About Alcademics and Camper English

About Alcademics

Alcademics.com is journalist Camper English's blog about cocktails, spirits, bars, and bartenders, as well as the place to find links to Camper's published work on other sites. 

Alcademics.com is the most influential English-language spirits blog and the third most influential alcohol blog overall, according to a study by eCairn. It is also rated the top cocktails and spirits blog by Wikio. Alcademics won a Best of the Bay award in 2011 for "Best Liquor Lowdown." 

Alcademics has been included in stories in publications including the Wall Street Journal, theWashington Post,  Salon.com, TheAtlantic.com, VillageVoice.com, the Associated Press, Food&Wine.com, SeriousEats.com, Mutineer Magazine, Zeit (Germany), Vinos y Restaurantes (Spain), and The Telegraph (India). It was cited as one of the most-read blogs by bartenders at the Grand Marnier Mixology Summit in 2009.

About Camper English

Camper English is an award-winning San Francisco-based cocktails and spirits writer, speaker, and consultant. Camper has visited more than 70 distilleries, blending houses, and bodegas in more than fifteen countries, has judged cocktail contests locally and internationally, is a member of the United States Bartenders' Guild, passed the prestigious B.A.R. course with a "BAR Certified" accreditation, was a judge of the 2010 Ministry of Rum Competition, and is the winner of the Best Cocktail Writing - Author category at Tales of the Cocktail 2011. For consultation services, see this page. 

Camper is the cocktail blogger for Fine Cooking Magazine and a regular contributor to the Los Angeles Times Magazine, San Francisco Chronicle, Tasting Panel Magazine, Mixology Magazine (Germany), and SilverKris (Singapore Airlines). 

Email him here:

Camper English has written for the following publications:

7x7 Magazine [sample]
Alaska Airlines Magazine
Bay Crossings
Best Life
Beverage Media [sample]
Caviar Affair [sample]
CHOW.com [sample]
CitySearch.com
Difford's Guide
DigitalCities.com
Drinks International [sample]
Drink (China)
Epicurious.com [sample]
Every Day with Rachael Ray

Executive Travel [sample]
Fine Cooking [sample]
Front Desk
Frontiers
Imbibe [sample]
Instinct
Liquor.com [sample]
Lonely Planet Guides
Los Angeles Times Magazine [sample]
Malt Advocate
Mixology (Germany)
Out
Playboy.com
San Francisco Bay Guardian
San Francisco Chronicle [sample]
San Francisco
ShakeStir.com
SilverKris (Singapore Airlines Magazine) [sample]
Stuff
Sunset Magazine
Tasting Panel
Tasting Table [sample]
Time [sample]
Wine & Spirit (UK)
Wine & Spirits
The Wave
Wired [sample]

Camper is the author of one book (so far), Party Like a Rockstar: Even When You're Poor as Dirt.

Camper English has judged the following cocktail and spirits competitions:

• Maker’s Mark bourbon, Rye, San Francisco
• Hendrick’s Gin, Rye, San Francisco
• Champagne Contest, Harry Denton’s Starlight Room, San Francisco
• Lotus Vodka, Americano Bar, San Francisco, July 1, 2008
• Chartreuse, 111 Minna, San Francisco, June, 2008
• 42 Below Vodka, Café Du Nord, San Francisco, July 22, 2008
• Damrak Gin, 18 venues, San Francisco, February 2009
• Campari, San Francisco, 20008
• Cherry Heering, Singapore, June 2009
• Laphroaig, Rye, San Francisco, October 2009
• 42Below Vodka punch competition, New Zealand, March 2010
• Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards, New Orleans, July 2010
• Ministry of Rum Competition, San Francisco, Summer 2010
• Germain-Robin Brandy, San Francisco, October 2010
• Bombay Sapphire/GQ Most Inspired Bartender, Las Vegas, September 2011
• Good Food Awards, San Francisco, October 2011
• Auchentoshan Switch, Las Vegas, October 2011

Camper English has visited the following distilleries, bodegas, and blending houses:

• Anchor Distilling, USA
• 209 Gin, USA
• St. George Spirits, USA
• Sake One/Momakawa, USA
• 4 Copas, Mexico
• Don Julio, Mexico
• Partida, Mexico
• Herradura, Mexico
• El Tesoro, Mexico
• Cazadores, Mexico
• Cuervo, Mexico
• Distilled Resources/Blue Ice, USA
• Canadian Mist, Canada
• Finlandia (bottling), Finland
• Chopin Vodka, Poland
• Mount Gay Rum    Barbados
• Geikekan Berkeley, USA
• Rhum Clement, Martinique
• Rhum J.M., Martinique
• Chivas/Strathisla, Scotland
• The Macallan, Scotland
• Speyburn, Scotland
• Ardmore, Scotland
• Aberfeldy/Dewars, Scotland
• The Glenlivet, Scotland
• Glenmorangie, Scotland
• Royal Lochnagar, Scotland
• G'Vine Gin, France
• Sandeman, Spain
• Plymouth Gin, England
• Appleton Rum, Jamaica
• Beefeater Gin, England
• Jim Beam, USA
• Maker's Mark, USA
• Domaine Charbay, USA
• Cruzan, St. Croix, USVI
• Courvoisier, France
• Remy Martin, France
• Hennessy, France
• Frapin, France
• Ferrand, France
• Otard, France
• Bache-Gabrielsen, France
• Tesseron, France
• Cognac Paul Giraud, France
• Ron Zacapa, Guatemala
• Bowmore, Scotland
• Auchentoshan, Scotland
• Bols Genever, Holland
• Schiedam distillery museum, Holland
• Wynand Fockink,    Holland
• Isle of Jura, Scotland
• The Dalmore, Scotland
• Fettercairn, Scotland
• Bodegas Harveys, Spain
• Bodegas Tradicion, Spain
• Bodegas Grupo Estevez, Spain
• Bodegas Osbourne, Spain
• Bodegas Sanchez Romate, Spain
• Bodegas Williams & Humbert, Spain
• Bodegas Gonzalez Byass, Spain
• Bodegas Lustau, Spain
• Bodegas Hidalgo La Gitana, Spain
• Patron tequila, Mexico
• Sauza Tequila, Mexico
• Allied Domecq (Olmeca Altos), Mexico
• Jameson Irish Whiskey, Ireland
• Casa Noble Tequila, Mexico
• Angostura Rum and Bitters, Trinidad
• Zubrowka/ZU Vodka, Poland
• Purity Vodka, Sweden
• DonQ Rum, Puerto Rico
• Pallini Limoncello, Rome, Italy
• Cointreau, Algers, France
• Hakushu, Kyoto, Japan
• Yamazaki, Japan

 

Education, Awards and Affiliations

Camper studied physics as an undergraduate and computer science in grad school. The drinking and writing he just picked up as he went along. Camper is a member of the United States Bartenders' Guild, has passed the BARSmarts program and the prestigious B.A.R. course in New York in the fall of 2009 as B.A.R. Certified. Camper has also earned small awards for his writing and won a cocktail contest or two.

Camper English was nominated for Best Cocktail Writing at Tales of the Cocktail in 2009. He won this award in 2011.

Camper's website Alcademics.com won a San Francisco Bay Guardian Best of the Bay award in 2011 as "Best Liquor Lowdown."

Disclaimer Regarding Samples and Trips

As a blogger and journalist, I frequently receive samples of spirits, tools, books, and other freebies, and partake in press trips sponsored by brands, destinations, and industry groups. While not all products and places discussed on this site have been provided by 3rd parties, readers of Alcademics.com should assume that any product or destination mentioned on this site has been provided or paid for by a 3rd party.