Life

A couple years later they launched the Tequila Matchmaker mobile app and website, building what is now the largest database of information and ratings on tequila.

Grover received formal “catador” training in the evaluation of tequila from Ana Maria Romero Mena, and has visited 78 different tequila distilleries in Mexico, thus far.

Scarlet and Grover lived in Mexico from 2010-2011 and again from 2017-2024 so they could study tequila, the tequila industry, and how tequila is made and evaluated.

He is currently a tequila consultant and the President of the Additive Free Alliance non-profit, an offspring of Tequila Matchmaker’s additive free program.

He’s one of the world’s leading authorities on cocktails and spirits as well as a Kentucky Colonel, a James Beard Award winner and the author of the acclaimed drinks books, The Art of American Whiskey: A Visual History of the Nation’s Most Storied Spirit, through 100 Iconic Labels and The Business of Spirits: How Savvy Marketers, Innovative Distillers, and Entrepreneurs Changed How We Drink.

Noah is also the associate editor of the Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails, which won the American Library Association’s prestigious Dartmouth Medal for the best reference book of 2021 and the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award for Best New Book on Drinks Culture, History, or Spirits. The Washington Post called it “the drinking buddy you’ve been waiting for.” His next book is The Whiskey Bible, which will be published in the fall of 2025 and is the sister book to Karen MacNeil’s best-seller The Wine Bible. It will be followed by the Goto Bartender’s Guide, which Noah is writing with famed bartender Kenta Goto and will be published in 2026. He is also a Fellow of the James B. Beam Institute for Kentucky Spirits at the University of Kentucky and Bartender Magazine’s Editor-at-Large.

Previously, Noah was the editor of the Daily Beast’s Half Full section. Under his leadership, the site won the 2018 and the 2020 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award for Best Cocktail & Spirits Publication. He also co-hosted the podcast Life Behind Bars, which the New York Times called “a perfect comfort listen for the curious drinker.” The show won the 2018 and the 2021 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award for Best Podcast Series.

Noah has spoken at a number of conferences and institutions, including Tales of the Cocktail, SXSW, the 92nd Street Y, the Japan Society, Joe’s Pub, the Smithsonian, the Culinary Institute of America, BCB, Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and the National Restaurant Association Show.

According to Chicago magazine’s former chief dining critic, Jeff Ruby, “Rothbaum knows drinking like Newton knew gravity, but he’s not all high and mighty about it, creating laws and whatnot.”

Ten years ago, he fell in love with tequila and sought to learn everything about it. Encouraged by his wife, Tay, Rob started creating content to educate himself and others.

What began as a personal project has grown into a thriving community. The Tequila Collective now consults for brands, hosts in-person events and trips to Mexico’s tequila regions, and sells merchandise, along with other ventures.

As co-founder and CEO of Tequila Partners, based in Guadalajara, he has played a key role in developing multiple successful brands. His deep expertise in agave spirits, combined with consulting work in international markets such as the US, UK, Australia, and India, makes him a trusted authority in the field. Vini is passionate about quality, innovation, and authenticity.

He also serves as board member for two non-profit organizations: "The Additive Free Alliance" as well as "The Tequila that Cares Foundation."

A Dublin native, Stephen’s passion for the world of spirits began at a young age and has taken him from Ireland to New Zealand, the Dominican Republic, and across the United States.

At The Busker, Stephen combines his rich experience in trade education with his passion for Irish whiskey. He mentors bartenders, educates trade professionals, and builds relationships with industry stakeholders to elevate The Busker’s presence in bars, restaurants, and festivals across the country. A certified sommelier from the Court of Master Sommeliers, Stephen also hosts masterclasses, seminars, and activations at events like Tales of the Cocktail, inspiring and educating trade professionals and whiskey enthusiasts alike. Through his efforts, Stephen solidifies The Busker as a standout name in the whiskey world.

Prior to joining The Busker, Stephen served as the National Manager of Trade Education for Patrón Tequila, where he helped in launching initiatives like Patrón Perfectionists, an international bartending program engaging thousands of participants annually.

In 2023, he published his first book, A Field Guide to Tequila.

He has operated the groundbreaking educational tour company Experience Agave since 2008. He co-founded La Cata, the first brand-independent tasting room in Tequila, Jalisco, in 2016.

He holds numerous certifications related to tequila and mezcal, is a permanent legal resident of Mexico, and is currently pursuing a doctorate at the University of Utah.

He was the former Production Director at Patrón Tequila in Mexico, overseeing all aspects of the brand’s production, aging, and bottling.

He currently serves as the Master Distiller of Weber Ranch, an agave vodka made in Texas.

Antonio earned a Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Guadalajara and a Master's degree in business administration from IPADE Business School in Mexico.

He owns the much lauded cocktail bar Trick Dog in San Francisco.

He was one of the two original founders of the Bon Vivants, an internationally recognized spirits marketing agency that launched Tequila Ocho and Ancho Reyes in the United States.

He is currently working with various tequila producers on product ideation and flavor profiles. He and his best pal Josh have created and launched Donna’s Pickle Beer and are currently in 12 states.

He has written extensively about mezcal and raicilla for the website Mezcalistas, after gaining a deep knowledge of the producers and places that make these fine spirits.

He covers agave spirits and whiskey for Bloomberg, Forbes, Men’s Journal, Food + Wine, and several other prominent publications. He serves as a beverage consultant for notable restaurants and bars in the US and the UK, and is the co-host of "Sipping Point," a video series on the Spirits Network. In his role as a roving reporter, he has visited more than four dozen Mexican distilleries and palenques over the past decade. His favorite breed of dog is unequivocally the Siberian husky and he suffers from an irrational, unrequited love for the New York Knicks.

He's been managing cocktail bars for the last fourteen years, first in Boston and now in San Diego, where he's been making, educating, writing about, and drinking cocktails. He is Robb Report's resident cocktail columnist, hosts the video series "Cocktails for Grown Ups," is the lead mixologist at Michelin three-star restaurant Addison, and co-owns the virtual cocktail company Drinkwell.Co.