Meet our 2025 DRINKLUSIVE MENTEES
Adele is an aspiring drinks writer and communicator with a Bachelors in English Literature. With previous experience as a bartender, she hopes to merge her enthusiasm for spirits and wine with her passion for writing and travel. Adele was introduced to the captivating world of drinks journalism through her job in marketing at a publishing house. She views her journey as one of continuous learning, actively building her knowledge base and expanding her network of connections within the field.
Elizabeth Lewis is a writer and editor from the US, who now makes her home in Scotland. The drinks world had been of interest to her for years before 2024 when she took a chance and applied to work at a specialist drinks retailer with the aim of transforming her “civilian knowledge” into professional knowledge. Since then she has completed her WSET Spirits Level 1 and 2 (with Distinction) as well as WSET Wine Level 1. She loves helping regulars and new faces alike find their perfect drink whatever the occasion. You can find her exploring the social and cultural connections that drinks have provided throughout history, testing out gluten free recipes and puttering in her garden. More than anything Elizabeth believes you can create a beautiful community by sharing a glass of something delicious.
Originally from London, Kwame discovered his passion for drinks while bartending in the US during university. After graduating, he jumped into the industry full time and has since worked across several bars in London. Today, he splits his time between education consulting, freelance bartending, developing cocktails for the Be Inclusive Hospitality Awards, and building Abura — an experiential cocktail bar spotlighting African spirits and ingredients.
Driven by curiosity and cultural connection, Kwame is passionate about transforming Africa’s botanical life into liquid form. He’s always exploring sustainable methods, new flavours, and techniques that bring tradition and innovation together in a glass.
Whether behind the bar or sharing a story, his goal is to celebrate the people and cultures behind the drinks and in turn shape a more diverse, imaginative future for the drinks industry, both in Africa and beyond.
Lewis is a spirits enthusiast passionate about sustainability, sensory storytelling, and the authenticity of organic drinks. He champions English whisky as an exciting new frontier and has a deep appreciation for Cognac and Calvados for their ties to tradition and place. For Lewis, enjoying a quality spirit goes beyond the drink itself and in 2025, he helped run the Croydon Whisky Festival, supporting craft producers and reshaping how consumers engage with spirits. From farm to glass, Lewis explores how drinks evoke memory, heritage, and connection
Outside the spirits world, Lewis enjoys gardening, baking bread, and is a long-suffering Spurs fan. He is on a mission to make the perfect whisky & soda and margarita pizza, finding their apparent simplicity conceptually fascinating. Through thoughtful consumption and meaningful storytelling, he aims to foster an inclusive, innovative drinks industry deeply connected to the places and people behind every bottle.
Born and raised in North Earth England Liam grew up surrounded by breweries and quickly developed a taste for locally produced beers and ales. Over the years he's travelled with his parent, enjoying a wide range of flavours from the wines of the South of France to the bourbons of Kentucky and Tennessee and cocktails from every corner of the world. Now based in Bath he enjoys nothing more than a smooth pint of ale or a cool, refreshing lager. Though he remains the only person in the South West who won't touch cider!
A freelance writer for fifteen years Liam has been published in a variety of outlets, often covering film and television. Always on the lookout for new experiences to develop his skills and refine his pallet he is currently seeking to write on a broader range of topics, including the unique flavours of beverages from around the globe.
Originally from Ukraine, Natalia was an editor at ELLE, a copywriter for various brands, and a ghostwriter for celebrities. She loved discovering new bottles at home and abroad — but it remained a hobby until 2022. After relocating to the UK due to the war, Natalia pursued wine professionally. She now works as a wine advisor at Majestic in Somerset and has passed her WSET Level 2 with distinction. For her, wine is a gateway to conversation about everything from geography and history to pop culture and climate change. While she once explored cultural trends, she's now fascinated by the forces shaping wine, like the buzz around volcanic wines or underwater ageing. Her favourite kind of adventure? Meeting a Georgian winemaker on a plane and, an hour later, tasting qvevri-aged wine in a remote mountain village — or circling Corfu in search of a rare local bottle. She believes boldness drives progress — and admires winemakers who push boundaries. Natalia is especially passionate about Ukrainian wines made from indigenous grapes, which are gaining global recognition.