This article is part of The Spill Awards 2025, covering the best in spirits, cocktails, bartenders and drinks culture. Find all of the stories here.
We had nearly 30 people participate in our annual Spill Awards, the first time we’ve included judges from outside the InsideHook team. The list includes journalists, mixologists, publicists, drinks professionals, bar owners, distillers and brand ambassadors.
The rules were simple: Fill out a form with about 30 questions related to the best spirits of the previous year (they had to have been released in 2024) and some more esoteric requests, such as best bar bathroom, a person doing good and best viral drinks moment. For the best brewery, vineyard and spirits producer, we asked the judging panel to consider the prior year and the overall body of work.
Because these were fill-in-the-blank answers, many categories ended up without a consensus (or, to put it another way, too many good answers!). From there, the InsideHook editorial team curated the final results, selecting winners who received multiple votes or simply stood out amongst the finalists. Fun fact: The category with the most consensus was best bar bathroom.
The only other rule was that the judges couldn’t choose themselves or anyone they currently work with.
Anyway, meet our judges! We asked them to submit their own bios, which were edited a bit for clarity and length.
- Kirk Miller and Amanda Gabriele are editors at InsideHook. Together, they run the drinks section and IH’s weekly drinks newsletter, The Spill.
- Justin Aden is Stranahan’s first head blender. Justin has nearly 14 years of experience in the whiskey industry, including his tenure as distillery operator and research scientist at Michigan State University’s world-renowned Artisan Distilling Program, along with serving as head distiller and production manager at Headframe Spirits Distilling, and as distiller, blender and head of operations at Valentine Distilling Company.
- Michael Lowry is Vice President of global spirits sourcing at Total Wine & More, the largest privately-held wine and spirits retailer in the U.S. with over 250 locations and over $6 billion in sales.
- Nicolas Torres is the co-owner and beverage director at San Francisco’s True Laurel. An S.F. local, Nicolas has been bartending for over 15 years. Under his leadership, True Laurel has won numerous accolades, including the 2025 James Beard Award semifinalist for Outstanding Bar and 2024 Best U.S. Bar Team and Best U.S. Cocktail Bar Honoree at Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards.
- Caroline Eubanks is a travel and drinks writer and author of A Boozy History of Atlanta: People, Places & Drinks that Made a City. Her work has been published by Bon Appétit, Eater, VinePair, Wine Enthusiast and, of course, InsideHook.
- Kathleen Willcox is an award-winning journalist specializing in wine, spirits, food, real estate and travel.
- Lou Bank is a drinks writer and the founder of SACRED, a not-for-profit that helps improve the quality of life in rural Mexican communities where heritage agave spirits are made. He’s also the co-host of Agave Road Trip, a podcast that helps bartenders better understand agave, agave spirits and rural Mexico.
Three of our journalist judges: Carissa Chesanek, Caroline Eubanks and Jonah Flicker
Photo illustration
- Carissa Chesanek is a food and spirits writer based in Brooklyn. Her work has been seen in Zagat, Imbibe, Food Network, VinePair, Whisky Advocate and Alcohol Professor. When she’s not writing, she’s on the hunt for the best Old Fashioned.
- Chris Figueroa, a Bronx native, began his career at The Modern, a two-Michelin-star restaurant at the Museum of Modern Art. He later worked at Crown Shy, SAGA and Overstory, contributing to their growing reputations. As bar manager at Kent Hospitality’s 70 Pine venues, including Overstory, SAGA and Crown Shy, Chris helped Overstory secure its place among the World’s 50 Best Bars, currently ranked 15th globally and 3rd in North America. Chris is now bar director at Haymarket, set to open in Chelsea, and holds certifications in Bar 5 Ready and Master of Service.
- Kate Dingwall is a writer, editor and photographer covering the intersection between spirits, business, culture and travel. By night, she’s a working sommelier at one of the top restaurants in Canada. She now writes about strong drinks and nice wines for Food & Wine, Worth, Maxim, People, Southern Living, Liquor.com, Rolling Stone, Eater, Elle, Toronto Life, Toronto Star, Wine Enthusiast, Foodism, VinePair, Porter Magazine and DuJour. She frequently appears on both CTV and NPR, has co-authored a book on gin, judges Tales of the Cocktail and recently interviewed Vanilla Ice.
- ms. franky marshall is a multilingual modern bartender, educator, cocktail creator, mistress of ceremonies, and judge for spirit and cocktail competitions. She’s worked at iconic New York bars where her proficiency earned her Best U.S. Bartender and Bar Mentor nominations. She is a Certified Cognac Educator and co-chair of Tales of the Cocktail’s Education Committee.
- Caleb Russell is the beverage director at Brooklyn’s elNico.
- Jared Meisler has opened and operated several award-winning bars in Los Angeles, including The Roger Room, The Pikey, The Friend, The Brig and, most recently, The Benjamin.
Some of our bartending friend judges: Chris Lemperle, Gabe Sanchez, Jacob Tschetter
Will Blunt; courtesy of the bartenders
- Gabe Sanchez is an award-winning bartender, bar owner, hospitality consultant and unlikely mentor in Dallas, TX. He is currently the cocktail expert at Midnight Rambler at The Joule. He can be found talking about fantasy football, the Lakers, coffee and tequila, or riding bikes with his son.
- Mike Lay is a two-time James Beard Award semifinalist and the beverage director at the MINA Group.
- Rachel Harrison has over 25 years of marketing and communications experience creating unique partnerships and campaigns for some of the biggest brands in the industry. Together with her talented team, Rachel has helped clients achieve global awareness, transformative growth and coveted awards from The World’s 50 Best to the Hot List.
- Yolanda Evans has been a drinks and travel writer for the last 18 years. She travels the world to drink and seek out obscure booze knowledge.
- Mandy Naglich is a food and beverage journalist, beer educator, Advanced Cicerone, AROXA Certified Taster, Certified Cider Professional and National Homebrew Competition gold medalist, and has earned the certification of WSET Level 1 Spirits. She lives, writes and brews in New York City with her husband, Wes and their dog, Chewy.
- Jonah Flicker is a freelance writer covering the spirits industry. His work has appeared in outlets including Robb Report, Esquire, Food & Wine, USA Today, Maxim, VinePair, Liquor.com and others. He has traveled the world over the years visiting distilleries from Kentucky to Scotland to uncover the stories behind the spirits.
- Amanda Schuster is a freelance writer and beverage industry consultant based in Brooklyn, NY. She is the author of Signature Cocktails, New York Cocktails and Drink Like a Local New York, for which she was nominated for a 2023 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award.
- Bryan Schneider is the Creative Director at Bad Roman & Quality Branded. Since 2005, Bryan has created cocktails for some of the most acclaimed bars and restaurants in New York City, from Michelin-starred Daniel to Brooklyn’s Clover Club and midtown Manhattan’s Quality Italian.
- Courtney Iseman is a Brooklyn-based writer who has covered everything from punk icons to haunted historic landmarks, but primarily focuses on drinks. Her work has appeared in outlets including Food & Wine, Wine Enthusiast, Craft Beer & Brewing, CraftBeer.com, PUNCH, Thrillist, VinePair, Good Beer Hunting, HuffPost, Delish, Fodor’s, Grub Street, i-D and more.
- Giuseppe Gallo is an authority in the Italian spirits space and one of the world’s most respected mixologists. He is the Founder and CEO of Italicus and Savoia.
- Neal Bodenheimer is the managing partner of CureCo., the acclaimed group behind Cure, Cane & Table and VALS in New Orleans; partner of Dauphine’s in Washington, D.C.; runs beverage operations at Peychaud’s at The Celestine; and is the co-chair of the board of directors for Tales of the Cocktail Foundation.
Spill Awards judges Justin Aden, Marshall Minaya and ms. franky marshall
Courtesy of the judges
- Marshall Minaya is the beverage director at Valerie, Madame George and Lolita, a group of high-volume cocktail bars in the heart of Midtown Manhattan. Through developing the beverage program at Valerie, Marshall has established himself as an expert in gin, where he’s built one of the largest gin libraries in New York City, along with thoughtfully crafted cocktails that take their cue from the golden age of Manhattan.
- Chris Lemperle is a seasoned bar professional with over a decade of experience in the hospitality industry. His journey into the world of cocktails began at The Eddy Bar in Providence, RI. He later was part of the opening bar team at Crown Shy, which earned a Michelin star, and was a finalist for Heaven Hill’s 2020 Bartender of the Year. He also served as head bartender for the openings of both Overstory and SAGA. Currently, Chris is the beverage director at 85 10th Avenue, overseeing the bar programs at Crane Club Restaurant and the Member’s Lounge.
- Lynnette Marrero is a bartending guru, women’s industry champion, educator, inclusivity advocate, mentor, philanthropist and craft cocktail savant. She is also the Latiné co-creator of the Speed Rack international women+ bartending competition, the MasterClass mixology teacher, as well as the mixologist behind Jennifer Lopez’s new line of ready-to-drink Delola beverages.
- Jacob Tschetter is a spirits expert, strategist, and beverage director at NYC’s The Jeffrey. Formerly with William Grant & Sons, Jacob specialized in curating impactful activations, developing strategic partnerships, and educating both industry professionals and consumers. Beyond the bar, he is committed to uplifting the bar community — mentoring emerging talent, fostering collaboration and creating opportunities for growth within the industry.
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