About the Authors

Matt Pietrek is an award-winning author, educator, historian, consultant, and publisher focusing on rum and cocktails. Best known for his Rum Wonk and Cocktail Wonk sites, as well as the award winning Modern Caribbean Rum book, he has an innate ability to untangle complex subjects in a clear and concise way.

A former software architect, Matt is also the co-author of Minimalist Tiki: A Cocktail Wonk Look at Classic Libations and the Modern Tiki Vanguard.

He lives, works, and drinks alongside his wife and coauthor, Carrie Smith, and their dogs (Admiral) Nelson and (Admiral) Rodney in New Orleans, sometimes known as the northernmost city in the Caribbean. Together, they operate Wonk Press, a publisher of high-quality books for spirited people.

Carrie Smith is a designer at heart—of spaces, projects, and ideas. Her creative vision intertwines several past careers to oversee Wonk Press, a new model of publishing company that partners with independent authors to bring passionate projects to life.

Carrie is an author and editor, artist and designer, mentor and leader, as well as an award-winning interior designer with a master’s degree in architectural preservation studies from Tulane University. An inveterate traveler and life-long student, she also gives architectural history tours of her adopted city of New Orleans, where she delights in sharing its cocktails, traditions, intriguing tales, and deep love of costumes and glitter. She is partial to a well-crafted Hemingway daiquiri, preferably made with Cuban rum.