This week, we sit down with one of the most influential voices in modern drinks journalism — Noah Rothbaum, author, editor, historian, and the man behind some of the most important cocktail publications of the last 20 years.

From bringing a mystery bottle to Dale DeGroff, to co-editing The Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails with David Wondrich, Noah shares his personal journey through the golden age of modern cocktail writing — and gives us a peek behind the curtain at his latest release, The Whiskey Bible.

We talk about the pivotal role of bars like Pegu Club and the Rainbow Room, how Irish whiskey fell (and rose again), and why Black Bush and Redbreast 12 still punch well above their weight.

Whether you're a bartender, bookworm, or spirits nerd — this one’s for you.

📚 About Noah Rothbaum:

Noah Rothbaum is a renowned drinks writer and editor. He is the Chief Cocktail Correspondent for Flaviar, former Managing Editor of Half Full at The Daily Beast, and founding Editor-in-Chief of Liquor.com.

He’s the author of:

• The Business of Spirits (2007)
• The Art of American Whiskey (2015)
• The Whiskey Bible (2025)
• And co-editor (with David Wondrich) of the essential Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails.

He’s won multiple Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards, hosted the podcast Life Behind Bars, and continues to shape the way the world writes and thinks about booze.

🥃 What We Cover:

• Getting his start at Food & Wine under Pete Wells
• Early stories with Dale DeGroff and Audrey Saunders
• Why the Oxford Companion took 8 years to complete
• How The Whiskey Bible came to life — and what makes it different
• The fall and rise of Irish whiskey (spoiler: the Coffey still matters)
• Why hospitality is the trend we should never lose
• Affordable, underrated spirits you should be serving now
• And why Redbreast 12 is the ultimate convert-maker

📌 Referenced in the Episode:

• The Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails
• The Art of American Whiskey
• The Whiskey Bible (Workman Publishing) - buy it here
• Life Behind Bars Podcast

📲 Connect with Noah Rothbaum:

• Instagram: @noah_rothbaum

📚 Noah’s Top 3 Books for Bartenders:

1. The Craft of the Cocktail – Dale DeGroff
2. Imbibe! – David Wondrich
3. The Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails – Eds. Wondrich & Rothbaum

🔐 Want More?

Listen to the Lock-In bonus episode on www.thecocktailacademy.com — where Noah joins us for a more relaxed chat about drinks trends, undervalued spirits, and the eternal battle between snobbery and hospitality.

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