Jim Meehan’s pioneering impact on today’s craft cocktail industry is undeniable. A two-time James Beard Award winner—for Outstanding Bar Program (2012) and for “Meehan’s Bartender Manual” (2018)—he has just finished his third book: “The Bartender’s Pantry: A Beverage Handbook for the Universal Bar,” which is available for preorder now and will be published June 11, 2024.

From the first minute of our conversation this past fall, I was struck by his deep appreciation for the history of his craft and his commitment to surrounding himself with diverse sources of inspiration. Meehan gave me a tour of his studio (his house in Portland, Oregon) starting with the first place he looks when on the hunt for a new drink: old books. We talked about his creative process, how inventing cocktails differs from writing books, his work ethic, the necessity of collaboration, and why a cocktail depends so much on the room in which it is served.

Find his work here.