About the Academy

A native New Yorker, drinks journalist and self-confessed Europhile, Alia Akkam has called Budapest home since 2015. A former editor of Beverage Media and Hospitality Design, Akkam writes about cocktails, bars, design, travel, food and culture for international publications. Her work has appeared in Architectural Digest and Men's Health, and she is the author of Behind the Bar: 50 Cocktails from the World's Most Iconic Hotels. 

Based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Ara Carvallo has more than 20 years' experience in the bar and spirits sector. Carvallo now focuses on supporting drinks entrepreneurs creating the brands of the future. She is also co-founder of Barra México, a leading spirits trade show in Latin America and the first zero-carbon bar show in the world, connecting drinks professionals, producers and emerging talent across the industry. 

Arina Nikolskaya has spent more than a decade developing bar communities across Eastern Europe and Central Asia. After leading Moscow Bar Show, Nikolskaya relocated to Kazakhstan and launched Nomad Bar Show in 2023 to spotlight Central Asia's hospitality scene. She also founded SHIFT Project and the SHIFT Community app, supporting cross-border visibility through mentorship, scholarships, guest shifts and international activations for hospitality professionals, venues and events.

Czech editor and journalist Bára Urbanová has 20 years' experience in food and drinks. From 2010 to 2015, Urbanová was editor-in-chief of Barlife magazine, while also helping organise Prague Bar Show and the Czech Bar Awards. Since 2015, she has been editor-in-chief and co-owner of online journal AtBars.com, which focuses on the business of bars and related areas of the hospitality industry. 

Eleni Nikoloulia is a prominent drinks journalist, event organiser and spirits consultant based in Athens. As a founder of Difford's Guide Greece and Cyprus, Nikoloulia plays a central role in highlighting Greek bar culture on the global stage. She is also the co-creator of major drinks-industry events and a recognised voice in international hospitality, regularly connecting local bartending talent with the wider global bar community. 

François Monti is a Belgian, Madrid-based cocktail and spirits writer. Monti is the author of three books, including El Gran Libro del Vermut and 101 Cocktails to Try Before You Die. His work has appeared in publications around the world, and he has led seminars at major international bar events including Bar Convent Berlin. A dedicated observer of global drinks culture, he lives for a good seat at the bar. 

Hamish Smith is an award-winning drinks journalist specialising in the bar industry. Based in London, Smith edits UK bartender magazine CLASS and works across sister title Drinks International as bars editor. A former editor of The World's 50 Best Bars, he has established himself as a key commentator on the global bar industry, covering its leading people, places, trends and developments. 

Jakob Sundin began bartending in 2004, developing a long-standing passion for hospitality and the Nordic bar community. Sundin is a host and one of the founders of Bartenders' Choice Awards, an awards programme dedicated to the region's bar industry. He is also managing partner of Purfict, which supports the development of bars and cocktail culture through creative concepts, photography, events and other hospitality-focused projects. 

Juliane Reichert is a Berlin-based bar journalist with a passion for the people behind the bar and heavily peated whisky. Having studied philosophy, Reichert brings an inquisitive approach to the global drinks scene, exploring its bigger questions while closely observing new trends. She works at the frontline of bar reporting in Germany and beyond, following the people, places and ideas shaping contemporary drinking culture. 

Laurence Marot is a journalist who has specialised in cocktails, spirits and beer for more than a decade. Working across trade publications, mainstream media and specialist guides, Marot tracks trends, techniques and the stories behind drinks. She is a regular judge at cocktail and spirits competitions and the author of several books on spirits and cocktails, including Sur la Route des Rhums, published in 2024. 

Milan-based food and beverage editor Penelope Vaglini travels widely to report on restaurants and cocktail bars for publications including L'Officiel Italia, ICON Magazine, Forbes and Gastronomika. Vaglini is digital content coordinator for Robb Report Italia and co-founder of Coqtail Milano, an Italian mixology community with an online magazine. A specialist in trend research, she also edits annual reports analysing the food and beverage industry.