Leslie Merinoff Kwasnieski

Leslie Merinoff Kwasnieski

The distiller and cofounder at Matchbook Distilling Co. in Greenport, NY, Leslie is best known for crafting unique wines and spirits. Venturing beyond the distillery, she makes her debut as a writer in this issue.
Studio Hosego

Studio Hosego

Studio Hosego is an illustration duo that examines contemporary culture through a classical lens. The Studio works with global clients in advertising, publishing and editorials markets.
David Nilsen

David Nilsen

David is an Advanced Cicerone© and a North American Guild of Beer Writers member. He hosts Bean to Barstool, a podcast looking at the intersections of craft beer and craft chocolate. He lives near Dayton, Ohio, with his wife, daughter and irritable cat.
Spirit Matters

Spirit Matters

Adobe Stock In the vast world of ready-to-drink cocktails, a good base spirit makes all the difference. WORDS Kara Newman Shortly before ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails burst onto the scene, I was invited to participate in a focus group about cocktail flavors. Together...
Fluid Identities

Fluid Identities

These spirits producers focus on flavors, not standard categories. WORDS Kara Newman Recently, I found myself staring into a glass of amber­ liquid, puzzling over what it might be. It was a little sweet, a little smoky, a little­ oaky. Was it Scotch? Rye? Was I sure...