This site serves as the blog for drinks writer and Wall Street Journal-bestselling author Fred Minnick, who writes books, regularly contributes to major publications and serves as a judge on competitions. FredMinnick.com covers spirits news, whiskey reviews and other topical drinks stories, such as travel, business dealings and important hirings.
Learn about Fred Minnick’s Six Books.
The Latest….
If you would like to commission Fred to write a book, please contact his literary agent Linda Konner.
Cocktail and Spirits Judging
A perk of the job and for having a respected palate, Fred Minnick serves as a judge on the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and the World Whiskies Awards. He’s also judged multiple cocktail contests, including the national competitions for Old Forester, Four Roses and Citadelle Gin.
Kentucky Derby Museum
Fred Minnick is the “Bourbon Authority” for the Kentucky Derby Museum. Since October 2013, Minnick has taught bourbon classes at the museum and hosted private bourbon tastings for convention groups. Louisville.com named Minnick’s popular “Legend’s Series” one of the top events in all of Bourbon Country.
Philanthropy
Fred Minnick is the Chairman of the Brain Injury Alliance of Kentucky’s Brain Ball. He frequently donates tastings, books and photography to Bourbon & Bowties, the Make-A-Wish Foundation and others.
How he became a spirits writer….
When the Oklahoma County News published my first story, I was 15 and will never forget the feeling of seeing my name in print. I was hooked.
Over the years, my writing style and subject matter have changed, but I’ve always written something. I went from The Daily Oklahoman sports desk in 2001 to Bader-Rutter’s technical forestry writing team. In 2004, I wrote U.S. military stories and captured combat with a Nikon D1X. That’s when I became a real photographer, in the heat of battle! After Iraq, I penned Camera Boy and worked for Networld Alliance as a restaurant trade editor until fall 2006. That’s when I took the giant leap to go out on my own.
When you’re a freelance writer just starting out, you write about anything and everything. One of the first things I did as a new freelancer was write a list of categories I could write about. Bourbon was on that list.
My first bourbon story was published shortly thereafter, and I never looked back.
Contact information:
Fred Minnick
Minnick Media Inc.
10605 Meeting St., Suite 102
Prospect, Ky. 40059
Phone: 502-544-0181
Email: fred at fredminnick.com