Lesley Jacobs Solmonson

Lesley has been writing about food and drink for over 20 years. Her work can be seen in the LA Times, Imbibe, Wine Enthusiast, Private Clubs, and Sierra, among others, as well as websites such as Bloomberg, PBS, and liquor.com. She co-founded the cocktail site "The 12 Bottle Bar" with her husband David Solmonson in 2009; the site was a finalist in the Saveur Best Cocktail Blog competition and the basis for the book of the same name. Her other two other books include "Liqueur: A Global History" and "Gin: A Global History". From 2015 to 2020, she served as senior editor at Chilled magazine, which was nominated as best drinks magazine at Tales of the Cocktail, the industry's most important event. Over the years, she has been interviewed by Publisher's Weekly, Imbibe, KCRW, and The Splendid Table, as well as spoken extensively about cocktails and spirits for groups including the International Association of Culinary Professionals, the Culinary Historians of Southern California, and the Museum of the American Cocktail. She is a staunch believer that the only real martini is made with gin and that it is impossible to frown when you're drinking any cocktail adorned with an umbrella.

Lesley earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Southern California School of Cinema-Television.