Manhattan Cocktail

Jim Meehan is a renowned bartender, author, and important figure in the revival of craft cocktails. A Chicago native, he learned his trade in Wisconsin and has since spent nearly a quarter century in hospitality. In 2007, he co-founded New York's much-lauded PDT bar, and has written two award-winning books: The PDT Cocktail Book (2011) and Meehan's Bartender's Manual (2017).

Experience: A native of Chicago, Jim Meehan is a celebrated bartender and cocktail expert with close to 25 years in the hospitality industry. At bars in his college town of Madison, Wisconsin, he first worked his way from bouncer to bartender, then furthered his education at Gramercy Tavern, Five Points, and Pegu Club in Manhattan. In 2007, he co-founded New York's legendary bar PDT (Please Don't Tell) — which now has a second location in Hong Kong's Landmark Mandarin Oriental Hotel — and in the same year was named a Rising Star by StarChefs. He's a two-time author, first penning the Spirited award-winning The PDT Cocktail Book (2011) and later Meehan's Bartender's Manual (2017), which received a James Beard Award for Beverage Book. He now lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife and two children and is a consultant, writer, and industry mentor.

Education: Jim attended the University of Wisconsin at Madison, where he studied pre-med before switching to English Literature and African American Studies.