the martini masters
They've shaken, stirred, and elevated the cocktail scene for years. Now they're bringing their expertise—and their best martini recipes—to Martini Expo Chicago.
The 2026 Talent
Meet Them in Chicago—more talent to be announced soonBridget Albert
Bridget Albert is an advocate for upbeat education that makes an impact. She has designed beverage programs and produced trainings for top national accounts including Disney, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, and Crystal Cruise Line.
Bridget is the co-author of Market Fresh Mixology and Life, Love, Happiness and Cocktails, and has contributed to 10 cocktail and beverage industry books written by celebrated authors. She has worked with top media talent including Oprah Winfrey.
She has won numerous awards and honorable mentions for her work in the beverage world, including Chicago Tribune Good Eats Award, and the coveted No Kid Hungry® Share Our Strength Sustaining a Community Award. Bridget is a James Beard Foundation Women in Beverage Honoree and has repeatedly been nominated for the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards as a Top 10 Beverage Mentor in the World, most recently in 2023. She also holds the WSET Level 2 Award in Wines with Merit.
Bridget has hosted charity beverage events for a wide range of organizations including the Bellagio, Locks of Love, Sky Blue, Cocktails for a Cure, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Hadassah, Taste of the Nation, Habitat for Humanity, and New Leaders for New Schools. She is the Founder of the National Charity Foundation of the United States Bartenders' Guild, the world's largest contributor to cocktail culture.
Currently, Bridget serves as Senior Director of External Communications at SGWS and is a member of the SGWS Top Shelf PR team. She is also the Founder of the Academy of Spirits and Fine Service (IL, KY & MN), a comprehensive bartender education program covering the history of spirits and pre-prohibition cocktails, as well as the Advanced Mixology Culinary Academy.
Bridget has been repeatedly featured in the White House Historical Happy Hour series and was the first female mixologist featured on Food Network's Iron Chef America (Battle Mango). She is the Founder of the celebrated Served Up podcast.
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Colin Asare-Appiah
Colin Asare-Appiah is one of the most respected and influential voices in the global spirits and hospitality industry, with over three decades of experience shaping cocktail culture, advocacy, and community across multiple continents. A pioneering educator, cultural connector, and industry leader, Colin's work continues to elevate bars, bartenders, and brands at the highest level.
Originally rising to prominence as the first-ever cocktail guide for the BBC's Good Food Show, Colin went on to co-found the London Academy of Bartending and manage Jamie Oliver's bar operations, helping define modern cocktail education in the UK and beyond. His global profile expanded further through The Cocktail Kings, his Discovery Channel television series celebrating cocktails through culture and place, which continues to air internationally.
Currently the Advocacy Community Director with Bacardi USA, Colin plays a strategic role across their prestige brands, aligning commercial performance with cultural relevance in the world's most influential bars.
Colin's impact has been widely recognized across the industry. He is a recipient of the Tales of the Cocktail Mentor Award and the Tales of the Cocktail Visionary Award, and has been named to the Bar World 100, recognizing the most influential figures shaping the future of global bar culture. His work and perspective have also been acknowledged by Food & Wine, further cementing his role as a leading authority in cocktails, hospitality, and drinks culture.
He is the author of Black Mixcellence: A Comprehensive Guide to Black Mixology, a landmark work documenting and celebrating Black excellence in cocktail history and contemporary culture, and the co-founder of the AJABU Cocktail & Spirits Festival, a fast-growing pan-African platform dedicated to education, representation, and opportunity across the continent and its diaspora.
Based in New York City, Colin continues to operate at the intersection of culture, commerce, and community, championing African and diasporic voices, mentoring the next generation of talent, and shaping the future of global cocktail culture with intention, integrity, and impact.
Kevin Beary
Kevin Beary, Partner & Beverage Director
Three Dots and a Dash, The Bamboo Room at Three Dots and a Dash, The Omakase Room at Sushi-san, Gus’ Sip & Dip, Crying Tiger, Kitty’s Cosmopolitan Club
Kevin Beary is the Partner and Beverage Director of award-winning Chicago cocktail destinations including Three Dots and a Dash, The Bamboo Room at Three Dots and a Dash, The Omakase Room at Sushi-san, Gus’ Sip & Dip, Crying Tiger, and Kitty’s Cosmopolitan Club. Under his leadership, Gus’ Sip & Dip was named No. 27 on North America’s 50 Best Bars list in 2026, received the 2026 Jean Banchet Award for Bar of the Year, and was recognized by Bon Appétit as one of America’s Best New Bars in 2025.
Known for his deep knowledge of classic cocktails, rum, and international spirits, Beary has built acclaimed beverage programs that combine historical research, technical precision, modern presentation, and immersive hospitality, from the tropical theatrics of Three Dots and a Dash and the rare rum-focused Bamboo Room to the refined Japanese-inspired cocktails of The Omakase Room and the polished, technique-driven experience at Kitty’s Cosmopolitan Club. Across his venues, Beary oversees programs featuring more than 300 rums representing nearly every rum-producing region in the world, while continuing to push contemporary cocktail culture forward through concepts like Crying Tiger, which balances cocktails and zero-proof beverages alongside Southeast Asian cuisine from Chef Thai Dang.
A nationally recognized bartender and competitor, Beary’s accolades include finalist placements in the Bacardi Legacy Cocktail Competition and USBG Cocktail Classic, victories at the Don the Beachcomber Mai Tai Festival, the Continental Diplomatico Bartending Competition for North America, and the World Mai Tai Championship in 2017, as well as honors including StarChefs Rising Star Bartender in 2018 and the Jean Banchet Award for Best Bartender in 2020. Prior to joining Lettuce Entertain You, Beary held leadership roles at NoMI Restaurant, Park Hyatt Chicago, Rural Society, and XIX t at The Bellevue hotel. A Long Island native and graduate of La Salle University, Beary is currently completing his master’s thesis in Brewing and Distilling at Heriot-Watt University and has traveled to more than 30 rum distilleries around the world in pursuit of his passion for fine spirits.
Liam Davy
Liam Davy is the Global Beverage Director for Hawksmoor Restaurants based in the UK, US and Ireland. Twice winner of the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award for Best International Restaurant Bar. After starting at Hawksmoor as a bartender in 2010, he worked on the openings of several of their venues in London holding a number of positions including General Manager. After starting a role as Hawksmoor’s Global Head of Bars in 2019, Hawksmoor were awarded the Sunday Times Best Companies Innovation Award for the relaunch of their cocktail offering in Autumn 2019.
Before he worked at Hawksmoor, Liam started his hospitality career working for Jonathan Downey’s legendary Match Bar Group including stints at The Player, Milk & Honey London and a year running The Clubhouse in the French Alps, after a year working as a sommelier at Soho institution Quo Vadis, Liam opened industry-favorite taqueria and bar, Bad Sports, in Hackney, East London in 2016.
Meaghan Dorman
Bar Director & Partner, Dear Irving and Raines Law Room (New York, NY)
Award-winning mixologist, spirits educator, and creative consultant Meaghan Dorman is the Bar Director and Partner of New York City’s Raines Law Room (2009), Raines Law Room at the William (2014), Dear Irving (2014), Dear Irving on Hudson (2019), and Dear Irving on Broadway (2024), all part of Yves Jadot Restaurant Group. In large part to Meaghan’s work, Dear Irving and Raines Law Room are internally-recognized cocktail destinations, boasting recognition from World’s 50 Best: North America, Tales of the Cocktail’s Spirited Awards, and Esquire Magazine’s “Best Bars” list. This year, Meaghan is also a Top 4 finalist for the Best U.S. Bar Mentor category at the 2025 Spirited Awards and the winner of VinePair’s Next Wave Awards in the Drinks Professional of the Year category. She is the co-founder of the annual Dames Hall of Fame event at Tales of the Cocktail.
Lynn House
Lynn has had a long and extensive career in the beverage and hospitality industry. She was a trainer and lead server at Houston's Restaurant for five years, went on to work at several Lettuce Entertain You venues, trainer and spirits specialist at Spring, general manager of Hot Chocolate, Master Bartender for the award winning The Drawing Room, Chief Mixologist at Graham Elliot and culminated her bartending career as the Chief Mixologist for the globally acclaimed Blackbird Restaurant.
In 2013 Lynn joined the Heaven Hill Brands team. Initially she was the National Brand Ambassador for PAMA Liqueur. However, Lynn quickly rose up the ladder. In 2016 she was promoted to National Brand Educator, and in 2019 Lynn was promoted to National Spirits Specialist and Portfolio Mixologist.
While at Heaven Hill Brands Lynn has continued to gain recognition. She was a top four national finalist for Best American Brand Ambassador at Tales of the Cocktail 2017 and 2019. 2017 Lynn was a national finalist for Wine Enthusiast Magazine's Mixologist of the Year. In 2019 Lynn was a top four national finalist for Best Bar Mentor, again by Tales of the Cocktail. In 2022 Lynn was named Best U.S. Brand Ambassador at the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards. Recently Lynn was named 2023 American Whiskey Ambassador of the Year by Whisky Magazine.
Charles Joly
Charles Joly is a global bartending champion, James Beard Award winning beverage designer, content contributor, speaker and philanthropic enthusiast. With over 25 years in the hospitality industry, he has helped to usher in the modern age of the cocktail. As the official bartender for the Oscars & Emmys over the past 10 years, Charles is the go-to for award-worthy cocktails. Joly has created & served drinks at the Sundance Film Festival, the Kentucky Derby and beverage leadership summits including Tales of the Cocktail, Diageo World Class, Berlin Bar Convent and many more.
As first and only American to achieve a win at World Class sponsored by Diageo, Charles is dedicated to cultivating and educating today’s bartenders and dedicates his time globally to participate in spirited competitions. His culinary roots run deep, as former beverage director at the famed Alinea group’s Aviary in Chicago. Charles’ talents earned him “Top 10 Most Influential Bartenders” by Bon Appetite.
In 2014 he launched his own brand, Crafthouse Cocktails. True, bottled cocktails designed to make high quality, unpretentious beverages accessible and bring people together to celebrate. A partnership with Fortessa Tableware Solutions has delivered a functional and stunning line of bar tools and glassware for the home bartender and professional alike. His designs can be found at Williams Sonoma, Crate & Barrel and other top retailers . In 2021 Charles partnered with the team from Abstract Ice to bring craft ice to cocktail enthusiasts and bars nationwide.
A native of Chicago’s South Side, Charles readily partners with charities dear to him including No Kid Hungry/Taste of the Nation, Meals On Wheels, Habitat For Humanity and many rescue animal organizations. When he’s not mixing up cocktails, Charles is uncovering antiques that he shares on his Instagram account @TellTailVintage, lacing up for a run or trying to keep his many house plants alive.
IG: @CharlesJoly @DrinkCrafthouse @TellTailVintage
Toby Maloney
Toby Maloney, a pioneer of the modern cocktail movement, was the first bartender hired at the nationally acclaimed cocktail bar Milk & Honey, and has put in time behind the stick at Pegu Club, Flatiron Lounge and Freeman's.
A founding partner, and head mixologist of Chicago's acclaimed The Violet Hour, which won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Bar Program in 2015, Maloney has also shaped bar programs across the country, including at Pouring Ribbons (NYC), The Patterson House (Nashville), and Mother's Ruin (Chicago).
Toby Maloney is the co-author of The Bartender's Manifesto (with Emma Janzen), which won the 2022 James Bed Foundation Book Award for Best Cocktail Book with Recipes. He and Emma are teamed up together on The Classic Cocktail Sessions, which will be published by Clarkson Potter in June 2026.
Julia Momosé
Julia Momosé is a chef, bartender, author, and the creative force behind Kumiko, the internationally acclaimed Japanese dining bar in Chicago. Born and raised in Japan, Momosé was introduced to the spirit of hospitality through her mother's heartfelt and intuitive hosting. That early exposure to care and intention continues to shape everything she creates—whether a seasonal dish, a spiritfree beverage, or a multi-course experience.
After moving to the U.S. for university, Momosé studied Design and Environmental Analysis at Cornell University. Though she ultimately left before graduating for personal reasons, her training in spatial design and systems thinking laid the groundwork for a career defined by precision, intentionality, and aesthetics. While working in bars and restaurants to support herself, she began to build a language of hospitality rooted in both design and deep cultural resonance.
Her early bartending work evolved into a distinctive and award-winning beverage philosophy. Known for her commitment to Japanese tradition, seasonality, and meticulous technique, Momosé helped popularize the use of shochu in American cocktails and introduced the concept of spiritfrees—carefully crafted non-alcoholic drinks that are equal in creativity and complexity to their spirited counterparts.
In 2018, she opened Kumiko, a warm, minimalist space inspired by her Japanese heritage and design background. Initially celebrated for its innovative beverage program, the bar quickly became a destination for thoughtful, refined dining. In December 2024, Momosé stepped into the role of executive chef, guiding a new era of Kumiko with a culinary perspective that mirrors her approach to drinks: detailed, personal, and deeply intentional. Her seasonal menus draw on personal memories and Japanese comfort dishes—like curry rice and miso shiru—reinterpreted through a lens of mixed heritage, embracing the Midwest's ingredients and seasons.
Momosé's work has been widely recognized, with accolades including:
- Michter's The Art of Hospitality Award for North America's 50 Best Bars 2026
- Named to Crain's Chicago 40 Under 40, recognizing her influence on Chicago's hospitality and cocktail landscape (2025)
- James Beard Award (2025) winner for Outstanding Bar
- Tales of the Cocktail (2025): Best US Restaurant Bar and World's Best Bar
- James Beard Award (2022) for The Way of the Cocktail
- Inaugural recipient (2022) of the Michelin Guide Chicago Exceptional Cocktails Award
- The World's 50 Best Bars (2020, 2022, 2023, 2025)
- North America's 50 Best Bars "Best Bar in the Midwest" (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025)
- Esquire's Best Bars in America (2020)
- Time Magazine's World's Greatest Places (2019)
- Chicago Magazine's Best New Bar (2019)
Beyond Kumiko, Momosé has consulted on beverage programs around the world, including for Starbucks Reserve Roasteries in Tokyo, Milan, New York, Seattle, and Chicago. Her advocacy during the COVID-19 pandemic helped lead to legislative change in Illinois, allowing bars to sell cocktails for off-site consumption. She remains a strong voice for equity in hospitality and serves as a mentor through programs like Speed Rack and is on the council for Giving Kitchen.
Through both her culinary and beverage work, Julia Momosé continues to shape a more thoughtful, inclusive, and expressive future for hospitality—one grounded in care, cultural storytelling, and craft.
François Monti
François Monti is the author of 5 books, including El Gran Libro del Vermut (2015), one of the first book length deep dives into the vermouth and aperitivo category, and Madrid Cocktail (2025), a history of mixed drinks in one of the vermouths capitals of the world. He is also a contributor to The Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails, the author of Jaibol, the first mixology-focused Substack in Spanish and has written for numerous international publications. His work has been nominated for several awards, such as the World Gourmand Book Awards and Best Cocktail & Spirits Writing at the Spirited Awards.
Monti is also dedicated to education. He teaches in the Master in Wine & Spirits Management at Kedge Business School in France and has lectured at major industry events across the globe. Since he also needs to eat, he is a partner at the strategy agency Amarguería. Since 2020, Monti has served as the Academy Chair for Spain and Portugal for The World's 50 Best Bars. According to Drinks International magazine, he is one of the 100 most influential people in the global bar industry.
George Motz
George Motz is a well-traveled chef, author, award-winning filmmaker, and photographer. He has also been called the 'foremost authority on hamburgers' by The New York Times, and ‘America's biggest burger name' by Eater LA. In the spring of 2004, Motz completed Hamburger America, his second documentary film, which he shot, produced, edited, and directed. The film was nominated in 2006 for a James Beard Award, and in 2011, was recognized by the US National Archives as an integral part of American food history. The film's success led to a state-by-state guide to hamburgers, also titled Hamburger America, a State-by-State Guide to Great Burger Joints, revised most recently in 2026. And in 2016, Abrams Books released his first cookbook, The Great American Burger Book, fully updated in May 2023. George can be seen on his show Burger Scholar Sessions on First We Feast.
When not working on his upcoming children's book, George can also be found spreading the word of burger around the globe through workshops, consultations, and burger pop-ups. He recently opened his dream restaurant, Hamburger America, in the Soho neighborhood of NYC, which was awarded 2-stars by Pete Wells in the New York Times.
Katie Renshaw
Katie is a bartender and bar owner / operator in Chicago, IL. Over a decade into her career now, she's bartended at some of Chicago’s top bars including Moneygun, GreenRiver, Billy Sunday, and The Office at Aviary. She has also seen success in several national bartending competitions: most notably, winning the title of 2019 US World Class Bartender of the Year. She recently opened her first bar as an owner, Bar Bambi. She also executes innovative cocktail pop-ups in her spare time.
Dan Smith
Dan Smith is the managing partner of Queen Mary, the Chicago cocktail bar he helped open with Heisler Hospitality in 2015 and has overseen since. Originally from Omaha, Nebraska, he moved to Chicago to attend the University of Chicago and got his start at The Violet Hour and Barrelhouse Flat. At Queen Mary, Smith leads both operations and the bar program, which focuses on maritime spirits such as gin, rum, Scotch, sherry, and madeira. He’s known for his deep knowledge of these categories and a historically grounded yet modern approach to cocktails. Under his direction, the bar has earned national recognition, including a spot on North America’s 50 Best Bars list.
Peter Vestinos
As a second-generation bartender, Peter works to instill professional values and systems into the field of bartending so that others may also succeed in their careers.
Peter is a nationally recognized bartender and spirits professional with years of experience designing cocktail programs and training bartenders & sales teams. Vestinos pioneered the modern craft cocktail movement in Chicago with the opening of Michelin-starred Sepia in 2007. A “game changer for the city’s beverage programs,” according to Modern Luxury magazine, Vestinos helped to firmly place Chicago on the national cocktail map.
He is also partner and beverage director in the hugely successful Sparrow, a 1930’s Cuban-era rum bar in Chicago’s Gold Coast, and the newly opened Double Fun, a West Coast inspired corner bar.
Abe Vucekovich
Abe Vucekovich is a Chicago-based beverage director, bar owner, and hospitality human who is co-founder of Friends of Friends. Abe started at The Violet Hour, working his way up from support staff to General Manager and Head Bartender over nearly a decade.
As Beverage Director for The Meadowlark, he helped open and build a program that pushed into a more conceptual realm—menus with a story to tell, drinks that asked a little more of guests, and a team encouraged to think creatively.
With Friends of Friends, Abe aims to make the complex drinks user-friendly. The menu uses two-word descriptions as drink names, i.e., "Crisp & Light," "Fruity & Savory," and "Alpine & Tropical." Underneath that, the drinks still carry the same level of technique—clarification, oleo saccharums, distillation, craft-driven execution—but the experience is stripped of pretense as much as possible.
The 2025 Class of martini Masters
