Yolanda Evans

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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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

There is something about summer that puts everyone in the mood for fresh, sun-kissed ingredients. Maybe it’s because we’re feeling nostalgic for memories of summery fruit stands or herb gardens, or perhaps the warm weather just has us craving as many refreshing summer finds as possible.
Either way, one thing that’s even better than snacking on your favorite summer fruits and berries is mixing them into refreshing summer cocktails. Not only will these cocktails taste incredible, but the vibran...

The Gimlet is a timeless, effortless classic cocktail. A simple combination of gin and lime juice, it’s basically impossible to mess up, but there are many ways that you can customize this refreshing cocktail to your own taste buds. Some might add simple syrup to cut the bitterness, while others might make their own cordial rather than using the original staple: Rose’s Lime Cordial. No matter how you make it, it’s a beautiful tart drink with a unique origin story.
Unlike other cocktails that ...

It’s hard work to make a proper Ramos Gin Fizz. In fact, many would argue that if your arms aren’t burning after making one, then it’s probably not a proper Ramos. The amount of time one should spend shaking the drink has been built into its mythos all the way back to its very invention by Henry C. Ramos in the 1880s. So, too, has the ingenuity to solve for it. Ramos’ fix? A line of “shaker men” who’d hand off the drink, like a relay, until it was perfectly frothed.
Today, you’ll find dozens ...

When the pandemic hit last year, some people jumped on the bread-baking trend to keep themselves busy. Others, like Atlanta bartender Keyatta Mincey-Parker, turned to gardening to ease their COVID anxieties. Already an avid gardener, Mincey-Parker managed to transform the East Atlanta urban garden that she planted with her husband into a little slice of paradise for local out-of-work bartenders.
"Originally, it was just going to be a bartenders' garden—a way for us to have a place to have," s...

Bourbon is a truly American spirit. It is a staple of Southern culture, a cult collectible, a drink tourism attraction. What it is not, however, is a picture of diversity.
Since its inception, bourbon’s image has been sold as the very picture of the genteel Southern white gentleman. But over the past few years, several bourbon clubs have sought to change that by reminding the bourbon industry of the power of the Black dollar—and rewriting the narrative around who the archetypal bourbon enthus...

Celebrated annually on March 17 all over the world, the Irish have observed St. Patrick’s Day as a religious holiday since sometime between the seventh and tenth century, when they would go to church to pay respects to St. Patrick, in the vein of other saints’ feast days. Some might also later attend a revel full of dancing, drinking, and a traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage, which was allowed just for this day, even though it was Lent.
When the Irish emigrated to other parts of the ...

Food and music are the heart and soul of New Orleans culture. At any given time, you could come across an array of street performers entertaining a crowd of onlookers. But because Covid-19 ravaged the city, New Orleans has gone silent and is void of tourists, leaving many musicians, iconic street performers, and artists out of work or housebound due to their age. But out of this melancholy situation came a ray of hope from a dedicated team of New Orleanians who wanted to help their community ...

When I was growing up there were two container constants in my household in St. Charles, Missouri: the iconic circular tin of Royal Dansk, a Danish cookie brand always filled with my mama’s sewing accessories, and the Crown Royal bag stuffed with everything else. As long as I can remember, my daddy’s go-to drink was Crown—a blended Canadian 80-proof whisky sold for $33 and some change—and my eyes would go straight to the little purple bag snugly holding the crown-shaped bottle. I would wait p...