Introduction
Brad Thomas Parsons is an award-winning writer based in Brooklyn, New York. He is the author of four books and writes the LAST CALL newsletter publication on Substack where he shares spirited dispatches on bar and bar culture, drinks and spirits, restaurants and regional foodways, and popular culture.
Experience
Hailing from Oneida in Central New York, Brad spent more than a decade in Seattle where he was a senior book editor at Amazon. He moved back to New York to work for two major NYC publishers as an online marketing director primarily focusing on cookbooks. He is now a full-time freelancer.
One of the leading authorities in the United States on amaro and Italian drinking culture, Brad has been writing about drinks, spirits, and bar culture since 2008 and his work has appeared in publications including Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, Lucky Peach, Imbibe, PUNCH, and VinePair among others.
He has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, NPR's All Things Considered, The Splendid Table, The Martha Stewart Show, and more.
Parsons has conducted talks, tastings, seminars, and master classes on bitters, amaro, cocktails, and Italian drinking culture at bars, restaurants, and venues across the United States and in Italy and has partnered and worked with many brands, including Gruppo Campari, Campari America, Apple, Unilever, Slow Food USA, West Elm, Moët Hennessy, Fords Gin, Amaro Nonino, Amaro Lucano, Luxardo, Bordiga, Angostura Bitters, St. Agrestis, Fast Penny Spirits, and more.
Selected Publications
Books
Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All, with Cocktails, Recipes, and Formulas (Ten Speed Press)
Amaro: The Spirited World of Bittersweet, Herbal Liqueurs, with Cocktails, Recipes, and Formulas (Ten Speed Press)
Distillery Cats: Profiles in Courage of the World's Most Spirited Mousers (Ten Speed Press)
Last Call: Bartenders on Their Final Drink and the Wisdom and Rituals of Closing Time (Ten Speed Press)
Education
Columbia University School of the Arts, New York, NY. MFA: Creative Writing (Fiction)
State University of New York at Oswego, Oswego, NY. BA: English/Writing Arts; BA: Theatre
Awards
James Beard Award Winner: Beverage (2012) for Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All, with Cocktails, Recipes, and Formulas
IACP Award Winner: Wine, Beer, or Spirits (2012) for Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All, with Cocktails, Recipes, and Formulas
Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award Finalist: Best New Cocktail/Bartending Book (2012) for Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All, with Cocktails, Recipes, and Formulas
James Beard Award Finalist: Beverage with Recipes (2020) for Last Call: Bartenders on Their Final Drink and the Wisdom and Rituals of Closing Time
Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award Finalist: Best Cocktail & Spirits Writing (2021) for "The Night the Neon Went Dark" by Brad Thomas Parsons, PUNCH
James Beard Award Finalist: Personal Essay (2025) for "The Hidden Hospitality Hazards When You're Too Big for the Bar," published on VinePair.
Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award Finalist: Best Cocktail & Spirits Writing (2025) for "The Hidden Hospitality Hazards When You're Too Big for the Bar," VinePair.
