Derek Michael Brown

Director of Education

Derek Brown is the Director of Education at Spiritless and a passionate advocate for no- and low-alcohol cocktails. Formerly of the Columbia Room, named “Best American Cocktail Bar” by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation's Spirited Awards in 2017, Brown is the author of Spirits, Sugar, Water, Bitters: How the Cocktail Conquered the World and Mindful Mixology: A Comprehensive Guide to No- and Low-Alcohol Cocktails.

Brown has written for a number of publications on spirits, cocktails, and well-being—from The Washington Post to Vox—and been featured in numerous magazines, websites, and news outlets for his work on spirits and cocktails. Additionally, Brown served as Chief Spirits Advisor to the National Archives Foundation and is a Distinguished Fellow at Catholic University’s Ciocca Center for Principled Entrepreneurship. In 2020, Drinks International named Brown one of the "Bar World 100," a list of the top beverage figures effecting positive change in the global bar industry. Brown is a founder of The Cocktail Collection (formerly The Museum of the American Cocktail).