COVID-19 : Read how we’ve adapted our business to a world in disarray
As an influencer within the African American community, Samara consults and advocates for diversity and inclusion in direct consumer marketing standards and the importance of having “a seat at the table” within the spirits industry. Samara also speaks and moderates panel discussions at festivals across the country and hosts private educational whiskey tasting seminars.
A decorated bartender with nods from Liquor.com, Wine Enthusiast, Tales of the Cocktail, The United States Bartenders Guild, Baltimore Magazine, and Baltimore Style, Amie has been outspoken on health, equity, and safety in the hospitality industry, and provides training, education, and unrestricted access to wellness resources through these organizations.
While her primary work life revolves around health advocacy for the beverage alcohol community, Amie also enjoys pulling trucks and competing in Strongwoman competitions, and relaxing at home with her two sphynx cats, Nofuratu and Alexander OvechSkin.
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.
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.
Born in the Middle East and raised in Sweden, Moe Aljaff is an award-winning international bar personality. Moe recently moved stateside, hosting a successful cocktail residency pop-up at Moxy South Beach’s Mezcalista Bar to bring his “Schmuck’s five-star dive bar” concept to the Miami bar scene.
Moe is an industry phenomenon. Under his leadership, Two Schmucks and the subsequent Schmucks empire shot to fame, winning Best New International Cocktail Bar by The Spirited Awards and landing the No. 7 spot on The World’s 50 Best Bars 2022.
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.
The Louisiana-Texas native is the trustworthy mentor of some of the best bartenders and mixologists in the world and maintains a goal of education, service, and fun with every pour.
In 2020 Tiffanie was featured on Food Networks’ The Kitchen and receivied the Tales of the Cocktails Dame of the Year award. In 2021 Barriere appeared on the cover of Imbibe Magazine for the Top 75 for Imbibe and was also elected as the Tales of the Cocktail Dame Hall of Fame Co-Chair.
Tiffanie has taken the stage in Berlin for Bar Convent, shared birthday cocktails with Hoda and Jenna on the Today Show, and was featured as a guest judge on the Netflix show Drink Masters.
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.
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 is a celebrated mixologist, author, 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.
Kim has had a long career in the beverage arena, from her humble beginnings as a bartender in NYC to creating a global beverage consultancy where she’s created and implemented programs around the world—in the U.S., India, Mexico, the United Kingdom, the Caribbean, and beyond. Her niche is understanding large scale operations, having her finger on the pulse of current trends, and marrying the two.
“I have big ambitions for Garden Bar PHX and The Cocktail Collaborative that includes education, events, and mentorship.”
As Managing Editor and reviewer at VinePair, Tim specializes in cocktail culture, wine, and spirits. Before writing about booze, Tim worked as a professional chef in award-winning kitchens in London and Buenos Aires.
One of the first and most prolific cocktail bloggers in Los Angeles, Caroline has gone on to cover liquor and travel for online publications such as Eater LA, LAist, and Liquor, as well as print magazines, including Los Angeles Magazine where she served as drinks editor.
Recently named Beverage Director of the renowned Everson Royce Bar in L.A.’s downtown Arts District, Raul continues to provide his customers with what he has coined an “elevated hospitable experience,” inviting anyone and everyone to pull up a seat, join him at the bar, and sample his creative concoctions.
As an advocate for the ancestral cultivation of agave based spirits, Raul is at the forefront of a movement supporting brands that celebrate agave’s rich cultural and familial history.
Eryn has worked in the service industry for over two decades and has years of experience in the craft of building and managing bar programs. She hails from Portland, Oregon, and after moving to New York worked behind the bar at storied destinations Bar Milano, Mayahuel, and Death and Company. She served as Beverage Director of Freemans Restaurant and helped pioneer the concept of its upstairs speakeasy-style cocktail bar, Banzarbar.
Eryn has earned the WSET Level 2 Award in Wines and holds the Beverage Alcohol Resource (BAR) 5-Day Certification. Eryn has been a long-time mentor in the Cocktail Apprentice Program at Tales of the Cocktail and has judged a variety of cocktail and spirits competitions including Speed Rack, the Angostura Global Cocktail Challenge, L.A. Spirits Awards, and the Ultimate Spirits Challenge. Her work has been featured in numerous publications including Imbibe and The New York Times, and Cosmopolitan, with cocktails featured in a wide array of cocktail books.
Joseph resides where luxury meets taste and has created cocktail for celebrities and red carpet events including the Grammys, BET Awards, and Rihanna’s Diamond Ball.
Mark is a talented spirits expert and brand ambassador who brought Hendrick’s gin from small craft status to mainstream success.
As the founder of the only trans-owned non-alc bottle shop in the United States, Aqxyl has created a retail shop that is inclusive and welcoming to everybody. The beverage selection at Minus Moonshine is rigorously taste-tested by the former vegan and raw chef before making it to the shelves. They spoke about the nonalcoholic category at Bar Convent Brooklyn in 2022 and continue to educate corporate teams about the magic of nonalcoholic beverages.
Professional bartender Sother Teague is the partner and Beverage Director of Overthrow Hospitality group, which includes the renowned bitters bar Amor y Amargo and the newly opened tequila and mezcal bar Eterea in New York City. Sother has been featured as a cocktail expert in Esquire, The New York Times, New York Magazine, Time Out, BuzzFeed, and more. His third book is in the works.
© Copyright 2024 L.A. Spirits Awards LLC. All rights reserved.
