Mandy Naglich is an author and TV presenter with a slew of certifications surrounding beverage alcohol. She started her journey in our beautiful boozy business in beer. She won a gold medal at the National Homebrew Competition (beating out more than 5,000 other entries) in 2016 and from there pivoted into writing about making and enjoying all kinds of fermented drinks.
Mandy’s first book, How to Taste: A Guide to Discovering Flavor and Savoring Life chronicles her adventures among the many professional tasters she’s met as a certified taster and journalist. She wanted to write a book that anyone interested in tasting could both learn from and enjoy. If you’ve never written a tasting note in your life, the science isn’t too technical to scare you away, and if you’re an R&D professional well versed in sensory practices there will still be information for you.
Mandy really believes that our senses of smell and taste are a massive part of what makes us human (in fact, 20% of our genes are dedicated just to which smells we’re able to decode, wild!) and they are the senses we tend to ignore in everyday life. Much of the way we decode culture or relate to celebrations and milestones are marked through scents and food. Obviously, bartenders are on the front lines of getting everyday people to taste, and savour, a new flavour or ingredient, so it was very important to her that she reach them with this book.
Beyond her tasting fanaticism, she writes and broadcasts for all kinds of outlets, but uses social media @drinkswithmandy to share what is piquing her personal interest. Whether science tidbits, experiences on travel, or historical facts that add context to the things we enjoy drinking.
Overall, Mandy hopes to present a different side to understanding and loving the drinks industry. Because while she’s been a (pretty bad – her words!) bartender, that’s not the way she came into the bar industry. She’s also always open to meeting up with other people in and around the industry so you can find her at @drinkswithmandy or howtotastebook.com .
Bartender Atlas: Where were you born?
Mandy Naglich: I was born in Dallas, TX but moved to Philadelphia, PA when I was a toddler. I say this because I identify both as a Texan AND an Eagles fan. (Go Birds!)
BA: What city do you work in?
MN: I write from an office in NYC but I travel often for work. Most of the interviews I’m conducting or consulting projects I’m working on happen outside of this busy beautiful city.
BA: Where do you go out to eat and drink on your days off?
MN: Wherever the mood suits me, I have a few local restaurants that make me feel cozy as a regular in my neighborhood. But of course, whenever I have the time I travel to see my friends at their awesome bars and restaurants I do. My favorite day-off meal in recent memory was at Cactus Wren, Raymond Trinh and Sam Clonts’s new spot. I’ve been going to their restaurants for years! If I’m kicking off a fun night outside of work you can probably find me with bubbles at Jac’s on Bond or Dante in West Village.
BA: What do you do outside of work on your days off?
MN: I’m a yoga fanatic so even on my days on, I try to find time to get in a class. On days off I can go for extended classes followed by guided meditation. I love reading and try to have a non-fiction and fiction book going at all times. Being outside in nice weather with a book really feels like time off for me, it doesn’t happen enough. In NYC we’re lucky to have access to all kinds of art. I try to take inspiration from other fields like music, theater, photography and sculpture to help my writing and storytelling. On days off I definitely seek out inexpensive galleries, museums, or theater tickets.
BA: What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
MN: It’s not personal advice but the first time I read “fear is the mind killer,” in Dune, it totally changed my life. (It’s somewhat echoed by Yoda in Star Wars to give him a little credit.) Realizing how much fear holds you back, especially fear held inside, is very freeing. I don’t mean big fear, like fear of heights or fear of harassment, the little mundane daily fears of being embarrassed, or pronouncing something wrong, or being rejected, those are the things that keep you from living a life full of growth and curiosity. Whenever I find myself saying “no” to an idea or project because it feels too big I just say to myself “fear is the mind killer.”
On that note, I have an app I constantly recommend; it’s called WeCroak, and it notifies you five times a day at random intervals “Don’t Forget, You’re Going to Die.” Then when you open the notification it has a quote or a poem about death. It sounds morbid, but there is truly nothing like getting that notification when you’re doing something like scrolling social media or fretting over a situation you can’t control. It’s taught me my time is finite and the only thing I should fear is wasting it.
BA: What’s something you’re excited about?
MN: I’m excited about being at the point in my career where it’s time to share what I’ve learned. You spend your first professional years learning everything: skills, context, how to communicate, what you’re passionate about… And then comes a moment when it’s time to share all of that knowledge. The book was a big step in that direction, I have some video projects that follow those lines coming out later this year. So that’s exciting!
I’m also excited about helping other people find their paths. I’m in this group, Celebrate Her, that Anna Sebastian and her team put together and it’s been such a wonderful experience to be able to offer mentorship, or just connection with other women in the industry. Especially younger women. It’s a resource I wish I had earlier in my career. It feels exciting to be even a small part of making another woman’s journey easier.
RETURN TO ALL HOSPITALITY GEMS
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Posted April 18th, 2025
