Damon Boelte is co-owner of Brooklyn, New York's award winning cocktail bar, Grand Army, as well as the experiential specialist for the California Brandy House in Napa, California. Previously, Boelte was the global brand ambassador for Brooklyn Gin, and the senior portfolio manager for Branca USA in Southern California. He has been a major fixture in the New York City mixology community for almost two decades, has won multiple awards in broadcast journalism as the creator and host of The Speakeasy here on Heritage Radio Network, and is a contributing cocktail and spirits writer for Bon Appetit, Conde Nast Traveler, Wired, Eater, and many others. He has consulted on countless spirits, wine, and beer brands as well as bar, restaurant, and hotel projects, and has used his background in graphic design and communications arts to brand & re-brand companies along the way. He currently lives in Marin County, California, where he plays music and cruises the coastal highways.