Bartenders and hospitality types get to see a broad swathe of humanity at their finest and at their worst — and pick up a lot of stories along the way. Hospitality at its best is also often a storytelling experience, and some of the best storytellers work in the industry. But what if you want to take it further, and get into writing about drinks and bars and the stories that come from that well? Well this episode is one for you. My guest is Holly Graham, she’s someone whose writing about the bar world I admire a lot, and she’s become one of Asia’s — if not the world’s — most trusted authorities on all things drinks and bars and booze. She’s the managing editor for DRiNK Magazine, She’s an academy chair for both the World’s 50 Best Bars and Asia’s 50 Best Bars, and just this past week was named at number 7 on Drinks International’s Bar 100 list of the most influential global bar figures.  She’s also just written and published her first book, called Cocktails of Asia.

So in this episode Holly talks about how she came to be a drinks and bars writer, how she not only came up with the idea for her book, but what’s involved in pulling it together, getting out there, and promoting as well. She’ll also tell us whether or not it’s wise to expect to make any money from writing a book. Holly also shares her advice for anyone wanting to get into writing, and why a passion for your subject is so important. 

Cocktails of Asia:

https://www.manmomedia.com/product/cocktails-of-asia-regional-recipes-and-the-spirited-stories-behind-them/

DRiNK Magazine:

https://www.drinkmagazine.asia