Hello! I’m so glad you stopped by Cuisine & Cocktails! My name is Laura, and I’m a 30-something foodie with a passion for cooking and cocktail mixing. My background and day job fall in the world of science, and what really is cooking and mixology but science? I learned to cook from my parents who always made fantastic meals as I grew up (and still do). I remember helping my mom every time she baked cookies and my dad insisting on grilling out in the dead of winter with a foot of snow on the ground (because "it just tastes better on the grill"). I started out with their recipes and then tried out new things I saw on Pinterest or other food blogs. That’s when I really fell in love with cooking and realized I could create recipes of my own. Since then I've done tons of research on different types of cuisine, cooking techniques, tools and tricks and have made them as easy to understand as possible within this blog.
When it comes to drink making I learned everything I know from working in the industry as a bartender for multiple years. I worked in a variety of atmospheres from country clubs, to martini bars, to sports bars, to night clubs, to hole-in-the-walls. (The hole-in-the walls were always the most fun). I had the opportunity to help open new bars and create handcrafted cocktail lists from scratch. All throughout school I also worked for Brown-Forman as a promotional model for a handful of their brands including Woodford Reserve, Jack Daniels, Korbel champagne, Finlandia vodka, Little Black Dress wine, El Jimador tequila, Southern Comfort, and Tuaca. This was one of my favorite jobs because not only did I learn a TON about the brands and distillation processes, but I essentially got paid to party. 😉 When I landed my first “big girl job” and hung up my bottle opener for good I really started to miss being behind that bar, so I created my own bar at home have continued coming up with fun concoctions ever since!
I’ve enjoyed sharing pictures of the stuff I’ve created with family and friends via social media over the years, and it has always been a huge compliment to me when someone asks for a recipe or for tips. So I decided to create this blog to share more of my favorites. I continue to learn as much as I can and have fun with what I do. I hope you enjoy reading and come back to visit me more! Feel free to email me with questions or feedback at cuisineandcocktails1@gmail.com!
-Laura Lee
