Bridget Albert

Bridget is an advocate for upbeat education that makes an impact. 

She has been a contributor to 10 cocktail and beverage books and is the recipient of numerous beverage industry awards. These include the Tales of the Cocktail Bar Chef Competition (first place), the Chicago Tribune’s Good Eats Award, and No Kid Hungry’s Share Our Strength Award for Sustaining a Community. Bridget has been repeatedly nominated to Tales of the Cocktail’s Spirited Awards list of Best Bar Mentors, most recently in 2023. 

Bridget is the Founder of the National Charity Foundation of the United States Bartenders’ Guild. 

She was the first female mixologist to be featured on the Food Network’s Iron Chef America Battle Mango.

Karla Alindahao

Karla has rightly earned worldwide recognition for her spirits-industry journalism. For eight years prior to joining Food & Wine, Karla was senior contributor for ForbesLife, with spirits as her primary beat.

Karla honed her craft during stints at Haute Media Group, The New York Observer, Metropolis Magazine, Lifestyle Mirror, and Tatler Philippines.

Karla is especially passionate about brown liquor, red meat, and green M&Ms.

Tiffanie Barriere

Known globally as The Drinking Coach, Tiffanie is a celebrated bartender, educator, author, and industry innovator. A Louisiana–Texas native with a deep reverence for culture, storytelling, and hospitality, she is known for weaving history, heart, and flavor into every pour. 

She is the author of Good Spirits, her debut cocktail book that blends recipes, technique, history, and cultural storytelling—further cementing her role as one of the most compelling voices in modern drinks culture. 

Tiffanie currently serves as the U.S. Co-Chair of the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards and has received some of the beverage industry’s highest honors, including Women of Whiskey’s Bartender of the Year and the Visionary Award from Tales of the Cocktail. A respected international spirits judge, she has lent her palate and perspective to L.A. Spirits Awards, the New Orleans Spirits Competition, and Diageo World Class. 

Her expertise and storytelling have been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Southern Living, Wine Enthusiast, Forbes, Essence, and beyond, with television appearances on NBC’s Today Show, Netflix’s Drink Masters, and Food Network’s The Kitchen. 

Tiffanie is also the founder of Barriere Collective, a creative hospitality agency dedicated to strategic storytelling, cultural curation, brand consulting, and industry education. Through the Collective, Tiffanie bridges brands, communities, and culture—building experiences that feel intentional, inclusive, and unforgettable. 

Whether on stage, behind the bar, on screen, or in the boardroom, Tiffanie inspires the next generation of beverage professionals to lead with authenticity, knowledge, creativity, and joy. 

Rachel Burkons

After more than a decade working in the wine and spirits industry, Rachel co-founded award-winning culinary cannabis hospitality group Altered Plates in 2016. She is also the founder of Smoke Sip Savor, where she is a cannabis curator, consultant, and bong vivant.

Rachel is the Editor-in-Chief of The Clever Root, a digital publication specializing in all things cannabis food and drink that will be relaunching June 2023.

Rachel lives in Los Angeles with her wife and two young daughters.

Erick Castro

Erick began his cocktail empire at San Francisco’s Rickhouse and Bourbon & Branch, served as Brand Ambassador for Plymouth and Beefeater, and co-created New York City’s Boilermaker. This bartending behemoth has created unique beverage programs that have earned a place on some of the nation’s most coveted lists, including Esquire‘s Best Bars in America, Food & Wine’s “World’s Top Bars” and countless nominations at the prestigious Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards in New Orleans.

Clyde Davis, Jr.

Having helped develop and launch numerous successful craft spirits brands throughout his career, Clyde is currently the Vice President of U.S. Sales for Equiano Rum. Clyde owns 75 Proof Beverage Solutions and is a partner in Vergys Capital.

John deBary

John is a celebrated mixologist, author, podcast hose, and workers rights advocate with over a decade of experience crafting delicious drinks. In March 2020, his nonprofit RWCF established a COVID-19 relief fund and has so far raised over $8 million to fund relief efforts for affected hospitality industry workers.

Lonnie Finley

Lonnie Finley is a Los Angeles–based spirits educator, consultant, and founder of IDrinkICan Cocktail Class.

Originally from the Washington, DC, he has more than 20 years of experience in the food and beverage industry and has served for nearly a decade as Assistant Manager at Bar Keeper in Los Angeles, one of the world’s most respected spirits retailers.

Deeply connected to emerging spirits trends, Lonnie helps shape the conversation around what consumers and bartenders are drinking and mixing. He has collaborated with leading hospitality professionals and celebrity chefs on cocktail programs throughout Los Angeles, including developing the Spanish Gin & Tonic menu for Curtis Stone’s Netflix Bites pop-up alongside Julie Reiner and Kate Gerwin.

In addition to consulting, bartender training, and work on film productions and private events, Finley serves as a cocktail competition judge, occasional competitor, and mentor to the next generation of bartenders, championing both classic and lesser-known spirits through education and advocacy.

Tara Fougner

Tara is the founder and editor-in-chief of Thirsty, an independent digital media platform covering the global bar, beverage, and hospitality industry through reporting, cultural analysis, and industry-facing commentary. 

Through Thirsty, Tara has built one of the most trusted industry-facing media platforms in beverage hospitality, reaching hundreds of thousands of industry professionals globally and facilitating real-time dialogue between bartenders, operators, brands, and media.

Known for her ability to contextualize industry trends within broader cultural, economic, and labor realities, Fougner’s reporting bridges spirits, service, and social impact, with a particular focus on sustainability, equity, workforce dynamics, and evolving consumer behavior.

Kim Haasarud

Kim is a beverage innovation expert with more than 20 years of experience working with global and emerging spirits and beverage brands, juice and RTD companies, and national hospitality groups. Her clients have included PF Chang’s, The Pappas Group, Omni Hotels, Dutch Bros, Diageo, Beam Suntory, and Brown-Forman, with projects spanning the U.S. and international markets.

Kim has served as a spirits and cocktail judge for leading competitions for two decades. She is the co-founder of industry events including the Après Ski Cocktail Classic in Aspen and Arizona Cocktail Weekend, and the author of the 101 Cocktail book series. She is also the former National President of the United States Bartenders Guild.