She has visited Mexico, France, Spain, Italy, England, Ireland, Holland, and Argentina and half the states. Rebecca has written for publications like BBC Travel, Huffington Post, Thrillist, Hemispheres, and many others. She’s worked as an editor at American Bungalow and DiningOut and is a correspondent for Denver & the West for Time Out. She’s the author of the forthcoming book, Colorado Food Trails. She is the proud mother of a son and a daughter and can be found at @RebeccaTreon on Instagram.
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Rinku Bhattacharya
Rinku Bhattacharya loves all things spice and writes the blog Spice Chronicles. She is the author of three cookbooks, including The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles and Spices and Seasons. Rinku can be found online on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
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Robert Haynes-Peterson
Robert Haynes-Peterson is an editor and writer, recently transplanted from New York City to Seattle. He has covered wine and spirits for over fifteen years for sites such as AskMen, Business Insider, Liquor.com and for a variety of luxury publications. He raises his glass to all the hardworking distillers, blenders, bartenders and hospitality staff around the world.
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Robin Goldsmith
A British freelance food and drink writer who has a WSET Advanced Certificate in Wines and Spirits and is a member of CAMRA (The UK Campaign for Real Ale). Robin reviews food and drink products for individual companies and he regularly writes reports on trade events, such as wine tastings or food and drink shows. Additionally, he has written detailed commercial reports for trade publications and many of his articles have been published on respected industry websites, such as the drinks business, Speciality Food Magazine and hostelbookers. Web : www.thewritetaste.co.uk Twitter : @robthefoodie Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/TheWriteTaste
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Robin Robinson
Robin Robinson is a consultant to the craft spirits industry, where he helps small brands identify their unique narratives to penetrate and activate the marketplace and implement sales and marketing strategies. Prior to that, Robin was instrumental in helping to build the Compass Box Whisky Co. in the United States as its U.S. Brand Ambassador and Brand Manager over 34 markets, where he was responsible for distributor management, sales, retail and consumer education. He is the creator of the long running "Whiskey Smackdown" educational series at Astor Center NYC. More information at his website www.robinrobinsonllc.com
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Sara Gorelick
Sara Gorelick spends her time in the world of spirits, working as an Account Director at Colangelo & Partners by day and a freelance writer by night. Her work has been included on ShakeStir.com, Examiner.com, BarNoneDrinks and other hospitality-related outlets. When Sara isn't working, reviewing or writing, she can be found laughing with family and friends or taking long walks with beagle Bailey. Follow her at @smgorelick.
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Sarah Annese
Sarah Annese is a freelance writer based in New York City with a focus on craft beer. She co-founded, edits and writes for www.beerunion.com, a website about beer news in NYC. Follow her on twitter @sarahbeerunion or @beerunion.
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Sara Havens
Sara Havens is a Louisville, Ky.-based freelance writer who pens the popular nightlife column The Bar Belle. She's author of two volumes of "The Bar Belle," has a key to the city, and prefers to bathe in bourbon. If you don't find her out at the bars, you can catch her on Twitter: @TheBarBelle and on Instagram: @BarBelle_Lou.
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Sharyn Foulis
Sharyn Foulis is a wine educator and retail consultant working in Sydney, Australia. She gets out of bed every morning to find new ways of helping people find wines they will love.
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Shoshi Parks
Shoshi Parks is a Bay Area-based freelance writer specializing in food, travel and history. Her work has appeared at NPR, Smithsonian, Gastro Obscura, Civil Eats, Vinepair, Vice and a variety of other outlets. Find her online at www.shoshiparks.net.
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Stacy Brooks
Stacy Brooks is a Minneapolis-based freelance journalist specializing in food and travel. Her writing has been published in Cheese Connoisseur, Wine Enthusiast, and Hemispheres, and she blogs at Tangled Up In Food.
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Stef Schwalb
Stef Schwalb is a freelance writer and editor who specializes in food, beverage, business, and design. Her work has been featured in Boston Magazine and Boston Home, Designing Lighting, ForceBrands, The SOMM Journal, and Thirsty Magazine. She holds the WSET Level 3 certification and is pursuing ongoing wine and spirits educational opportunities in between deadlines. You can find her on Instagram and Twitter via @StefSchwalb.
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Stephanie Rosenbaum Klassen
Stephanie Rosenbaum Klassen is the author of 7 books, including A Little Taste of San Francisco, The Art of Vintage Cocktails, World of Doughnuts, Honey from Flower to Table, The Astrology Cookbook, and the Anti-Bride Guide: Tying the Knot Outside the Box. She has written about food, drink, travel, and the arts for numerous print and online publications, including Kinfolk, KQED, San Francisco magazine, Edible East Bay, Edible Brooklyn, Time Out NY, Chow, and the San Francisco Bay Guardian.
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Susan B. Barnes
Susan B. Barnes is as comfortable bicycling through Italian olive groves and SCUBA diving the wall of sharks in Fakarava as she is sipping bubbles at a Champagne house and dining at Michelin-starred restaurants. Over the years, her byline has appeared in AFAR, Allrecipes, Condé Nast Traveler, Food& Wine, Global Traveler, National Geographic Travel, Southern Living and USA Today, among many others. She’s an active member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, and the Society of American Travel Writers.
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Thea Dwelle
Thea Dwelle is the creator and editor of Luscious Lushes, a wine, food, and travel blog. For more than 7 years, she has been writing about wine, travel and technology, focusing on the story behind the wine. When not pursuing vinous pleasure, she works in technology and is an amateur mixologist. Follow her on Twitter @Luscious_Lushes
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Thomas Riley
Tom Riley is a veteran journalist, writer, and editor who left a career in education in 2010, to study and write about wine. He holds an Advanced Certificate with merit from the Wine & Spirits Education Trust, London UK (WSET), and is currently pursuing their Diploma. In addition to The Alcohol Professor, he writes for the Bay Area News Group (San Jose Mercury, Contra Costa Times, Oakland Tribune), AmericanWineryGuide.com and Berkeleyside.com's online food and wine supplement, Nosh. You can follow him at his blog The Grape Belt or on Twitter @grapebelt.
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Tim Miner
Tim has been tending bar in New York City since 2003. Currently he can be found mixing drinks at The Long Island Bar in Brooklyn, New York and at The Eddy in Providence, Rhode Island. He is a cocktail bartender who loves creating new drinks. Some of his creations have been featured in such publications as: The New York Times, AM New York, The New York Post, The Spir.it, Refinery29, Becomingbklyn, and Shakestir! Tim has taught cocktail classes and consulted on cocktail programs, most recently designing the cocktail menu at French Louie in Brooklyn. He won The annual "Bring Your Bartender to the Opera Contest and was a U.S. Finalist in the 17th Annual Calvados Nouvelle Vogue International Competiton. When he's not behind the bar, you can find him on twitter @_tim_miner.
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Tom Johnson
Tom Johnson is a writer and communications consultant in Louisville, Kentucky. He has written or produced more than 100 television documentaries and published an equal number of magazine articles; played a key role in four venture capital-funded start-ups; and consulted with a half-dozen distilleries and whiskey-related attractions. As a trainer for the Aroma Academy, he teaches people how to properly nose and assess fine wines and spirits. He can be found arguing and cracking-wise on Twitter @TomSayingThings.
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Tony Sachs
Tony Sachs has been writing about spirits and cocktails since 2007. His work has been featured in Robb Report, the Huffington Post, Whisky Advocate, Esquire, and Serious Eats, among many other publications. He lives in New York City with his wife, daughter, and cat, and can often be found ingesting dumplings and Mai Tais while listening to Frank Sinatra. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @RetroManNYC.
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Tracey Broussard
Tracey Broussard is the editor of the culinary anthology Irrepressible Appetites. She is the former Bartender’s Best and Checking In columnist for the Sun-Sentinel. When she isn’t pouring drinks in the air as a flight attendant, she can be found at home creating drinks for her family, friends, and on Instagram @Tracey.Broussard and posting recipes and culinary adventures at her blog, www.thebigeasycook.com
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Tracy Weiss
Tracy Weiss had her first glass of Manischewitz at age 11. She found it horrendous but knew someday (when she was of legal drinking age), she’d seek out better vino. At her alma mater Michigan State University, Tracy took advantage of half-off bottles on Wine Wednesdays. With clarity found from sampling different varieties, she began to mock girlfriends sipping Boone’s Farm Strawberry Hill. An oenophile is born. This paired well with a violent cheese obsession and further motivated her to eat her way through life. Blending her passion for the finer things with a Midwestern upbringing, Tracy likes to pair fabulous wines with Dominos Pizza and crappy Chinese food. In a flurry of Parisian triple crèmes, Napa cabs, and pinxtos in San Sebastian, a decade of toiling in television and talent management flew by. Abandoning the entertainment business to write (and eat) full time, Tracy now focuses her culinary and wine interests closer to home splitting time between Manhattan and the North Fork of Long Island. She currently freelances for food, wine and lifestyle publications while working on her upcoming website www.northforkd.com and first book. When not scribbling, Tracy enjoys oysters, all things pumpkin, cult television shows and bubbly from any region.
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Trevor Hagstrom
Trevor Hagstrom and Maggie Rosenberg (who snaps the photos for his stories) are food and beverage impresarios and content creators whose work and information on future projects can be found at Roadfood.
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Warren Bobrow
Warren Bobrow is the Food and Drink Editor of the 501c3 non profit Wild Table on Wild River Review located in Princeton, New Jersey. He is the cocktail writer for DrinkUpNY, Foodista, The "Fabulous" Beekman Boys and has written over 300 articles on food, wine and spirits. His first book, Apothecary Cocktails- will be released by Rockport/Quayside Publishing in November 2013. He was one of 12 journalists world-wide, and the only one from the USA to participate in the Fête de laGastronomie- the weekend of September 22nd. 2012 in Burgundy. He attends Tales of the Cocktail, WSWA, The Manhattan Cocktail Classic and the Boston Cocktail Summit. Warren was born and raised on a Biodynamic farm in NJ. You can follow him on Twitter @WarrrenBobrow1.
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William Schragis
Will Schragis has been busy trading jobs in as a Retail Buyer, Sommelier, Bartender, and Bourbon Distiller. He graduated from Wesleyan University in Connecticut with a Liberal Arts degree in the wonderfully vague discipline of American Studies.
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Zachary Feldman
Bitters, Old Men founder Zachary Feldman's origins can be traced back to the Venezuelan soldier who first told Angostura founder Dr. Johann Gottlieb Benjamin Siegert, you should really bottle this, dude.
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Mike Gerrard
Mike Gerrard is an award-winning writer who specialises in travel writing and writing about spirits. He combines the two in his website, Travel Distilled. He lives half the year in Cambridgeshire in England and the other half in Arizona, and you'll find him on Twitter as @Mike_Gerrard, @TravelDistilled, and @The_Vodka_Guy.
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Elly Blanchard
Elly Blanchard is a freelance writer with a passion for traveling. When not exploring the world or hunting around for new cuisines to try - you will find her relaxing in the garden with her head in a good book.
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Nickolaus Hines
Nickolaus Hines is a food and beverage writer based in New York. His work has appeared in Atlas Obscura, Men's Journal, Supercall and more. He's always on the lookout for his next favorite drink and he will never hesitate to pet your dog. You can see what he's drinking now on his Instagram and Twitter, and see more of his work on his website.
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Tina Caputo
Tina Caputo is a California-based writer and editor who spent 15 years editing wine business magazines before setting off on her own to enjoy the rewards and perils of independent writing. Now she covers drinks, food, travel and produce for publications including VinePair, SevenFifty Daily, Sonoma, Visit California and more. She also posts offbeat humor pieces at at https://www.tinacaputo.com/blog.
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Lisa Waterman Gray
Food and beverage writer, Lisa Waterman Gray, has visited wineries, distilleries, and breweries throughout the U.S. She ‘profiled’ the Lodi AVA of California for girlonthemoveblog.com, described New Mexico’s oldest winery at wanderwithwonder.com, and wrote about a Kansas City distillery that USA Today named one of the nation’s top 10 new attractions, for foodietravelusa.com. Always baking, Waterman Gray has also created a signature cheesecake using homemade limoncello, from one of Kansas City’s most renowned Italian chefs.
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Wendy Lee
Wendy Lee is a travel addict, never happier than when visiting a new place. Along the way she seeks out opportunities to try all the local food and sample as much wine as possible. After a successful thirty year career in nonprofit management she left to pursue a dream of travel writing. Her writing can be found on Travel Awaits, Insider, Matador Network, Travel World International, and Empty Nesters Hit The Road. Wendy and her husband, Jason, live in Southern California. On the rare occasions they’re not traveling they enjoy hiking, biking, and kayaking.
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Global Drinks Intel
Global Drinks Intel is a must-read trade digital and print magazine for the world’s alcohol industry. Founded by highly-experienced and industry-recognised journalist Alex Smith, the publication focuses on the wine and spirits sector. Subscribe to the magazine, and register for their free weekly newsletter.
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Hannah Howard
Hannah Howard spent her formative years in New York eating, drinking, serving, bartending, cooking on a hot line, flipping giant wheels of cheese, and managing restaurants. She is the author of Feast: True Love in and Out of the Kitchen and Plenty: A Memoir of Food and Family. She writes for New York Magazine, Salon, and SELF and teaches food writing classes. She lives in Frenchtown, NJ and loves stinky cheese.
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Matt Agonoy
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Kristine Mae Bellen
Bacon ipsum dolor amet biltong pig tri-tip frankfurter porchetta tenderloin spare ribs shankle. Brisket shankle chicken pork chop ribeye pastrami cow sirloin kielbasa spare ribs flank alcatra bresaola biltong prosciutto. Landjaeger doner kevin tail pork corned beef ball tip frankfurter pork belly ham. Pork loin kevin short ribs, pork hamburger boudin bacon.
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Andrea McHugh
Andrea McHugh is a New England-based food, wine and spirits, and travel writer. Her byline can be found in US News, Insider, Parade Magazine, the Boston Globe, Yankee Magazine, Classic Boat, Travel Awaits, TripSavvy, the Hartford Courant and numerous national and international publications. She’s traveled to destinations far and wide, experiencing new places through its past, present, people, and culinary culture.
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Ruvani de Silva
Ruvani de Silva is a travel-loving British Sri Lankan beverage and food writer based in Austin, Texas, with bylines including the Washington Post, Good Beer Hunting, VinePair, Pellicle, Hop Culture, Modern Farmer, Gastro Obscura, Texas Highways, Texas Monthly, Beer Is For Everyone and PorchDrinking. Ruvani is a vocal advocate for diversity, equality and inclusion in beer and is the founder of #SouthAsianBeerClub. Find her on social media @amethyst_heels and her portfolio at CraftBeerAmethyst.com.
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Christina Mueller
A long-time San Francisco Bay Area writer, Christina Mueller hails from the Other Coast and has spent way too much time in South America and Europe. She has covered food and wine for Eater, Fodor’s TripAdvisor/Viator, Plate, SFGATE and many others. You can find her on instagram, facebook, and read what she is up to on her blog.
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David Young
David Young is a freelance writer based in Fort Collins, CO. He specializes in craft beer, whiskey, outdoor adventures, and travel. He has been published in Men’s Journal, Forbes, SKI Magazine, and USA Today. He has more than two decades of experience writing for daily newspapers and working in public relations. David enjoys all that Colorado has to offer from mountain biking and fly-fishing to backcountry skiing and backpacking. Follow him on X, Instagram and check out his website
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Erik Trinidad
Erik Trinidad is a freelance travel, food, and spirits journalist, whose credits include National Geographic Traveler, BBC Travel, AFAR, VinePair, and Wine Enthusiast. He's also the author of the satirical cookbook, Fancy Fast Food: Ironic Recipes with No Bun Intended. Follow him on Instagram and Threads at: @theglobaltrip
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Mark Orwoll
Mark Orwoll is a veteran journalist who often writes about the intersection of wine and travel. For 30 years he was on the editorial staff of Travel + Leisure, most recently as the International Editor. As a freelance writer (since 2016) he has written about the wines of Portugal, Israel, Australia, and the United States. He is the author of a thriller, Cross Purposes,and a film book, John Wayne Speaks. He has won accolades from the North American Travel Journalists Association, the Society of American Travel Writers, and as an advisor to the White House tourism initiative “American Pathways 2000.”
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Brianne Cohen
Brianne Cohen is a Los Angeles based event producer, certified sommelier, wine educator, and wine writer. On the wine education side, she hosts in-person and virtual wine tasting experiences for corporate groups. She does this through highlighting diverse-owned wineries (i.e. Black, BIPOC, LGBT, and women-owned). Brianne regularly judges at international wine competitions, holds the WSET Diploma certificate, and a Master of Business Administration from Loyola Marymount University. She can be found online on Instagram and LinkedIn.
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Jack Shaw
As Modded's senior writer, Jack Shaw combines his expertise in health and his love for culinary exploration to provide captivating articles on the intersection of food, drink, well-being, and vibrant living.
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Theresa Greco
Theresa Greco is the food and beverage writer behind “The Food Hunter’s Guide to Cuisine.” Her passion for food, wine, and spirits has led her into the kitchens of well-known chefs both in the US and abroad. When she’s not “hunting” for the next best spirit or food she can be found cooking delicious meals with her husband by her side. Please follow her on Instagram @foodhunter
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N.C. Stevens
N.C. Stevens is a freelance beverage writer based in Boston and the creator of Drinking Folk. He has traveled around four continents documenting local beverages based on interviews with the folks who make them. At home, he is a hobbyist distiller and an acolyte of iced coffee.
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Chris Boiling
Chris Boiling is a wine writer and winemaker. He’s the Wine Editor at William Reed, the company behind World’s Best Vineyards, World’s Best Sommeliers Selection, International Wine Challenge, and the free fortnightly newsletter Canopy. As well as being a wine writer, Chris is an aspiring winemaker, experimenting with rare grape varieties and wine styles at various wineries in Eastern and Central Europe. He will be launching the first in a unique collection of wines from his #harvest2022 adventure. These include a modern qvevri wine from Georgia, a ‘natural’ wine from Slovenia, a benchmark sustainable wine from Austria (featuring two disease-resistant grapes), and a sparkling wine from Hungary (the world’s first classic-method wine featuring Hungarian grape Pearl of Victoria and Austrian grape Gruner Veltliner).
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Tania Banerjee
Tania Banerjee is a freelance writer from Kolkata based in Mumbai, India. She writes about travel, culture, environment and food. Her work has appeared in Whetstone, The Juggernaut, Lonely Planet, Business Line and more. You can find her on Instagram @taniabanerjee, Twitter @taniabanerjee, and her blog, Azure Sky Follows.
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Cori Solomon
Cori Solomon is an award-winning writer/photographer based in Los Angeles. Her blog, The Written Palette, features eclectic articles about her experiences traveling, discovering new wines, wineries, wine regions, art and history. Cori's background in art plays a role in her writing. She utilizes the art palette visually and verbally. Cori founded LA Wine Writers. She is the President of the IFWTWA, International Food Wine Travel Writers Association. She earned her WSET Level 2 Award in Wines and Spirits, the NASA American Wine Specialist Certification, and the NASA Spanish Wine Specialist Certification. She is also a member of NATJA, SATW, and TravMedia.
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Gail Ann Williams
Gail Ann Williams, a longtime San Francisco resident and craft beer appreciator, has written for publications such as Celebrator Beer News, BeerAdvocate Magazine, CraftBeer.com, Beer Paper LA and others. Gail is also a Certified BJCP beer judge. She and her husband, Steve Shapiro, launched BeerbyBART.com in 2007 to help locals and visitors explore their local beer scene via public transportation. The couple prioritizes traveling to meet beer people and trying fresh beers from the source, with select cultural and outdoor destinations tacked on for good measure.
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Ansley Evans
Originally from Florida, Ansley Evans has lived in Murcia, Spain, for over 15 years. She is a freelance writer and translator specializing in food and travel and has translated over a dozen cookbooks. She particularly loves deep dives into Murcia’s culinary traditions, especially if tastings are involved. You can find her on Instagram: @ansleysevans
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Rashmi Gopal Rao
Rashmi Gopal Rao is a freelance writer based in Bengaluru. She writes on various topics like travel, food, culture, architecture and design and has been published in various publications including National Geographic, Atlas Obscura, Nikkei Asia, Fodors, The National, Architectural Digest, Khaleej Times, The Sunday Hindu, The New Indian Express and Mint Lounge. Apart from travelling, she is passionate about anything related to home decor, antiques, vintage and thrift finds. So, when not exploring new places, cultures and cuisines, you can find her at flea markets! Follow her on @rashminotes.
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Ryan Stevens
Ryan has been writing for the food and beverage industry for twenty years with a focus on telling the story behind the brand. He lives in Oregon, surrounded by wineries, distilleries, breweries, and his family. You can contact him at Ryan@BlankGlass.com or follow @BlankGlass on social media.
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Luciana Squadrilli
Luciana Squadrilli is a food and travel writer based in Rome. Senior editor at Food&Wine Italia magazine, she also contributes as a free lance to many other publications, both in Italy and abroad, mostly about pizza and extra virgin olive oil. She's also a passionate cheese lover, earning the level 1 tasting certificate at ONAF, the Italian Cheese Tasters Organization.
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Lisa Mowry
Lisa Mowry is an Atlanta-based writer with a passion for travel. Because of her many years writing for publications such as Better Homes & Gardens, Traditional Home, and Luxe magazine, she’s partial to trips that involve fascinating architecture and culture, but because her husband is a wildlife biologist, Lisa has also found herself in a tent in Kenya surrounded by primates and searching for salamanders in the mountains of North Carolina.
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Andrea Strafile
Andrea Strafile is a food and cocktail writer based in Rome. He has been Munchies Italia’s editor in chief and he works as a freelance to different magazines and websites such as: Punch Drink, Standart, Food & Wine Italy, National Geographic UK and Penguin Random House among others. He also has a lifestyle magazine about beauty and classic menswear called Valet. In over 10 years of experience, what really makes him feel alive is to be able to tell unapologetically beautiful stories.
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Mario Stojanac
As a published food, travel, and wine writer, Mario Stojanac has had the good fortune to travel across the globe, experiencing unique wineries, distilleries, and unforgettable meals along the way. A NATJA award finalist, Mario completed his WSET Level 3 wine award from the International Wine Education Guild based in London, UK. His love for wine is only surpassed by his love of pairing it with a fine meal and, ultimately, sharing it with others.
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Sailor Guevara
Sailor Guevara is an award-winning spirits industry professional, mixologist, cat mom, metal head, and contributing writer for many print and digital spirit and cocktail-focused outlets. In 2024, the American Distilling Institute named Sailor one of its Top Spirits Influencers. Sailor is also the host of the Drink Like Sailor Podcast.
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Rich Manning
Rich Manning has been writing about drink, food, and travel since 2004. His work can be found in several publications, including VinePair, Imbibe, Food & Wine, Artisan Spirit, and InsideHook. When he’s not on the road exploring a distillery or digging into a city’s cocktail scene, he lives in the greater Los Angeles area with his wife. You can follow his semi-occasional Instagram posts @rich.manning2.0.