James Teitelbaum has been researching cocktail culture since the early 1990s, when he began working on his book Tiki Road Trip (Santa Monica Press). Teitelbaum has traveled the world to fully explore the art of mixing the perfect cocktail. Among the publications he’s written for are Playboy, American Heritage, Film Threat, Tiki magazine, AAA World, and Beverage World. Teitelbaum also works in the music industry and teaches college classes in sound engineering. James’ interest in cocktail culture began when he was researching Tiki Road Trip—a process that began in the early 1990s—as he began to dread the thought of yet another sugary, headache-inducing mai tai at each destination. Coming to truly appreciate the better examples of this usually-bastardized libation, his horizons soon expanded far beyond the tropical drink genre, towards a respect and enjoyment for all well-crafted beverages. He lives in Chicago.