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    • How to Make Cannabis Cocktails at Home
      How to Make Cannabis Cocktails at Home
    • 23 St. Patrick’s Day Cocktails to Celebrate the Holiday
      23 St. Patrick’s Day Cocktails to Celebrate the Holiday
    • 6 New Irish Whiskeys to Drink Now
      6 New Irish Whiskeys to Drink Now
  • Drinks With
    • How Plymouth Gin Master Distiller Sean Harrison Restored the Iconic Brand
      How Plymouth Gin Master Distiller Sean Harrison Restored the Iconic Brand
    • Jim Meehan on Cocktail Books, Punch, and Knowing Your History
      Jim Meehan on Cocktail Books, Punch, and Knowing Your History
    • Dante’s Naren Young on Good Martinis, Bad Martinis, and “Owning” the Negroni
      Dante’s Naren Young on Good Martinis, Bad Martinis, and “Owning” the Negroni
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    • Barcelona’s Paradiso Is Crowned Best Bar in the World
      Barcelona’s Paradiso Is Crowned Best Bar in the World
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      The 21 Best Cocktail Bars in Boston
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      The 13 Best Bars in Portland, Maine
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      The Best Irish Whiskey Under $50
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      The Best Rums Under $30 for the Aspiring Rum Enthusiast
    • The Best Single Malt Scotch to Drink Now
      The Best Single Malt Scotch to Drink Now
  • Ruminations
    • Navy Rum and the Black Tot, 50 Years Later
      Navy Rum and the Black Tot, 50 Years Later
    • A Renegade Rum Maker Rises in Grenada
      A Renegade Rum Maker Rises in Grenada
    • Angostura Rums Are Nothing to Be Bitter About
      Angostura Rums Are Nothing to Be Bitter About
  • Life in Spirits
    • How Barrel Aging Affects Whiskey and Other Spirits
      How Barrel Aging Affects Whiskey and Other Spirits
    • Three Steps to Avoiding Hangovers
      Three Steps to Avoiding Hangovers
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      How to Stay Healthy When You Drink for a Living
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    • 23 St. Patrick’s Day Cocktails to Celebrate the Holiday
      23 St. Patrick’s Day Cocktails to Celebrate the Holiday
    • 18 Holiday Cocktails for Festive Winter Drinking
      18 Holiday Cocktails for Festive Winter Drinking
    • 20 Easy Labor Day Cocktail Recipes
      20 Easy Labor Day Cocktail Recipes
  • Events
    • Attending (or Watching) the U.S. Open? You Need the Honey Deuce Cocktail
      Attending (or Watching) the U.S. Open? You Need the Honey Deuce Cocktail
    • The Casa Dragones Bartender Exchange Program Brings Talented Bartenders to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
      The Casa Dragones Bartender Exchange Program Brings Talented Bartenders to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
    • All the 2022 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards Winners
      All the 2022 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards Winners
Matt Pietrek

Matt Pietrek

Matt Pietrek began his cocktail wonkery in 2007 with a modest home bar that soon grew out of control. Pietrek excels at making complex topics accessible and fun. From the chemistry of fermentation to spirit regulations, from cocktail recipes to rum history, he casts a wide net over little known and overlooked topics. Penning works for books, magazines, and his CocktailWonk.com site, Pietrek was named a finalist for Best Cocktail & Spirits Writer at the 2018 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards, as well as Saveur magazine's Best Drinks Blog. Rum is a particular passion, and he serves as the Community Envoy for the West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers Association. With his wife, Carrie, he recently published Minimalist Tiki: A Cocktail Wonk Look at Classic Libations and the Modern Tiki Vanguard, as well as a book about the history of British rum. Now based in New Orleans, he can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as @cocktailwonk, or maybe on the barstool next to you.

black tot day
News, Occasions, Rum, Ruminations, SpiritsJul 20, 2020Jul 20, 2020

Navy Rum and the Black Tot, 50 Years Later

By Matt Pietrek

Rum expert Matt Pietrek goes back in history to break down naval rum rations and Black Tot Day, which occurred July 31, 1970.

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Renegade Rum
Distilleries, Rum, Ruminations, SpiritsJul 6, 2020Jul 6, 2020

A Renegade Rum Maker Rises in Grenada

By Matt Pietrek

Grenada’s Renegade Rum distillery is harnessing the power of terroir.

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Distilleries, Drinks, Rum, Ruminations, SpiritsMay 6, 2020May 6, 2020

Angostura Rums Are Nothing to Be Bitter About

By Matt Pietrek

Their bitters have been famous for over a century, but Angostura is also among the largest rum makers in the world.

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El Dorado Single Still Range
Drinks, Rum, Ruminations, SpiritsMar 24, 2020Mar 24, 2020

Guyana Makes Liquid Gold at Demerara Distillers

By Matt Pietrek

Some of the world’s best rum comes from the small South American country of Guyana.

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Alexandre Gabriel, Maison Ferrand
People, Rum, Ruminations, SpiritsJan 17, 2020Jan 17, 2020

Plantation’s Alexandre Gabriel on Rum’s Past and Future

By Matt Pietrek

Alexandre Gabriel has been in the spirits industry for more than 30 years. Here he talks about rum innovations and his philosophies on making spirits.

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People, Rum, Ruminations, SpiritsAug 13, 2019Aug 13, 2019

Talking Rum With Spiribam’s Benjamin Jones

By Matt Pietrek

Over the past 15 years, Benjamin Jones has worked tirelessly to bring Martinique rhum agricole to North American consumers by way of the Rhum Clément and Rhum J.M brands.

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Luca Gargano
Drinks With, People, Rum, RuminationsDec 20, 2018Dec 20, 2018

Rum Expert Luca Gargano on Truth in Labeling and Tropical Aging

By Matt Pietrek

Part two of our interview series with outspoken rum legend Luca Gargano.

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Luca Gargano
Drinks With, People, Rum, RuminationsNov 27, 2018Nov 27, 2018

On the Record With Rum Legend Luca Gargano

By Matt Pietrek

One-on-one with Luca Gargano, the Italian owner of Velier SpA and the world’s foremost rum collector.

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what is navy rum?
Rum, Ruminations, SpiritsSep 4, 2018Sep 4, 2018

What Exactly Is Navy Rum?

By Matt Pietrek

Marketers don’t make it easy, but we’re breaking down what you need to know about navy style and navy strength rums.

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best rums under 30
Buying Guide, Drinks, Rum, RuminationsAug 16, 2018Aug 16, 2018

The Best Rums Under $30 for the Aspiring Rum Enthusiast

By Matt Pietrek

Resident Rum Master Matt Pietrek recommends the best bottles under $30.

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cask finished rum
Rum, Ruminations, SpiritsAug 7, 2018Aug 7, 2018

Cask Finished Rums: Great Idea or Gimmick?

By Matt Pietrek

There are many directions a brand can take when looking to make something unique. Add “cask finishing” to that list.

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rum vs rhum
Drinks, Rum, Ruminations, SpiritsJun 26, 2018Jun 26, 2018

Rum, Rhum, Ron: What’s the Difference? – Part 2

By Matt Pietrek

The next chapter in rum expert Matt Pietrek’s treatise on cane spirits.

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Drinks, Rum, Ruminations, SpiritsMay 29, 2018May 29, 2018

Rum, Rhum, Ron: What’s the Difference?

By Matt Pietrek

Sugar cane spirits go by many names and come in many varieties.

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rum sidecar cocktail
Cocktails, Drinks, Rum, RuminationsApr 18, 2018Apr 18, 2018

Rum-ify the Classic Sidecar Cocktail

By Matt Pietrek

Rethink the classic Sidecar cocktail by swapping out cognac for rum.

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Caipirinha
Drinks, Rum, Ruminations, SpiritsMar 22, 2018Mar 22, 2018

Rhum Agricole vs. Cachaça: Clearing Up the Canefusion

By Matt Pietrek

Our resident Rum Master explores what makes these two cane juice-based spirits unique.

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filtered rums
Rum, Ruminations, SpiritsFeb 20, 2018Feb 20, 2018

Why Do Rum Makers Filter Their Rums?

By Matt Pietrek

The how and why of filtering rum, and what it means for the drinker.

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best blended rums
Drinks, Rum, Ruminations, SpiritsJan 10, 2018Jan 10, 2018

In Praise of Blended Rums

By Matt Pietrek

Bevvy’s Resident Rum Master sings the praises of blended rums and recommends five bottles to try now.

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rum old-fashioned
Cocktails, Drinks, Rum, RuminationsDec 6, 2017Dec 6, 2017

Choosing the Best Rum for Old-Fashioneds

By Matt Pietrek

For a different yet equally delicious take on the classic Old-Fashioned, reach for a bottle of rum.

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cak finished rum
Buying Guide, Drinks, Rum, Ruminations, SpiritsOct 10, 2017Oct 10, 2017

Buying Your First Premium Rum Without Getting Duped or Disappointed

By Matt Pietrek

Pro tips for scoring a good bottle of rum based on your drinking preferences.

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rum tasting
Drinks, Rum, Ruminations, SpiritsSep 11, 2017Sep 11, 2017

The Global Grass Roots Efforts to Rehabilitate Rum’s Reputation

By Matt Pietrek

Meet the hardworking advocates who are pushing rum’s reputation forward.

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