MUSEUM OF DISTILLED SPIRITS - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Director / Director of Sober Experience
• DIRECTOR of SOBER EXPERIENCE
• Operations Manager, Technology Consultant, and Analyst

Currently serving on the Museum of Distilled Spirits' Board of Directors, Andre is an experienced operations manager, technology consultant, and analyst in the financial services industry. Andre recognizes there is an audience who choose not to imbibe, yet they crave communities where state-of-the entertainment and competitions create social experiences. Andre seeks sponsors and partners that support temperance and/or education in responsible drinking to construct innovative spaces, programming, and adventures where everyone who visits the Museum of Distilled Spirits has an opportunity to feel a sense of belonging.

Job Titles:

• Director / Director of Animation
• DIRECTOR of ANIMATION
• Video Editor

Antonia Roos is a video editor and photographer from Stuttgart, Germany. In 2021 she graduated from the Stuttgart Media University with a BA in Online-Media-Management. She currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Digital Media Design at Harvard. Antonia is currently planning and creating 2D & 3D animated content for the Museum of Distilled Spirits.

Job Titles:

• Director / Director of Drink History and Culture
• Director of Drink History and Culture

Dr. Jessica Spector researches and writes about ethics, history, the sex industry, and the culture of drink, which she teaches about at Yale University. She holds an MA and PhD in philosophy from The University of Chicago and diplomas from three Scottish Whisky Academies and is a member of the American Distilling Institute and the American Craft Spirits Association. As Director of Drink Culture, she will be exploring the role spirits have played throughout history and in the wider culture, connecting past events with current trends. You can also find her online at The Academy Drinks, and through her various academic publications in philosophy and social and intellectual history.

Job Titles:

• Director / Director of Vodka Curation and Education
• Director of Vodka
• Writer

Jacob Grier (@jacobgrier) is a bartender, writer, and spirits consultant living in Portland, Oregon. He is the author of Cocktails on Tap: The Art of Mixing Spirits and Beer, the definitive guide to making beer cocktails. He is also the founder of Aquavit Week, a weeklong festival that began in Portland in 2012 and has since spread throughout the United States and internationally. He takes an eclectic approach to spirits and cocktails, with a particular focus on spirits from Scandinavia, Holland, and the Nordic countries. Bars where he's worked in Portland include the Multnomah Whiskey Library, Expatriate, and Wayfinder Beer. His lifestyle writing has appeared at The Atlantic, Imbibe, Mixology, Inside Hook, Distiller, and many other publications, and he has presented at numerous events including Tales of the Cocktail, Portland Cocktail Week, Bar Convent Berlin, Bar Convent Brooklyn, the San Antonio Cocktail Conference, Barra Mexico, and Good Beer Week (Melbourne). He also takes credit and/or blame for popularizing the Bone Luge, a drinking trend once described by Anthony Bourdain as "extremely anti-social and against all standards of decency."

Job Titles:

• Director / Director of Brandy Curation and Education
• Director of Brandy

Based out of Seattle, Washington, Jesse Cyr is an award winning bartender. His credentials include being the General Manager of internationally acclaimed bar Rob Roy as well as Head Mixologist at The Charter Hotel by Hilton. Jesse has had the opportunity to work for several global brands creating various menus and cocktails with their spirits. He is also active in the competition scene being a former national finalist in the Woodford Reserve Manhattan Experience, the National Sherry Wine Cocktail Competition, and the Bols Around the World global competition. Jesse has been featured in numerous publications such as The Seattle Times, Zagat, Thrillist, and Eater as well as being mentioned by Tales of the Cocktail. Also, he has recipes featured in cocktail books such as ‘The One-Bottle Cocktail' and ‘Batch Cocktails' by Maggie Hoffman via Ten Speed Press. After graduating from the intensive BAR 5 Day course in NYC where he had to pass a blind spirits taste test and written essay exam, he solidified his love for Cognac and has since been on a quest to learn more and share his passion with others. When creating menus, he loves to include Cognac cocktails whenever possible. After a trip to France in early 2020 where he got to visit the Charente River Valley and see the production of eau-de-vie, he decided it was time to start putting his thoughts down on paper and Cognac Reverie began.

Job Titles:

• ASSISTANT DIRECTOR of TEQUILA and AGAVE DISTILLATES CURATION and EDUCATION
• Director / Assistant Director of Tequila and Agave Distillates Curation and Education

Bernardo is considered one of the top ten influencers among Mexican catadors (tequila tasters). Specializing in the taste of agave spirits, he is the author of the book El Arte de Conocer, Saborear y Admirar Tequila, as well as many articles for both academic and commercial audiences. He is a sought-after lecturer, panelist, and judge. Bernardo holds certifications or degrees from the Consejo Regulador del Tequila (CRT), Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara, Mexican Ministry of Tourism, Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Occidente (ITESO), World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and Instituto Mexicano de la Propiedad Industrial (IMPI). He is an active member of Academia Mexicana de Catadores de Tequila, Vino y Mezcal, A.C. Based in Guadalajara, he is currently developing a "field to glass" Mexican spirits brand consultation company.

Job Titles:

• Director / Director of Web Strategy

Job Titles:

• Director / Director of Curation
• Director of Curation

Kelsey Cox is a fine art photographer and former bartender. In 2019, she graduated from Massachusetts College of Art and Design with a BFA in Photography and Art History and is currently pursuing a Master of Liberal Arts degree in Museum Studies at Harvard University. Kelsey is currently curating an online virtual reality rum exhibition program with an expected launch date of January 2023.

Job Titles:

• Director / Director of Tequila and Agave Distillates Curation and Education

Job Titles:

• Director / Director of Whiskey Curation and Education

Job Titles:

• Director / Director of Rum and Cane Spirits Curation and Education

Job Titles:

• Director / Director of Gin Curation and Education
• DIRECTOR of GIN CURATION and EDUCATION

Natasha Leila Bahrami, also known as the Gin Girl (@thegingirl) Bahrami fell in love with the spirit of gin after an eye-opening (and mouth pleasing) experience with a dirty gin martini in her early years as a restaurateur. Since then, she has worked to expand the knowledge, experience, access and appreciation of the gin spectrum with her guests and the world. Elevation of the spirit of gin is her priority. Natasha is the proprietor of The Gin Room (natashasginroom.com) in St. Louis, MO, a gin bar established in 2013 boasting hundreds of fine gins and an ever-changing creative cocktail list. She is also an owner of the restaurant Salve Osteria as well the bottle shop, Grand Spirits. She is known for making her own tonics, as well as hosting monthly programs, seminars and workshops created specifically to engage, convert and educate gin novices and gin lovers alike. In 2015, she expanded her focus nationally, launching a robust education platform Ginworld, a company created to help elevate the category of gin in cities domestically and abroad. For the last 6 years, Natasha and the Ginworld Ambassadors have hosted the largest gin festivals in the United States bringing distillers, educators and brands together to expand knowledge and experience with the spectrum of gin. Natasha was inducted into The Gin Guild in 2017 for excellence in the promotion of gin and continues her work judging spirits for the most prominent gin competitions globally, International Wine and Spirits Competition, American Distilling Institute and the World Spirits Awards. In 2019 Natasha Bahrami was inducted into Les Dames d'Escoffier International LDEI, a philanthropic organization of women leaders creating a supportive culture in their communities. In 2020, Natasha has joined the team at the Museum of Distilled Spirits, curating the gin education and programming for this unprecedented collaboration of the spirits world. In February of 2021 Natasha became the 8th inductee in the Gin Hall of Fame.

Job Titles:

• ASSISTANT DIRECTOR of WHISKEY CURATION and EDUCATION
• Director / Assistant Director of Whiskey Curation and Education

Sarah is a well know whiskey influencer, blogger, and educator. Aside from running @whiskynomad, she also co-founded the First Responder Whiskey Society and is President of Women Who Whiskey San Diego. She is a Certified Specialist of Spirits and has traveled to over 26 countries, visiting distilleries across the world.