The Washington State Bartenders Guild

Robert Hess lives and works in Seattle Washington. He traces his interest in cocktail to a childhood fascination of bartenders - who effortlessly transformed the contents of the bottles around them into gleaming jewels of refreshment. Eventually he took action on these early memories, absorbing all he could about the classic art of mixology. Using his culinary training as a canvas, he views cocktails as a cuisine with the same artistic flavor potentials as that of any French chef. He has since become a ceaseless evangelist of quality cocktails, working with restaurants, bartenders, and consumers to help them better understand how to advance their craft.

He created Drinkboy.com, and its associated discussion forum, to allow bartenders around the world to interact with each other and share thoughts, ideas, and experiences which would benefit everybody through an open discussion. He has since teamed up with several others across the country to found "The Museum of the American Cocktail", which will be opening exhibits in New Orleans, and New York, as well as holding a variety of events and seminars around the world. He also is the host and executive producer of “The Cocktail Spirit” a web-based video series being presented through the "Small Screen Network" to provide easily accessed information and instructions on how anybody can make great cocktails.