You may recognize Christophe Bakunas as one of the sommeliers who teaches wine classes at The Chopping Block. But, he's also an expert in the spirits industry!
When he was working with Local Wine and Spirits, Christophe helped launch one of the first iconic spirit brands in the 2000's, Ransom Old Tom Gin. He distilled at the Oregon distillery, created his own gin, Small's American Dry, and worked with bartenders from Boston to St. Louis to San Diego, and 22 other states in between.
Once Christophe began a deep dive into spirited production, he was hooked on the flavors, complexities and science. "Distilling is so much like baking and wine making is so much like cooking," he says. "If you want to be well-rounded, you should probably know how to do both. With the explosion of micro distilleries, we have more options than ever before."
In addition to being a certified Sommelier by the Master Court of Sommeliers for over 20 years, Christophe has worked with talented bartenders and bartender guilds across America, all the while shaking and stirring for almost 10 years.
