Top Journalists in Bars, Taverns, Pubs, Lounges

Robert Simonson The New York Times / The Mix (Substack)

Cocktail and spirits writer for The New York Times and author of The Mix newsletter and several acclaimed cocktail books, widely regarded for documenting modern cocktail culture and influential bars/bartenders. Specialties: Cocktails and spirits; bars and bartenders; cocktail history; New York bar scene.

Paul Clarke Imbibe Magazine

Editor in Chief of Imbibe magazine and author of The Cocktail Chronicles; a longtime leader in national coverage of bars, bartenders, and cocktail trends. Specialties: Cocktails and spirits; bar culture; historical and contemporary drinks coverage.

Kara Newman Wine Enthusiast

Writer-at-Large and Spirits reviewer for Wine Enthusiast and author of multiple cocktail books; active across New York’s cocktail/bar scene. Specialties: Spirits reviews; cocktail trends; bars and mixology.

Camper English Freelance (Alcademics)

Award‑winning cocktail/spirits writer and educator, founder of Alcademics and CocktailSafe; contributes to VinePair and others with deep expertise in bar technique and safety. Specialties: Cocktail technique and science; bar trends; spirits education.

Chloe Frechette PUNCH

Executive Editor at PUNCH, covering cocktails, spirits, and bar culture, with bylines shaping how modern bars and their drinks are documented. Specialties: Cocktails and spirits; bar features; recipe development and curation.

Email (Editorial)

Talia Baiocchi PUNCH

Founder and longtime Editor in Chief of PUNCH; a leading voice on drinking culture and the bar world, now part of Vox Media’s food network. Specialties: Global drinking culture; bars and nightlife; spirits and wine.

Email (Editorial)

Tim McKirdy VinePair

Managing Editor at VinePair and host of the Cocktail College podcast, leading deep‑dive reporting and interviews on classic and contemporary cocktails and bars. Specialties: Cocktails and spirits; bartender interviews; on‑premise trends.

Dave Infante Fingers Newsletter / VinePair

Editor/publisher of the Fingers ‘boozeletter’ and VinePair contributing editor known for watchdog reporting on U.S. drinking culture and the on‑premise. Specialties: Alcohol industry policy and business; labor; beer and bar culture; accountability reporting.

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Kate Bernot Good Beer Hunting (Sightlines)

Director of the North American Guild of Beer Writers and lead analyst/reporter for Good Beer Hunting’s Sightlines; a go‑to for nuanced bar and beer coverage. Specialties: Beer industry and on‑premise trends; bars and breweries; data‑driven reporting.

Bryan Roth Good Beer Hunting (Sightlines)

Leads Good Beer Hunting’s Sightlines news and analysis, steering industry‑facing coverage of pubs, taprooms, and bar‑driven trends. Specialties: Beer and emerging bev‑alc categories; consumer trends; on‑premise economics.

Justin Kendall Brewbound

Editor of Brewbound and co‑host of its podcast, reporting daily on U.S. beer with strong coverage of on‑premise and taproom dynamics. Specialties: Beer industry news; distribution and taproom strategy; bar‑driven product trends.

Email (Ed)

Jessica Infante Brewbound

Managing Editor at Brewbound, a certified Cicerone and former daily newspaper reporter covering mergers, taproom performance, and broader bar implications. Specialties: Beer business; on‑premise sales; category and operator trends.

Email (Ed)

Lucy Simon Food & Wine

Assistant Editor at Food & Wine who leads the magazine’s cocktail coverage and appears on F&W’s platforms with bar‑focused stories and service. Specialties: Cocktails and spirits; bar coverage for consumer audiences; drinks videos.

Courtney Schiessl Magrini SevenFifty Daily (Provi)

Editor‑in‑Chief of SevenFifty Daily, moderating industry roundtables and overseeing trade reporting that frequently centers the bar and on‑premise sector. Specialties: Beverage‑alcohol trade; on‑premise workforce and economics; policy and trends.

Lauren Bowes The Spirits Business

Bars Editor at The Spirits Business, focused on international bar coverage, on‑trade issues, and cocktail culture across cities worldwide. Specialties: Global bars and cocktails; on‑trade issues; spirits industry.

Ted Simmons The Spirits Business

U.S. Correspondent for The Spirits Business, reporting on American spirits and bar‑scene developments for a global trade audience. Specialties: U.S. spirits and bars; product/news coverage with on‑premise angles.

Aaron Goldfarb VinePair (Writer‑at‑Large)

Writer‑at‑Large at VinePair and award‑winning drinks journalist for NYT, WSJ, and more; known for deeply reported bar/spirits features. Specialties: Bar culture and trends; whiskey and beer; long‑form features and investigations.

Emma Janzen Imbibe Magazine / Freelance

Award‑winning spirits and cocktail journalist and editor (Digital Content Editor, Imbibe; co‑author of multiple James Beard–winning bar books) covering agave and global bars. Specialties: Agave spirits; global bar culture; cocktail books; editorial leadership.

Susannah Skiver Barton The New Wine Review / Freelance

Veteran spirits journalist and whiskey critic (ex–Whisky Advocate) writing for outlets including PUNCH and The New Wine Review, with authoritative analysis relevant to bars. Specialties: Whiskey and aged spirits; bar programs; tastings and critical reviews.

Wayne Curtis Imbibe / Freelance

Long‑time columnist and author of And a Bottle of Rum, Curtis writes for Imbibe and others on spirits, cocktail history, and the evolution of bars and lounges. Specialties: Cocktail and spirits history; American bar culture; rum and classic drinks.