Colleen Graham

Colleen has spent over a decade bartending and writing about cocktails for The Spruce Eats and various outlets such as Maximum Yield's HydroLife and Bar None Drinks. Over this time, she has researched and reported on many aspects related to the art and practice of creating fine drinks.

This experience has allowed her to both rediscover classic cocktails and try modern drinks that have a culinary touch. She has also explored a variety of distilled spirits and ingredients and often goes behind-the-scenes with the talented characters of the hospitality and liquor industries. She and her husband Shannon operate S&C Design Studios, a commercial and fine art photography studio that specializes in beverage photography. 

Colleen received a degree in photojournalism from Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo, Iowa but was always drawn to the written word. A fascination with mixing drinks led her to study bartending as well. Over the years, she shared her skills by bartending for private parties and the two led to a career of writing about mixed drinks and cocktails.

Colleen has received certification through Pernod Ricard's BarSmarts training and attends cocktail seminars at events like Tales of the Cocktail and the San Antonio Cocktail Conference.

Awards and Publications

In 2012, Colleen's first book, "¡Hola Tequila!, Ninety Creative Cocktails and Inspired Shooters," was published; it was followed up by "Tequila: Cocktails With a Kick" in 2017. Both are a celebration of the headlining spirit, not only looking at tequila's history and production but also offering 90 cocktails and tips for setting up a tequila-centered bar.

In 2019, "Rosé Made Me Do It" was published by Harper Collins UK. In this book, Colleen shares 60 fun recipes featuring rosé wine, including frosés, sangrias, and cocktails that put a pink wine twist on favorite drinks. 

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