Committees

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Tales of the Cocktail Foundation values bringing people together and sees opportunity in collective efforts to further the global drinks industry. It is with this spirit that the Foundation enlists industry experts and leaders to form advisory committees for our Grants Program, Education, and Spirited Awards®. Each of our committee members dedicate themselves and their time to ensuring that the Foundation is offering elevated programming, acknowledges the best, and supports innovative programs looking to advance the industry.

Philanthropy and Development Committee | Education Advisory Committee | Tales Catalyst Committee | Spirited Awards Committee

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Philanthropy and Development Committee

The Philanthropy & Development Committee is comprised of key industry stakeholders who advise the committee on promoting the welfare of the global hospitality industry. The Committee advises on the Foundation’s entire suite of giving efforts, including, but not limited to: grant-giving and direct relief, Beyond the Bar activations and Day of Service, policy and advocacy work, and non-profit partnerships.

Learn More about Philanthropy and Development


Philanthropy & Development Committee

Co-Chairs:

Committee:

  • Nandini Khaund, Spirit Guide + Consultant
  • Morgan Schick, Principal, There There Co.
  • Tiffanie Barriere, The Drinking Coach
  • Kelsey Ramage, Co-founder or Black Lagoon Pop-Ups and Trash Collective
  • Chris Cabrera, National LGBTQ+ Portfolio Ambassador for Bacardi
  • Lisa Nguyen, CureCo. Director of Service Operations
  • Vivian Pei, Co-Founder, Snacky Mini Mart, F&B Specialist
  • Claudia Cabrera, Bar Manager and Co-founder at Kaito del Valle, Fratelli Branca Brand Ambassador
  • Yisell Muxo, Director of Brand Advocacy Don Q Rum
  • Chris Patino, Owner Raised by Wolves, Founder Simple Serve, Organizer Bartenders Weekend
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Education Advisory Committee

Overseeing the integrity of Tales of the Cocktail®’s educational programming and serving a 3-year term, the Education Advisory Committee is sub-divided into three streams of education: Business, Culture and Beyond the Bar. These committees work collectively to curate seminars that address the interests, needs, and goals of bartenders through these three lenses. at-Through proposals, three rounds of judging, interviews, and an execution phase, this committee members strive to provide educational programming at Tales of the Cocktail® that address the interests, challenges, and goals of the global hospitality industry.

Learn More about the 2024 Seminar Proposal Process

Education Committee

Business Advisory Committee

An excellent bar only works if the business is built on an equally impressive foundation. The Foundation recognizes the advantage of pooling together global business insights from the best and brightest in the industry and leveraging this tremendous resource to uplift and improve the entire community.

Co-Chairs:

Committee:

  • Chanel Adams – Business Development Specialist, Prime Botanica – Bangkok, Thailand
  • Alex Day Chief of Operations, Gin & Luck Company (Death & Co and Proprietors LLC) – Portland, Maine
  • Laura Green, M.Ed. – Founder, Healthy Pour – Chicago, IL
  • Brandon Grusd GM, Proof & Company – South East Asia
  • Nana Sechere – Global Brand Ambassador, Takamaka Rum and Owner & Creative Catalyst, Host Master’s Consultancy – Seychelles

Culture Advisory Committee

Thoughtfully exploring the culture and the lifestyle of the bartending community has always been at the core of Tales of the Cocktail’s programming. While this is not a new focus, the Culture Advisory Committee will seek to enhance these offerings to meet and exceed the evolving needs of the industry.

Co-Chairs:

Committee:

  • Giulia Cuccurullo Head Bartender, Artesian – London
  • Laura Cullen Founder, Liberty Consulting – Kentucky
  • Holly Graham – Author and Managing Editor (International) at DRiNK Magazine & Academy Chair at The World’s 50 Best Bars and Asia’s 50 Best Bars – Hong Kong
  • Keith Motsi Beverage Operations & Head Bartender, Four Seasons Hotel – Tokyo
  • Michael Neff Proprietor, The Cottonmouth Club – Houston
  • Minakshi Singh – Co-Founder, Cocktails and Dreams Speakeasy – Gurgaon & Co-Founder, Sidecar – New Delhi, India

Beyond the Bar Advisory Committee

Created in 2018, Beyond the Bar facilitates dialogue and inspires thinking around pressing topics facing the hospitality and spirits industry, from social justice to lifestyle, health, addiction, and sustainability.

Co-Chairs:

 

Committee:

  • Ara Caravallo – Co-Founder, Barra Mexico – Mexico & Portfolio Director, Distill Ventures – Amsterdam
  • Andrew Ho Hope & Sesame – Guangzhou/Shenzhen, China
  • Hannah Lanfear Founding Director of The Mixing Class Ltd – London
  • Benjamin Padron Novoa – Co-Founder, Licoreria Limantour – Mexico City, Mexico
  • Rebecca Sturt – Marketing Manager, Middle East and India, Rémy Cointreau & Owner, Dubai Bartenders Club – Dubai, UAE

 

 

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Tales Catalysts

Dame Hall of Fame is now the Tales of the Cocktail Catalyst Luncheon

Tales of the Cocktail Foundation’s Tales Catalyst Committee Members, including Co-Chairs and Committee Members, consists of active Tales Catalysts who have had groundbreaking accomplishments and have shaped the beverage landscape, providing visible models of achievement for tomorrow’s leaders.

A celebration of hospitality trail-blazers, the active Tales Catalysts work to select individuals who have made a unique and lasting impact on the accessibility and intersectionality of the cocktail community by introducing annually two new “Tales Catalysts” — the U.S. Honoree and International Honoree.

Learn More about Tales Catalyst Luncheon

Tales Catalyst Committee

Co-Chairs:

Active Committee:

  • Bridget Albert, SGWS Sr. National Director Education
  • Monica Berg, Owner Tayēr + Elementary
  • Chris Cabrera, National LGBTQ+ Ambassador, Bacardi
  • Laura Cullen, Founder, Liberty Consulting
  • Cris Dehlavi, Brand Educator, Diageo Hospitality Partnership
  • Meaghan Dorman, Bar Director, Raines Law Room & Dear Irving
  • Elayne Duff, Founder
  • Tracie Franklin, Founder and Principal of Spirited Tracie
  • Kate Gerwin, Owner
  • Abigail Gullo, Director of Industry for Bartender’s Circle
  • Amanda Gunderson, CEO/Cofounder Another Round Another Rally
  • Misty Kalkofen, Madrina, Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal
  • Lisa Laird Dunn, COO & Global Ambassador, Laird & Company
  • Sandrae Lawrence, Publisher/Editor, The Cocktail Lovers
  • Lynnette Marrero, Llama Inn (Brooklyn) Llama San (NYC), Speed Rack, Consultant
  • ms. franky marshall, Modern Bartender, Educator, Consultant
  • Lauren Mote, Co-Founder, Bittered Sling
  • Shannon Mustipher, Educator and Consultant
  • Robin Nance, Sr. Manager Trade Engagement
  • Nicola Riske, Regional Brand Education Manager, The Macallan
  • Julie Reiner, Partner, Clover Club, Milady’s, Leyenda
  • Ezra Star, Director/Bartender
  • Charlotte Voisey, Global Head of Ambassadors, William Grant & Sons
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Spirited Awards Committee

The Spirited Awards® Committee, including Co-Chairs, Regional and Writing & Media Judges, is comprised of respected bartenders, bar owners, educators, and writers from across the globe. Drawing on their years of experience and their knowledge of the current work being done locally, nationally, and internationally, together with the Co-Chairs and Committee Members can evaluate individuals and establishments from within their region, and Writing & Media Judges can evaluate nominations from far and wide, to ensure that the Spirited Awards are inclusive and represent the breadth and diversity of the global drinks industry.

Spirited Awards Committee Members are not eligible to vote in any category in which they or their workplace are nominated.

Learn More about the Spirited Awards®

2023 Spirited Awards® Committee

Overall Chair & International Chair:

Regional Co-Chairs

Asia Pacific Co-Chairs:

Mikey Ball | Ranim Ben Romdhane | Priyanka Blah | Ross Blainey | Arijit Bose | Stefano Catino | Ethan Chai | Peter Chua | Kevin Clark | Jay Cozma | Beckaly Franks | Holly Graham | David Hans | Krystal Hart | Andrew Ho | Rogerio Igarashi Vaz | James Irvine | Richard Neil Irwin | Ronnaporn Kanivichaporn | Maria Kim | Demie Kim | Yangdup Lama | Hayden Lambert | Lester Ligon | Symphony Loo | Yao Lu | Andrea Marseglia | Tash McGill | Hayley Morison | Keith Motsi | Alice Newport | Vu Ngoc | Douglas Park | Joel Poon | Grace Rawlins | Simone Rossi | Ezra Star | Odd Strandbakken | Shelley Tai | Millie Tang | Kenny Thianthong | Barney Toy | Chau Tran | Aki Wang | Luke Whearty | Tariq Widarso | Jiliane Sasha Wijidessa

Canada Co-Chairs:

Alex Black | Jessica Blaine Smith | Matt Boyle | Amber Bruce | Evelyn Chick | Jenner Cormier | Kevin Demers | Jake Dolgy | Jean-Maxime Giguère | Alexandra Gill | James Grant | Lindsay Jones | Trevor Kallies | Nick Kennedy | Frédérique Leblanc | Madeleine MacDonald | Lea Messier F. | Dave Mitton | Marty Pineault | Kelsey Ramage | Jeff Savage | Grant Sceney | Bry Simpson | Jonathan Smolensky | Shawn Soole | Kaitlyn Stewart | Elsa Taylor | Samuel Trudeau | Daphnée Vary Deshaies | Christina Veira | Julien Vézina | Andrew Whibley | Juliana Wolkowski

Europe Co-Chairs:

Bex Almqvist | Jenna Ba | Georgina Bell | Katalin Bene | Monica Berg | Ian Burrell | Simone Caporale | Oisin Davis | Maroš Dzurus | Giuseppe Gallo | Giacomo Giannotti | Stephanie Jordan | Alex Kratena | Vasilis Kyritsis | Iain McPherson | Emanuel Minêz | Christina Monaco |Lauren Mote | Mattia Pastori | CoCo Prochorowski | Ricardo Rossi | Eddie Edvinas Rudzinskas | Dmytro “Dima” Shovkoplias | Carina Soto Velasquez | Michael Vachon | Camille Vidal

Latin America & Caribbean Co-Chairs:

Alvaro Aniano | Sebastián Atienza | Camille Austin | Georgina Barbachano García | Marcela Baruch | Roberto Berdecia | Claudia Cabrera | Omar Chamorro | Aaron Diaz | Irene Diaz | Liz Furlong | Tato Giovannoni | Adrian Glickman | Laura Hernández Espinosa | Carlos Irizarry | Kyle Jones | Daniyel Jones | Alex Mesquita | Megs Miller | Sorrell Moseley-Williams | Paula Nazal | Benjamin Padrón Novoa | Rodrigo Otaiza | Alexandra Purcaru | Sarah Ruiz | Márcio Silva | Cynthia Zamora

Middle East & Africa Co-Chairs:

Nana Adjei Addo | Alain Al Achkar | Keith Aweke | Jad Ballout | Georgia Barnard | Richie Barrow | Chris Beaney | Raina Boaten | Evane Chenuet | Evert de Jong | Glenn Eldridge | Favour Imodu | Brian Kassim Owango | Nkuli Khanyile | Serhii Kulikov | Peter Lebese | Mallory Lee | Iuliia Markina | Lauren Penny | Leighton Rathbone | Lara Rawa | Dario Schiavoni | Nana Sechere | Julian Short | Terry Sowah | Manja Stankovic | Leah van Deventer | Charne van Heerden

U.S. Central Co-Chairs:

Bridget Albert | Richard Bailey | Preston Brown | Amanda Carto | Amy Cavanaugh | Roy Clark | Mark Coulter | Joshua Davis | Liam Deegan | Maren Erickson | Erika Flowers | Joshua Gandee | Ashley Grayson | Chris Hannah | Rogan Howitt | Charles Joly | José Medina Camacho | John Neely| Minh Nguyen | Jessica Sanders | Trevor Scovel | Natasha Sofia | J’Nai Williams | David Yee

U.S. East Co-Chairs:

Colin Appiah | Tiffanie Barriere | Dan Binkiewicz | Chris Cabrera | Tim Cooper | Meaghan Dorman | Simon Ford | Tara Fougner | Trevor Frye | Harrison Ginsberg | A-K Hada | Charles Hardwick | Vance Henderson | Tim Herlihy | Stefan Heubner | Susanna Hoyt | Tyler Hudgens | Colleen Hughes | Valentino Longo | Jaymee Mandeville | Lynnette Marrero | ms. franky marshall | Lauren O’Brien | Steven Olson | Jessica Pomerantz | Julie Reiner | Jared Sadoian | Alexis Soler | Gabriel Urrutia | Masahiro Urushido | Jillian Vose

U.S. West Co-Chairs:

Jennifer Akin | Anu Apte | Maxwell Berlin | Kiowa Bryan | Tanya Clark | Sebastien Derbomez | Kevin Diedrich | Joy Figueroa | Kate Gerwin | Ricky Gomez | Karen Grill | Gary Gruver | Erin Hayes | Mari Howe | Alex Jump | David Kaplan | Stephen Kurpinsky | Emily Mistell | Michael Moberly | Ramsey Musk | Travis Nass | Antoine Nixon | Andrew Pollard | Erin Schaferle | Xania V. Woodman | Mary Allison Wright

Writing & Media and Books Co-Chairs:

Priyanka Blah | Ryan Chetiyawardana | Paul Clarke | Kate Dingwall | Martin Hudak | Emma Janzen | Trevor Kallies | Denny Kallivoka | Walter Meyenberg | Ivy Mix | Kara Newman | Agostino Perrone | Kathleen Purvis | Adam Rogers | Noah Rothbaum | Tony Sachs | Cheryl Tiu | Leah van Deventer | G. Clay Whittaker

Timeless Co-Chairs:

Stephen “KOJO” Aidoo | Colin Appiah | Jason Asher| Monica Berg | Jackson Cannon | Laura Cullen | Daniel Djang | Renato “Tato” Giovannoni | Rohan Jelkie | Sandrae Lawrence | Leonardo Leuci | Roberta Mariani | François Monti | Desmond Payne | Vivian Pei | Nicola Riske | Keli Rivers | Amanda Schuster | Akihisa Seien | Robert Simonson | Shawn Soole | Rebecca Sturt | Charmaine Thio | Angus Winchester | David Wondrich


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