Spirits writers, marketers and designers are among the most influential forces in the spirits industry. Their opinions, ideas and creative talents inform and influence consumer perceptions and buying decisions.
The John Barleycorn Society was started by a group of spirits journalists seeking to honor excellence in all facets of the industry. The journalists spent several years creating a comprehensive competition that became the John Barleycorn Awards.
An elite team of authoritative and influential spirits journalists was selected to administer the flagship component of the Awards, a double-blind tasting competition destined to become the preeminent arbitrator of spirits taste, quality and character.
John McCarthy
Spirits Journalist
John McCarthy is co-founder and Director of Judging for The John Barleycorn Society. John is the former Senior Managing Editor and alcohol aficionado at Men’s Health magazine. Today, John travels the world in search of intelligence and incredible stories about the world’s finest spirits, wine, and cocktails, and works as a mixologist when not on the road; you can check out his work at Forbes, Men’s Health, Maxim, JW Marriott magazine, Bourbon+ and Gear Patrol.
📸: @ebruyildiz
Leslie Sbrocco
Author, Speaker, Consultant, and Television Host,
Leslie Sbrocco is one of the most awarded and renowned spirits journalists in the world. Leslie is a three-time Emmy winner, James Beard Award winner, author, speaker, consultant and television personality. In addition to a prolific book and magazine writing career, Leslie is the long-time host of the PBS series Check Please! a regular guest on NBC’s Today Show, and frequently appears on CNN, QVC and the Hallmark Channel.
John D. McCarthy
Spirits Journalist
John D. McCarthy is a big-time mixologist and YouTube regular who has created bar programs for establishments in New York, Nantucket, and beyond. Together with his wife, Carey Jones, Johnny-Mac is the co-author of “Liquor Cabinet Roulette,” a weekly spirits column for the home bartender on the Food & Wine website; as well as the book Be Your Own Bartender: A Surefire Guide to Finding (and Making) Your Perfect Cocktail (2018).
Carey Jones
Spirits Journalist
Carey Jones is a food and spirits writer for publications including Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, and Vogue. Co-author of Be Your Own Bartender: A Surefire Guide to Finding (and Making) Your Perfect Cocktail (2018) Brooklyn Bartender (2016). She previously served as managing editor of the James Beard Award-winning Serious Eats.
Clay Whittaker is a prolific freelance culture and lifestyle writer. His work has been featured in some of the top print and digital publications like Esquire, Maxim, Men’s Journal, Southern Living, Popular Science, NBC, NPR, The Daily Beast, Playboy and Bourbon+. His media resume also includes assistant editor and tasting coordinator for Cigar Aficionado and editor at large for the Bourbon Review.
Jack Robertiello
Spirits Journalist, Consultant
Jack Robertiello is an internationally known spirits writer and speaker with years of competition judging experience. Jack makes his living writing for Beverage Media Group as well as teaching private classes and seminars on tasting spirits, and consulting for producers, importers, marketers and publicists.
Tony Sachs
Spirits Journalist
Tony Sachs has been writing about spirits, cocktails, bars and the boozy life in general since 2007 for the Huffington Post, Robb Report, Serious Eats, Whisky Advocate, Liquor.com, and Esquire. Tony has judged cocktail competitions for several brands, including Jack Daniel's, Stoli Elit, and Chivas Regal. Tony is a member in good standing of the Bourbon Roundtable, which periodically meets to help select batches of Booker's Bourbon for release.
Susie O.
Spirits Journalist
Susie is a freelance cocktail, spirits, food, and travel writer coming to us from Dallas, Texas ... or wherever her travels take her. Susie is the founder of SusieDrinks.com and TheJetsweater.com, contributes to Bevvy, the Dallas Observer, D Magazine, Where Magazine, and Texas Lifestyle Magazine, and runs her own social media consulting agency. But she's never too busy to dive into "research" for her articles, because the perfect Gibson isn't going to find itself.
Who is John Barleycorn?
Since the first distiller started experimenting with various grains and techniques, many a would-be artisan has searched for the elusive combination that would produce a spirit hailed for its perfect taste and flawless presentation.For half a century, this quest has been illuminated in poems, stories and lyrics penned by the likes of Robert Burns, Jack London and Steve Winwood. Their protagonist, John Barleycorn, is a metaphor for the indignation, suffering, death and rebirth in the cyclical nature of planting, growing, harvesting and distillation.John Barleycorn has been revered for centuries. But he has never seen anything like what is happening now. A new generation of marketing is igniting demand for historic brands, varieties, new flavors, craft cocktails and small distilleries that are popping up throughout the world. John Barleycorn has emerged from the fields and taverns to a worldwide economic catalyst providing millions of jobs and billions of dollars in annual economic activity.
"John Barleycorn's inhibition rises like a wall betweenone's immediate desires and long-learned morality."
