2025 USBG World Class Sponsored By DIAGEO Meet the Judges and Mentors

Andrew Meltzer 

Andrew Meltzer is an experience-driven bartender from San Francisco with a flair for technique and presentation. In 2016 he became the World Class U.S. Bartender of the Year, and he is a two-time food and cocktail pairing champion. Andrew managed the team at the destination bar 15 Romolo in San Francisco, was the beverage director at Noosh--an Eastern Mediterranean hotspot--and shook things up in London at Happiness Forgets. He’s currently consulting on new bars and restaurants, writing about hospitality, and expanding his beverage studies into the world of wine.

Meltzer is a leader in the bartending community. He spent five years working with the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the U.S. Bartenders’ Guild, where he served as President and Chairman of the Board of Directors. He’s explored cocktail culture all over the world and has been featured in publications such as Liquor.com, PUNCH, and The Beverage Journal. Andrew is passionate about advancing the bartending community through education and mentorship. A huge fan of tiki cocktails and spirit-forward whiskey drinks, you’ll find him drinking Daiquiris and Manhattans.

Anu Apte

Anu Apte is the sole proprietor of acclaimed Seattle cocktail den Rob Roy and co-owns award-winning bars, Trade Winds Tavern, Navy Strength, and Vinnie’s Wine Shop. Navy Strength won Best New American Cocktail Bar at Tales of the Cocktail in 2018. Among bartending across the globe and being included in hundreds of publications, in 2014 She was invited to present a cocktail at the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution for the 200th anniversary of the Star Spangled Banner. She has a Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Sciences from the University of Utah, has successfully tested for the BAR 5 Day program, is a Registered Yoga Instructor, and currently sits on many boards for groups that are changing the landscape of the hospitality industry. She recently completed a Post-Baccalaureate Program for Counseling and Psychology Professions through UC Berkeley intending to integrate mental health care systems into hospitality professions.

Kim Haasarud 

From her humble beginnings as a bartender in the 90’s in New York City to becoming James-Beard honored mixologist and author, Kim Haasarud has embraced innovation and hospitality throughout her work on hundreds of projects with clients ranging from hotel groups, restaurant chains, mixology bars, liquor brands, distributors and other beverage brands both domestically and internationally. Kim’s enthusiasm, professionalism, and easy-to-approach style have won her long-lasting client relationships with groups from drink development to on-site presentations, and opening bars. This year, she opened Garden Bar PHX and The Cocktail Collaborative (a hospitality workspace) in downtown Phoenix in addition to developing virtual tasting experiences for corporate groups. While her volunteer service started years ago, during the pandemic Kim helped raise and distribute over $US 10 Million to bartenders in the US in need through her Board of Directors role with the USBG National Charity Foundation and has performed weekly IG Live updates on behalf of the charity for over a year. Her work continues as a Foundation Board member and President of the United States Bartenders Guild. Kim is the author of the best-selling “101... “ cocktail series with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (101 Margaritas, 101 Martinis, 101 Sangrias & Pitcher Drinks, 101 Champagne Cocktails, 101 Blended Drinks, 101 Mojitos and other Muddled Drinks 101 Tropical Drinks and 101 Shots). Kim has been a featured presenter at Epcot’s “Food & Wine,” a judge on Iron Chef America, USBG World Class (Diageo), Bombay Sapphire’s Most Imaginative Bartender, San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and LA Spirits Competition. She has done guest appearances on the “The Today Show,” CBS’ “Early Morning Show,” “Fox & Friends Live”, “Sonoran Living” and “Your Life A to Z”. She has been featured on various radio programs including “Good Food” with Evan Kleiman, Martha Stewart’s “Everyday Food”, “Cosmo Radio” and ABC & CNN Radio syndicate. Her work has also been seen in dozens of print and social media outlets including the NY Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Imbibe, Saveur to name a few. She currently lives with her husband Kevin, two children Holden & Maddy, and miniature Australian Shepherd, Lucy, in Phoenix, AZ.

Leo Robitschek

As Vice President of Food and Beverage and Head of Bars at Sydell, Leo brings tremendous experience, leadership and creativity to the culinary and beverage programs across the Sydell portfolio. Working alongside Sydell since 2010 as NoMad’s Managing Partner of F&B and Bar Director at Make it Nice, Leo Robitschek has been responsible for developing and leading the cocktail programs and teams at all NoMad properties.

A native of Venezuela, he first began working in hospitality while attending the University of Miami, but it was upon moving to New York City where his appreciation for the craft of cocktails and food began to take focus. First joining Eleven Madison Park in 2005, he reinvented the cocktail program of the award-winning restaurant. Since the opening of the first NoMad hotel and Elephant Bar in New York in 2012, and the subsequent openings of NoMad properties in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and London, Leo has overseen all aspects of the cocktail programs and served as a leader to the beverage teams for the NoMad brand. During the pandemic, he and his team worked with World Central Kitchen to raise money and produce meals for people in need, focusing on the medical and hospitality industry. Leo also helped lead the Cocktail Apprentice Program at Tales of the Cocktail for 10 years, where he helped mentor 70 global bartenders yearly with a focus on teamwork, equity, and industry growth.

Leo and his team have been the recipients of numerous Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards, the James Beard Award for Outstanding Bar Program, as well as Best Bar in North America and #4 in the world on the list of 50 Best Bars in 2018. Leo is also the author of The NoMad Cocktail Book.

Tyson Buhler

After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Academy with a degree in Hospitality and Restaurant Management, Tyson Buhler worked in a number of Arizona's top bar programs before moving to New York in 2012 to bartend at world-renowned cocktail bar,  Death & Company. In 2015, Buhler took home the honor of US Bartender of the Year in Diageo's World Class cocktail competition. Tyson is National Food & Beverage Director for Gin & Luck with a focus on creative development and training, overseeing Death & Company properties in NYC, Denver, Los Angeles, and Washington DC, as well as various consulting and management projects. Tyson currently lives with his fiancé Shel and puppy Ferris in Lawrence, KS.

T.Cole Newton 

T. Cole Newton is the owner of the bars Twelve Mile Limit and the Domino in New Orleans, where he lives with his fiancee and son. Cole has served as President of the United States Bartenders’ Guild and is currently Board Secretary of the New Orleans Women and Children’s Shelter. Cole’s book, Cocktail Dive Bar: Real Drinks, Fake History, and Questionable Advice from New Orleans’s Twelve Mile Limit, was a national release by Running Press in 2021.

Patrick Abalos

Patrick Abalos, owner of Not Too Sweet Ventures and partner in Swizzle Media, is a New Mexico native and a 17+ year food and beverage industry veteran based in Houston, Texas. He has worked in food and beverage in free standing bar/restaurants and hotel concepts having overseen the development of multiple beverage programs. Some of his milestones have been opening his formerly owned award winning bar called Night Shift, running a 700 room resort beverage program, opening a hotel and several restaurants, and finally consulting at local concepts and hospitality groups in the Houston market through his company Not Too Sweet, He is an active member and former president/chairman of the Houston USBG chapter and has been heavily involved in the competitive bartending scene. He is an active collective member in USBG Presents World Class Sponsored by DIAGEO having been a Regional and National Finalist. In 2023, he launched his new company Swizzle Media LLC focused on digital content for the food and beverage industry. 

Allison Buchanan

Allison Buchanan grew up on the Big Island of Hawaii, where she got her penchants for tropical flavors. Her love affair with bars and restaurants began when she moved to Manhattan in 2000. After a few years in the city, she began traveling. She lived in Budapest, London, Bogota, and more. And she used her bartending skills wherever she went. Eventually, she ended up in Denver where she began working at Williams & Graham. That was her home bar for almost 6 years until moving to a Nobu restaurant. This change allowed for an earlier bedtime and also brought her back into the world of food and wine, which she loves as much as she does cocktails. Nowadays, she bartends lots of private parties that allow full creativity and usually have a great crowd of people. She feels lucky to be part of this world.

Chris Cardone

Chris Cardone has over 24 years of bartending, hospitality, and nightlife experience. He has trained, opened, and consulted for multiple restaurants, cocktail bars, nightclubs and a bartending school in New York. He has helped design, build, and remodel bars on Long Island and New York City.

Chris is the 2017 National Champion of Diageo World Class, the world's largest global mixology competition, as well as a three time national finalist (2014, 2016 & 2017). Chris finished Top 5 in the world at Diageo World Class Global Finals 2017.  Since 2018, Chris has presented across the US for World Class Educational Studios and judged both the regional and national finals.  In 2015, Chris also finished in the top 3 in the Amaro Montenegro National Finals at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans.

Chris is also a 4-time national flair bartending finalist. Chris has organized and judged bartending competitions of all styles all over the world since 2004 and has appeared on a number of television networks including NBC, ABC, CBS, Spike TV, The Food Network, USA Network, E-Television and the Travel Channel. His work has been featured in the NY Times, Newsday, New York Magazine, Beverage Media, Wine Enthusiast and Chilled Magazine.

Meaghan Dorman

Meaghan Dorman is currently the Bar Director & partner of New York City's Raines Law Room (2009), Raines Law Room at the William (2014), Dear Irving (2014) and Dear Irving on Hudson (2019).  The bars have become essential cocktail stops in NYC, and received recognition from World's 50 Best: North America, Tales of the Cocktail and Esquire Magazine's ""Best Bars"". A passionate teambuilder and creative force, Meaghan was a Top 4 finalist for 2022 Tales of the Cocktail Best American Bar Mentor.  Meaghan was named Imbibe Magazine 2016 ""Bartender of the Year"" and has been profiled by the New York Times for the unique success of her venues. She was a finalist in the 2013 International G'Vine Gin Connoisseur Program, taking home the ""Best Technical Skills"" award. Meaghan was a 2013 inductee in TOTC's Dames Hall of Fame and co-founded the annual TOTC Catalyst Luncheon. A supporter of charity-focused hospitality events, Meaghan is a veteran judge and volunteer for Speed Rack and Spirits Chair of Citymeals on Wheel's Chef's Tribute annual fundraiser.  Tenets of Meaghan's bar programs are consistency & collaboration, leading to dynamic teams and nightly bar magic. 

Adam Fournier

Adam "George" Fournier has been a hospitality professional for over 15 years. Getting his start in Los Angeles with renowned bar programs like Areal, Old Lightning, The Chestnut Club, Faith & Flower, and The NoMad LA, he worked his way up from bartender, to bar manager, and now Bar Director. As of 2023 Fournier is thrilled to be the first ever Bar Director for Spago Beverly Hills with Wolfgang Puck. He seeks to continue to guide the iconic restaurant into the next decade of its evolution, making sure it stays on the forefront of current drinking trends, while always respecting what is iconic and classic about Spago. 

As an avid bartending competition entrant Adam has been a USA national finalist for multiple competitions including: Heaven Hill's Bartender of the Year, Chivas Master's, Remy Martin Sidecar Competition, and Herradura Legends. In 2021 he achieved a career dream becoming the Diageo World Class US Bartender of the Year and finishing in the Top Five globally. He is also an advocate for mindful drinking and was named one of the Imbibe 75 for his non-alcoholic beverage program. He is also a writer, presenter, and educator leading in-person events and writing for multiple publications on drinking and drinking trends. Fournier is a true hospitality lifer, and likes nothing more than to nerd out with guests about spirits, books, or anything else that might come his way.

Harrison Ginsberg 

Harrison Ginsberg developed his passion for the restaurant industry like many of his peers... in the dish pit at an Italian joint. Harrison continued his restaurant education at Johnson & Wales. During school, Harrison bartended at Cook & Brown and The Dorrance in Providence, Rhode Island. He moved to Chicago in 2013 to pursue a career behind the bar, landing a job on the opening team at The Dawson. Harrison returned to his home state of New York in 2016 to help open BlackTail, while also bartending at The Dead Rabbit. In 2019, he joined the team at 70 Pine to lead the bar program at Crown Shy. In the intervening years, his purview has grown to include the beverage programs at SAGA and Overstory.

Harrison has participated in the national finals for Bols Around the World (2nd place), Bacardi Legacy 2014 (Midwest Finalist), Grand Marnier Grand Masters 2015 (Winner), Diageo World Class 2015 & 2017 (National Finalist), and Heaven Hill's 2018 Bartender of the Year (Winner).

Charles Joly

Charles Joly is a global bartending champion, James Beard Award winning beverage designer, content contributor, speaker and philanthropic enthusiast. With over 20 years in the hospitality industry, he has helped to usher in the modern age of the cocktail, while showcasing his talents at premier world events such as the Oscars, Emmys, Grammy's, Sundance, Kentucky Derby and beverage leadership summits including Tales of the Cocktail, Diageo World Class and Berlin Bar Convent.

As first and only American to achieve a win at World Class sponsored by Diageo, Charles is dedicated to cultivating and educating today's bartenders and dedicates his time globally to participate in spirited competitions. With culinary roots planted deeply as former beverage director at the famed Aviary in Chicago, Charles' talents earned him ""Top 10 Most Influential Bartenders"" by Bon Appetite. In 2014 he launched his own brand, Crafthouse Cocktails. True, bottled cocktails designed to make high quality, unpretentious beverages accessible and bring people together to celebrate. A partnership with Fortessa Tableware Solutions has delivered a functional and stunning line of bar tools and glassware for the home bartender and professional alike found in Williams Sonoma in 2021 Charles partnered with the team from Abstract Ice to bring craft ice to cocktail enthusiasts and bars. Look for Charles' new bar, The Riff Raff Club, at the Virgin Hotel in NYC coming Summer 2024.

A native of Chicago's South Side, Charles readily partners with charities dear to him including No Kid Hungry/Taste of the Nation, Meals On Wheels, Habitat For Humanity and rescue animal organizations. When he's not mixing up cocktails, Charles is spending time with his rescue pittie, Jackson (#AdoptDontShop), scouring vintage and flea markets for buried treasure that he shares on his Instagram account @TellTailVintage and trying to keep his many house plants alive.

Frankly Marshall

Franky Marshall  is an internationally recognized Bartender, cocktail creator, educator, speaker, spirit and cocktail competition judge, and event host. She has worked at such notable New York City establishments as Dead Rabbit, Clover Club, Holiday Cocktail Lounge, and Le Boudoir Brooklyn where she earned acclaim in her role as Bar Director & Head Atmosphere Curator. 

franky was nominated for Tales of the Cocktail's Top 10 Best U.S. Bar Mentor, twice for U.S. Bartender of the Year, and was inducted into the Dame Hall of Fame (now Catalyst). As the former Vice-President of the USBGNY, she volunteered her time to focus on education and mentorship. She continues to give back in many ways, and is currently a Co-Chair of the TOTCF Education Committee. 

franky's accreditations include Certified Cognac / Pineau des Charentes Educator, CMS I, WSET II Wine, DO Cava & Armagnac Academies, and BAR 5-Day, where she is also part of the faculty. 

A multi-hyphenate, franky has hosted North America's 50 Best Bars ceremonies,  judged competitions around the globe, presented at international bar shows, contributed spirits reviews to industry publications, and developed cocktails across categories. Highly sought after for her opinions, her unique insights have been featured in numerous books and various media. 

Laura Newman 

Laura Newman is a Brooklyn-based beverage consultant and writer. 

Beginning her beverage career in New York City, Laura worked at bars and restaurants such as Dover, Bergen Hill, Bacchanal, Sweet Polly, and Overthrow Hospitality, and served as the associate beverage director for the award-winning bars Mother of Pearl and Cienfuegos. When she wasn't behind the stick, she was the Brooklyn brand ambassador for St-Germain. 

After moving to Birmingham, Alabama in the spring of 2017, Laura opened her first bar, Queen's Park, in November 2018, featuring a menu of forgotten and not-so-familiar classic cocktails. Queen's Park received numerous accolades and awards, including placing in the top 10 ""Best New American Cocktail Bars"" at the 2019 Spirited Awards. Laura opened her second bar, Neon Moon, in February 2021. Laura moved back to New York City in 2024 after the successful sale of her hospitality group.

Laura is a Certified Sommelier by the Court of Master Sommeliers, has a degree in hospitality management from the Institute of Culinary Education, served in the Cocktail Apprentice Program at Tales 2016, and has presented at numerous industry events and seminars, such as Tales of the Cocktail and the Nightclub and Bar Show.

She and her work have been featured in publications such as The Daily, Time Out New York, The Wall Street Journal, People Magazine, Food & Wine, Southern Living, and Liquor.com. She has also been featured in books such as Maggie Hoffman's The One Bottle Cocktail and Dave Nitzel's Hospitality DNA. 

Will Pasternak

Will Pasternak is a bartender with 16 years of hospitality experience. In NYC he has worked at Blacktail, Dead Rabbit, and Existing Conditions. He has also been competing in and judging cocktail competitions since 2015.

Jessi Pollak 

Jessi Pollak is the Beverage Director for Soigne Hospitality based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is a leader in the Midwest bartending community, mentoring and educating the next generation of bartending professionals and advocating for more environmentally sustainable bar practices. Under her leadership, Spoon and Stable was named a Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards Regional 10 Honoree. In 2022, she was crowned USBG Presents World Class sponsored by Diageo "US Bartender of the Year," competing with her peers on a national stage. She then went on to earn a spot in the Top 10 Finals at the 2022 World Class Global Finals in Sydney, Australia. She received the Beverage Alcohol Resource (BAR-5) "Bar Ready" certification and is one of the highest-scoring graduates of the BarSmarts Advanced program. She has served as a mentor for Tales of the Cocktail's Cocktail Apprentice Program three times and has judged cocktail competitions around the country. Her recipes have appeared in Difford's Guide, the Daily Beast, and Chilled Magazine.

Julie Reiner

Julie Reiner is the co-founder of world-renowned cocktail bars, Clover Club and Leyenda in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, Milady's in Soho NYC, and the author of The Craft Cocktail Party: Delicious Drinks for Every Occasion.  Julie has been elevating the cocktail scene in NYC for 25 years starting with her first bar Flatiron Lounge (2003) followed by The Pegu Club (2005), which she opened with Audrey Saunders.  Julie along with Tom Macy launched Social Hour Cocktails in 2020, a premium canned cocktail line.  Most recently, Julie was featured as a judge on the Netflix show, Drink Masters.

Katie Renshaw

Katie Renshaw is a bartender in Chicago, where her passion for cocktails drove her to leave her "day job" to seek mentorship behind the bar; to her parents dismay, she never looked back. Her true love for bartending accelerated her career at a rapid rate, and her creativity led her to fast success. She's bartended at some of Chicago's top bars including Moneygun, GreenRiver, Billy Sunday, and The Office at Aviary. She has also seen success in several national bartending competitions: most notably, winning the title of 2019 US World Class Bartender of the Year. She currently leads the team at Hawksmoor Chicago as their lead bartender, and executes innovative cocktail pop-ups in her spare time.

Jonathan Staynard 

Jonathan is an experienced industry professional with over 25 years in the field. He is the head of The Bitter Gringo Co., which specializes in consultations, content creation, and education. In 2022, Jonathan was awarded the title of World's Best Margarita in the Cointreau Margarita Challenge. In 2024, he earned the World Class US Bartender of the Year title at the National Finals. Jonathan continues to pursue his passion for hospitality by creating cocktail menus, hosting events, and sharing his knowledge with the community.

Renato Tonelli

Renato Tonelli, also known as the 'Sustainable Bartender,' has traveled and worked around the world. He is currently on a mission to train and teach bartenders more sustainable techniques and practices to improve the quality of drinks while reducing food waste in the industry.

In the summer of 2023, he won the United States World Class Competition and flew to Sao Paolo, Brazil to represent the U.S. in the Global Finals, making it to the Final Top 12 in the world.

He currently works at Dante NYC as the Beverage Training Director for all locations, focusing on menu creation and staff training. Although he is in a management role, he can occasionally be found working behind the bar making cocktails and serving guests.