Emma Janzen: Translating Bartender Brilliance into the Written Word

This week Damian is joined by Emma Janzen, an award-winning journalist and drinks writer whose byline has become a fixture in the cocktail world. What started as a happy accident — cocktail classes in Austin, Texas, and a story pitch at her local newspaper — turned into a decade-plus career exploring drinks, design, and the culture surrounding them.

Emma shares how she transitioned from multimedia work at a paper into drinks journalism, eventually becoming digital editor at Imbibe magazine before striking out on her own to focus on spirits, cocktails, and book projects. Along the way, she became a trusted collaborator for some of the biggest names in bartending, including Julia Momose (The Way of the Cocktail), Toby Maloney (The Bartender’s Manifesto), and Jim Meehan (The Bartender’s Pantry).

In this conversation we cover:

• Emma’s unconventional path into the industry — from design writing to drinks journalism.
• The cocktail classes and first visit to Tales of the Cocktail that sparked her passion.
• Lessons from seven years at Imbibe and how that shaped her perspective on drinks writing.
• Moving into co-authoring books with leading bartenders and how her role flexes from writer to editor to project manager.
• Behind the scenes of The Bartender’s Manifesto and the challenge of translating Toby Maloney’s teaching into a book format.
• Why The Bartender’s Pantry feels like a pattern interrupt in cocktail publishing — with its focus on ingredients, culture, and ethics.
• Emma’s philosophy on what makes a book worth writing (and worth reading) in an industry full of recipe collections.
• Advice for bartenders and operators thinking about writing a book — from finding your niche to doing the research, and the realities of time, money, and motivation.
• Her favourite drinks books that continue to inspire her writing and thinking.
• What styles of cocktail books she’s ready to see less of.

Emma also talks honestly about the craft of writing — how she bridges the gap between a bartender’s knowledge and what readers actually need — and why books in this space are best viewed as a service to the community.

📲 Connect with Emma: Instagram @emmajanzen

🎧 Listen to more episodes & Lock-In sessions: thecocktailacademy.com

📩 Get in touch with Damian: sayhello@thecocktailacademy.com

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