I’m a cocktail and travel writer with bylines in Architectural Digest, Food & Wine, Punch, Zora, Lonely Planet, afar, The Points Guy, Wine Enthusiast, Thrillist, Travel & Leisure, and Shondaland
What It’s Really Like To Live as an Expat in Berlin, Germany
Being an expat in Germany comes with a high standard of living and easy access to many neighboring European countries. The robust economy, lively and affordable cities, and stunning rural countryside have attracted expats from around the world.
Berlin in particular is a popular base. Around one-third of the Belin’s residents are from overseas, and many expats add to this multicultural population. The city is an enriched cultural hub and has attracted creatives and entrepreneurs who take inspi...
5 cocktail trends to consider when building your bar menu
Creating a bar menu is challenging, to say the least—you have to maintain a modest budget without limiting your funds so much that your bartenders can’t experiment. Although everyone loves a good gin and tonic, sticking to the classics won’t cut it at a time when adventurous bar menus are so prevalent. Showcasing your creativity on your restaurant website is a great way to reel in new customers, so adding an unconventional cocktail or two can make an enormous difference. Need some inspiration...
Untold Story
Ever since I was a young kid, alcohol has always fascinated me. Not the act of drinking, but the history, culture, and shenanigans that go along with it. I grew up on stories of Prohibition, bootlegging, and my great-great-uncle Frank, who was a rumrunner. He used to tell me about evading the law and delivering alcohol to shady characters in Alabama. And I didn’t just hear these types of stories from my great-great-uncle, but also from my father, who would regale me with anecdotes from his yo...
Meet the Woman Leading Ireland’s Oldest Distillery
Growing up in Northern Ireland about 15 minutes away from the Old Bushmills Distillery, Alex Thomas was often regaled by her grandfather with the wondrousness of whiskey. He boasted about the spirit’s invigorating properties as if it were an enchanted elixir straight out of Alice in Wonderland or The Lord of the Rings.
“I’d often hear him talk about how a hot whiskey can cure any ailment,” recalls Thomas, who was recently named master blender at Bushmills, the world’s oldest licensed distille...
Wine Should Be Accessible to Everyone
Washington D.C. wine shop Domestique is reimagining the whole wine retail experience, fueled by a mission to be a more inclusive and fun space for all.
At first look, a person might think that Domestique is just a run-of-the-mill wine shop. However, this forward-thinking business, located in Washington, D.C., is reimagining the whole wine retail experience, fueled by a mission to be a more inclusive and fun space for all. Founded by journalist-turned-sommelier Jeff Segal who partnered with na...
After Prohibition, Literature and Film Led the Way for Modern Cocktail Culture
Drinks have featured in films and literature for ages. In films, we watch a protagonist sipping on a drink either in sorrow or celebration; in literature, we read about those experiences and understand their utility in telling the story. And while drinking and pop culture go pretty much hand in hand these days, back in the 1920s, ‘30s, and ‘40s, these books and films would help to popularize cocktails and influence modern American cocktail culture.
American crime fiction that would later be t...
When the World Slowed Down, I Made Sloe Gin
In 2020, our lives were turned upside down when a global pandemic ensued and shut the world down for many months. That summer, we were provided with some normalcy, as the borders opened back up and travel started up again. But by October, I was in Ireland, living on strict lockdown again and desperately in need of a project to keep myself busy.
For several years, I’d been thinking about making my own alcohol, and sloe gin was on the top of the list. Compared to other spirits, sloe gin is rela...
Where to Go in 2022
Where to Go Next. It feels good to write those words. After a long pause, travel is returning. Borders are reopening, families are reuniting, and deferred dreams are becoming realities. As 2022 approaches, are you eagerly and excitedly plotting out your next 12 months of trips? Or maybe you’re still just fantasizing about travel, unsure about where you’ll go next and when.
To inspire all your travel hopes and wishes, we’ve collected 39 love letters to various places, written by the people who...
Sipping Tequila With the Boss: Casa Dragones CEO Bertha González Nieves
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After just two days in the agave fields of Jalisco, Bertha González Nieves knew she wanted to pursue a career in tequila making.
As the world’s first “maestra tequilera,” González Nieves wants to showcase tequila in a different light.
It was a little bit of diplomacy—and a lot of love for tequila—that catapulted Bertha González Nieves’s career into the spirits industry. At age 22, González Nieves was studying business administration at a university when sh...
10 top things to do in mythical Northern Ireland
With an arresting green coastal route, UnescoWorld Heritage-listed natural wonders and cities rich with history, both ancient and modern, Northern Ireland will have you thinking you’ve dropped into a mythical otherworld.
In some ways, it’s true because Northern Ireland is the backdrop for many of your favorite TV shows and films like Dracula Untold, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, The Fall, Vikings and of course Game of Thrones. Although it’s a small country, it is packed with exceptional places...
15 essential things to do on your Irish holiday
Ireland is just the place for thrill-seekers seeking adventure and a few drinks in between. While it may be small, it’s a country full of many ancient ruins that tells the history of forgotten times, stunning mountain ranges, and alluring small villages that will captivate even the most seasoned traveler.
With so many spectacular scenes and attractions to explore, here are the don’t-miss things to do while on your Irish vacation.
Road trip around the Wild Atlantic Way
Winding its way along th...
6 Sacred Sites and How to Responsibly Visit Them
Culture + Style
When traveling, the number one rule is to be respectful of the local culture, and visiting sacred sites that hold significance to Indigenous people fosters an understanding of traditions and history that goes deeper than standard history books.
But one must tread lightly when doing so: Often these sites are not owned by the Indigenous peoples themselves. Avoid disrespecting a culture by disobeying rules and restrictions.
Here are six sacred sites around the world and ways to m...
Ireland Is Open, and The Stiff Drinks and Sea Cliffs Are Calling Your Name
Europe’s friendliest country is back in business.
Lively pubs, friendly folk, and excellent craic—that’s what Ireland is made of. But more than just one round of Guinness after another, this beloved island nation in the North Atlantic has ancient ruins dating back thousands of years, majestic landscapes with rolling green hills that punctuate ash-gray skies, and alluring small towns whose rich heritage fuels a sense of national pride few other countries can match. And as tiny as the Emerald I...