Dale DeGroff (aka King Cocktail)

Celebrated for being the first to revive the great 19th century classic cocktails made with simple fresh ingredients at the Rainbow Room in the 1990's, Dale DeGroff reinvented the bartending profession, setting off a cocktail revival that continues to this day. He is the winner of two James Beard Awards, the TOC Lifetime Achievement Award, and Wine Enthusiast's 2018 Cocktail Legend Award, among others.

A leading trainer and sought-after presenter in the beverage industry, DeGroff is a partner in the award winning Beverage Alcohol Resource (BAR) and author of The Craft of the Cocktail (Random House, 2002). Regarded as the ”essential bartending guide” by the New York Times, his book has influenced the entire hospitality industry. This past year DeGroff released his new updated edition, The New Craft of the Cocktail, a culmination of his forty years of expertise and a look at the innovators who have taken the craft cocktail movement to the next level.

DeGroff is also the founding President of The Museum of American Cocktails, now part of the National Food & Beverage Institute in New Orleans. The museum provides education in mixology and boasts one of the most eclectic collections of cocktail artifacts, books, and memorabilia in the world. After meeting renowned absinthe distiller,Ted Breaux in New Orleans, they embarked on a joint venture to produce Dale DeGroff’s Pimento Aromatic Bitters.

A raconteur, storyteller, and saloon singer, DeGroff’s entertaining presentations are featured on the cruise lines as well as at spirits festivals around the country. He has given performances in over a hundred cities here in the US and overseas.