Justin Lane Briggs grew up among the organic farming communities of rural Vermont, and tagging along with his parents as they pursued non-profit agricultural work across Latin America. After moving to the Big Apple, he delved into the restaurant and bar world of the city, and has been creating cocktail & bar programs around Brooklyn and Manhattan since 2008. In 2011, he was one of Beverage Media Guide's Top 10 Mixologists To Watch; his cocktails have been featured in numerous books and publications, and he's been a leader in prep teams at Tales of the Cocktail (2011-2015), San Antonio Cocktail Conference (2016-2020) and Paris of the Plains (2018). Crossing disciplines, Justin has also made cocktails for a wide range of performances and events -- from poetry festivals in Hanoi, Vietnam to Ira Glass on This American Life and Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show -- and helped design bitters for Brooklyn based artisanal goods line Cecil & Merl. Most notable of all his endeavors, Justin has been an integral part of creating the Skurnik Spirits Portfolio since its inception in 2013, and has been privileged to carve out a unique role there since 2019 as Mexican Spirits Portfolio Manager.