| The influence of Black people throughout history is often whitewashed, and the alcohol industry is no exception. Black people played a significant role in distilling alcoholic beverages from slavery to the present. You only have to look at the story of Nearest Green, a former slave who taught Jack Daniel the art of distilling. Few knew of his impact until Fawn Weaver shone a light on that history (and kickstarted a multi-billion-dollar spirits brand). Not only were Black Americans distilling spirits, but they also played an integral part in the history of cocktails in America, as many worked as bartenders in white establishments. And they were creating cocktails, too. Tom Bullock, the author of The Ideal Bartender, released in 1917, was the first Black bartender to publish a cocktail book. But afterwards, there wasn’t another prominent Black cocktail author till Shannon Mustipher, former bar manager of Glady’s Caribbean, released Tiki: Modern Tropical Cocktails in 2019. | 