I am an award-winning spirits & cocktail journalist, book author, and photographer reporting on global drinking cultures.
As the Trump administration continues its mass deportation campaign, hospitality workers around the country are preparing for the worst.
I wrote about a handful of tequilas made by producers fighting to preserve tradition and sense of place.
Read more of my work for PUNCH, including a piece on Japanese-style cocktail bars in NYC, an ethical guide for sourcing mezcal, and more.
For Wirecutter, I recommended 12 additive-free blanco tequilas that are made in a way that speaks to tradition and terroir.
I am the USA Midwest Academy Chair for The World’s 50 Best Bars, and also write articles for the organization.
Most tequila brands use undisclosed additives, but one couple from Guadalajara is changing that.
In 2025, The Bartender’s Pantry won the JBFA for Best Beverage Book with Recipes and Best New Cocktail or Bartending Book from Tales of the Cocktail.
I was interviewed by writer Beth Demmon about the nuances of how mezcal is made for Food & Wine magazine.
My TOTC award-winning story for Eater on why ancestral producers are increasingly ditching the term “mezcal” to preserve their culture.
Stephen Lyman and I spoke about the intersections between two fascinating spirits: agave spirits and shochu.
I have been featured in Drinks International magazine’s Bar World 100 list of the industry’s most influential figures since 2023.
I was featured alongside other notable industry figures in this PUNCH story.
My story on the use of tequila additives was named one of the most popular of the decade for PUNCH.
Writer Kate Bernot interviewed me for her story on the rise of American-made agave spirits for Craft Spirits Magazine.
Jess and Josh from Bartender’s Atlas featured me in their ongoing series of interviews with the industry’s best and brightest.
Tess Lampert interviewed me for the “in their words” series, which puts a spotlight on notable figures in the agave spirits world.
Abraham Rivera interviewed me for this story about the rise of mezcal for Spanish publication El País.
My first personal essay for Good Beer Hunting was nominated as a finalist for an IACP award in 2023.
Born in Texas but currently living in the Midwest, Emma Janzen is a true nomad at heart. Driven by a ceaseless curiosity for finding out exactly what it means to be “from” or “of” a place, she combines thorough research with detailed on-the-ground reporting and transportive storytelling to put readers squarely in the middle of the action with every story. When she’s not co-authoring a bartending book, she typically writes articles about terroir-driven spirits made around the world (think agave, shochu, amaro, etc) and outstanding bar programs.
