About Me

I’m a multi-faceted spirits professional, with expertise in various alcohol- and bar-related arenas.

Most notably, I’m a distinguished writer, editor and content manager, specialising in drinks and, occasionally, the sister subjects of travel and food. In addition, I’m an educator and edutainer, teaching spirits theory and systematic tasting as well as offering a fun but informative masterclasses and drinks-centric corporate team-building activities.

I also judge bars, spirits and cocktails professionally, and lend my expertise to a number of industry panels, including The World’s 50 Best Bars.

Finally, I’m a global cocktail-and-liquor consultant; here, I specialise in competitions and awards; brand positioning and tone; and trade marketing, but I also provide general industry insight and advice.

To find out more about each of these pillars, see my ‘Services’ page, or hit the ‘Work with Me’ Button to shoot me a mail.

Mentions

In the media

The New York Times logo

A New Cocktail Festival Puts the Spotlight on Africa

IWSC announces shortlist for 2024 Spirits Communicator Trophy

Nominations open for the inaugural Bar & Beverage awards

New 50 Best Chair Announced

Cape brandy takes centre stage

Rise of Rum

Bar Unity: How bartending is helping a Cape Town community

2023 Bar & Beverage Awards SA winners announced

Five questions to fight back the crisis

THE FUTURE OF THE COCKTAIL

9 Cocktail Trends for 2022

We are Women, Hear Us Pour

Local rums impress at SA Rum Awards

SA'S BEST AT THE BAR AWARDS 2019

Label Award Judges

Meet the SA Bar Awards 2020 winners

Awards Wrap

What’s in a name?

Island Spirit

KWV Brandy Reimagined

The unrivalled excellence of SA brandy

First SA Bar and Beverage Awards to recognise the best in local

2023 Bar & Beverage Awards SA winners announced

 

NOMINATIONS & AWARDS

2024 Mentor of the YearSouth African Bar & Beverage Awards

2024 Finalist Giving BackFoodXX Awards

2024 #49 100 Most Influential Global Bar FiguresBar World 100

2024 Top 4 Best Upliftment Programme or Initiative (SIS)South African Bar & Beverage Awards

2023 Top 4 Spirits Communicator of the YearInternational Wine & Spirits Competition

2023 Bar Communicator of the YearSouth African Bar & Beverage Awards

2023 Best Upliftment Programme or Initiative (SIS)South African Bar & Beverage Awards

2023 Top 4 Mentor of the YearSouth African Bar & Beverage Awards

2023 Top 4 Best Brand Campaign (Bobbejaan Herbal Liqueur)South African Bar & Beverage Awards

2023 #60 100 Most Influential Global Bar FiguresBar World 100

2022 #52 100 Most Influential Global Bar FiguresBar World 100

2022 Top 10 Best Cocktail & Spirits WritingTales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards

2021 Scholarship RecipientWomen of the Vine & Spirits

2021 Scholarship RecipientWine & Spirit Education Trust

2020 Top 20 Most Influential Cocktail Personalities in South AfricaDrinksFeed

2020 Media Contributor of the YearSouth African BAR Awards

2020 Top 4 Women in AlcoholFoodXX Awards

2020 Top 4 Giving BackFoodXX Awards

2019 Media Contributor of the YearSouth African BAR Awards

2018 Social Media AwardKWV Futurists Cocktail Competition

2016 Commendable Sites AwardAwwwards

2013 Chutzpah AwardAssociated Media Publishing

2012 Philip Tyler Trophy AwardPICA Awards

2011 Sefika Booksellers’ Choice AwardSA Booksellers Association & Publishers' Association of SA

2010 Book of the Year AwardRandom House Struik

2009Shortlist Book of the YearRandom House Struik

2009 Shortlist Wordsmith of the YearNew Holland Publishers

TESTIMONIALS