Sam Nelis is an industry professional with over a decade of bartending experience. Currently he is the Beverage Director and Landcrafted Educator at Caledonia spirits, which means he curates all cocktails for the company, from the menu at the cocktail bar at the distillery to the website, to cocktails created for nationwide events. He educates the company on cocktail culture and is responsible for supporting relationships with key cocktail bars. He comes from a diverse background and has lived in many places throughout the world. He has been proud to call Vermont his home for the last 12 years. This travel and a degree in cultural anthropology have been the perfect foundation which ultimately lead him to the hospitality industry. When creating cocktails, he strives to use local and culturally relevant spirits and ingredients, in order to expose a community’s sense of place. He views his role within Caledonia Spirits as to not only create delicious drinks but to aid the distillery in bridging the gap between agriculture and cocktail culture.