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Emma Janzen

@emmajanzen

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New book: @theclassiccocktailsessions
@beardfoundation🏅x3
@50bestbars USA Midwest Chair 🍸
Chicago-based; but there’s @nowheretostaybuteverywhere 🌎📸✈️

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So proud of this. So proud of @yevans007 (!) and @non_barnary (!!!) and everyone else who made the long list and the short list this year. I see you doing what you can to change the world and I’m so honored to stand next to you. Congrats all around!

This nomination isn’t just about me. It’s for everyone who carved out time to share their vulnerable stories. It’s for Mary Anne at PUNCH, who gave me the green light without hesitation when no other publications were touching the subject. It’s especially for Tiffany Hernandez, who inspired me to do more than just write about what’s going on. It’s risky to do these things under this administration. I’m grateful for every piece that came together to make the story happen.

See yall in NOLA, where I’ll be joining @shiftchangetour for events and activations from Sunday-Wednesday. Please come see us and learn about how you can also go from “I wish I could do more” to actually doing more, no matter what skills you have to bring to the table. There’s space for you! 🙌🏻 by @emmajanzen

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2 months ago

Let’s get straight to the point: Right now, the hospitality industry is facing a powerful and enduring threat due to the government’s increased immigration enforcement policies. Across the country, hospitality workers feel hesitant to come to work (regardless of their immigration status), and some businesses are at risk of closing entirely. There hasn’t been this urgent need for support since the COVID-19 pandemic.

To rise to the challenge of this moment, we’re launching The Shift Change Tour, a multi-city engagement featuring two events per city.

The first, a “lunch and learn” seminar on constitutional rights, bystander/observer training, first aid, and de-escalation techniques, to prepare bartenders for crises of all kinds.

The second, a cocktail pop-up to raise awareness and funds for local immigration rights organizations and community relief efforts.

This tour is a partnership between bartenders from Meteor in Minneapolis and Escuelitas, a Denver-based 501c3 nonprofit organization that educates, empowers, and organizes the hospitality community to protect its most vulnerable members; plus a few industry advocates lending organizational and communications support.

The 2026 tour kicks off in Chicago on April 27th, 2026, and will be followed by dates in Milwaukee, Phoenix, Denver, NYC, New Orleans, Vancouver, Washington, and Portland, Oregon, with plans to add subsequent dates and locations as time allows.

Stay tuned for more details.

Stay Safe and Cheers,
Robb Jones, Tyler Kleinow, Liam Lavandowska, Berit Johnson, Meteor, Minneapolis
Tiffany Hernandez, Escuelitas
Emma Janzen, writer and industry advocate
Kate Mikkelson, organizational mastermind and industry advocate taken in Minneapolis, Minnesota by @emmajanzen

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3 months ago

Heads up, cocktailians! Toby and Emma here with some exciting news: we’ve spent the last four years working on the follow-up to @the_bartenders_manifesto, and we are SO stoked to finally let the cat out of the bag.

Say hello to The Classic Cocktail Sessions: A Bartender’s New-Fashioned Approach to the World’s Most Beloved Recipes, publishing June 16th via Clarkson Potter.

Some of you might be rolling your eyes. Does the world need another book on the classics? Well, we had a vision for something a little different—and a LOT more fun—than any tome that’s come before, so if you ask us, the answer is hell yeah!

Sessions stands out from the pack because it is a tightly curated set of the 61 recipes we think are the cornerstones of timelessness and deliciousness. Not every classic ever invented. The idea is that once you learn how to create the best balance, temperature, texture, and aroma in these familiar cocktails, you’ll have the foundation to develop your own personal style as a drinks maker—the same way a musician or painter might find their voice after learning how to cover the greats.

We’ve designed the book to work as a chill weeknight reference when you need a quick spec for an Old Cuban or Vieux Carré, and/or as a deep dive into technique and cocktail philosophy, if you want to thoroughly master the Last Word or Boulevardier. It is an education, but one that’s more laid-back than the approach we took in Manifesto. Think: dashing bitters while listening to punk rock covers of Johnny Cash at the dive bar on a Sunday afternoon vs. preshift boot camp at The Violet Hour. We’re here as the benevolent bartender leaning over your shoulder, offering tips on ice, glassware, and how to adjust your shake or stir. Not the drill sergeant yelling at you to finish your reps.

We both firmly believe that life becomes richer, and more fun, for you and for those around you, once you learn how to make all these drinks with skill and aplomb, so we hope you’ll join us on this journey.

Stay tuned here for more fun details leading up to June. In the meantime, head to the link in our bio to surprise your future self (or loved one) with a pre-ordered copy! by @emmajanzen

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5 months ago

When Eli Martínez asks if you want to run some errands at Mercado Jamaica, the answer should always be yes. Emphatically yes. 💐 taken in Mercado de Jamaica by @emmajanzen

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10 days ago

72 hours of chasing stories and flavors and sights and sounds. Feeling the cool rain on my skin. Earning blisters pounding the pavement. Getting lost in the music. Raising glasses with friends old and new.
Mexico City. Estoy aprendiendo. Te amo. ❤️ taken in Mexico City by @emmajanzen

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10 days ago

Sometimes I get to spend time in the world’s coolest hotels to check out their bar programs. A lot of the time, at the really high-end level, the food and drink ends up being the worst part of the experience—in most cases they’re trying too hard to cater to the lowest common denominator (or only Americans), instead of leaning into the local cuisine and celebrating what makes their place in the world unique and delicious.

This was not the case at the Rosewood Mandarina.

The cocktail program at the main bar and poolside was sharp—thoughtful, with lots of local ingredients, but not too complicated or overwrought. They were unafraid to put a spotlight on the regional treasures like tejuino, raicilla, and tepache.

When you ascend the mountain to visit Barra Peñasco, things get really special. A rare agave spirits tasting on the edge of the world, with destilados that go far deeper than the mainstream commercial brands? Sign me up. A cocktail menu where the drinks tell stories about the elements: agua, tierra, aire, fuego? Rad. Everything I tried hit the mark, and then some.

At Toppu, which perches high on top of the mountain, the food and drink are defined by the intersection of Japan and Peruvian cuisines. Stunning views. Great bites. Chris and his team have created a beautiful drinks menu that weaves those flavors together in a way that complements the food very well.

No notes on the food front, either. From the seafood to the killer masa program, every bite was worth the trip. taken in Monteón, Nayarit, Mexico by @emmajanzen

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14 days ago

🤩 We had a super fun conversation with @emmajanzen and @tobycocktail about their new book @theclassiccocktailsessions 📚 Tune in for free or support us on Patreon for bonus material. 🎙️#Classic #Cocktails taken in New York, New York by @emmajanzen

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14 days ago

The road to the Rosewood Mandarina is lined with pineapples—specifically piña miel, which are smaller and sweeter than their larger counterparts and look like tiny spindly agaves—and once you get to the hotel, it doesn’t take long before you feel just how powerful the energy is in this coastal Nayarit paradise.

The Rosewood hotels really know how to curate a vibe, and this one was one of my favorites yet. Friendly, warm, unpretentious, with all of the good hospitality you’d expect, but in a laid-back way. The water is so warm, when it rushes to meet your feet the foam smells sweet, as if it were fermenting in the hot July sun. The winding roads around the property feel more like a neighborhood than a resort, especially under the glowing light of hanging lanterns at night, and the occasional coati sighting is a smile-provoking reminder of how wild this part of the world remains.

It’s maybe my favorite Rosewood yet. taken in Monteón, Nayarit, Mexico by @emmajanzen

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15 days ago

The Shift Change Tour is headed to @tales_of_the_cocktail this month! Learn more about who we are, what we do, and why it matters.

Sunday Evening - Find our booth at the @speed_rack national finals.

Monday Afternoon - Stop by our table outside the second floor seminar rooms at the Ritz.

Monday Evening - RSVP to the Teremana Share the Mana dinner and enjoy a cocktail from the @meteor_mpls team before the meal.

Tuesday - Join us for brunch @casimironola with drinks by @meteor_mpls and learn more about The Shift Change Tour and other nationwide resources. by @emmajanzen

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17 days ago

Hold the Malört, Chicago! Toby and Emma are kicking off the book tour next week with our friends at Friends of Friends. The afternoon class is a ticketed event, and the subsequent happy hour is open to the public, no RSVP needed. Join us! Link in the bio 👆🏻 by @emmajanzen

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18 days ago

Last year, I ranked #25 on this list, so I put out advice for other writers struggling to focus on drinks during a politically unstable time when it’s harder than ever to make a living off the work.

“Channel that energy into telling stories that matter. Don’t make content just for content’s sake. Fight to center and amplify the voices this administration is working to silence. Challenge the dominant narratives. Look for the humanity behind every drink. Don’t give oxygen to brands and bars whose values do not align with yours. Do the work to figure out who those are. Remember that what you write into the world changes the world.”

In retrospect, I was giving myself the same call to action. I was feeling aimless, trying to figure out how I wanted to move forward within this space. As a drinks writer, yes, but also as someone who also felt compelled to engage with the industry in more meaningful ways. Writing matters enormously, but *only* channeling my energy through that medium felt limiting. I needed to break through the barrier.

Now I’m formally mentoring (look at @non_barnary at 62!!) and doggedly advocating for what I believe in (heyo, @shiftchangetour). I’m focused on writing that challenges the status quo and provokes critical thinking (thanks @punch_drink). Stories that widen the lens on who the industry has previously deemed worthy of the spotlight. I’m showing up with every ounce I can muster. Trying to do it in a way that brings beauty into the world at the same time.

This shit keeps me up at night and gets me out of bed in the morning. How can I create meaningful change and leaves this space better than it was when I entered it? How can I bring up the next generation by my side at the same time? This is often not financially lucrative work, but it brings heart-pounding joy and a sense of purpose.

It’s lovely to see my peers think this work is also making an impact. What a fucking honor to be in this room with so many amazing humans. (Sitting at the metaphorical table with one of my favorites, the inimitable @atienzasebastian!!) I’m proud of so many of you and grateful to be in your company. 🙏🏻

I’m just getting started, y’all. Onward! by @emmajanzen

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a month ago

Miss the stop sign, fall in love. taken in NYC by @emmajanzen

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a month ago