Today we’d like to introduce you to Thea Engst
Hi Thea, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I moved to Somerville, MA in 2009 to earn my MFA in Creative Writing with a focus in Poetry from Emerson College. To support myself, I started working in hospitality as a host, rising through the ranks pretty quickly. I was a bartender by 2012 and a bar manager by 2013. While I went on to work as an assistant general manager and general manager, I realized that I had left my heart behind the bar and returned behind the stick in 2017 until the pandemic.
Before that — sometime in 2016 I think — I was fortunate enough to pitch my first book concept, Drink Like a Bartender, to a friend I met at Emerson who had gone into publishing. She loved the idea and it was approved almost immediately. So my coworker and friend, Lauren Vigdor, and I wrote the book together in a few months, it was published in 2017 and rated one of the “Best Booze Books of 2017” by Forbes.
When the pandemic hit in 2020, I decided to take a step back from the industry and focus on my first love: writing. Coincidentally, Adams Media, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, which had published my first book, was looking for someone to write recipes for an upcoming cookbook: The Unofficial Disney Parks Drink Recipe Book. I wrote the alcoholic recipes for that author, Ashley Craft, who doesn’t drink alcohol. That book is a NY Times Bestseller! Ashley and I have collaborated on two more books, she’s amazing!
Between my working with Ashley, Adams Media approached me again for another book concept, this time with Greek mythology expert and podcaster Liv Albert. They wanted 75 cocktails paired with Greek gods, goddesses, myths, etc. So Liv wrote the book and I wrote the recipes. Nectar of the Gods was published in 2022. I adored working with Liv on this, I love this book!
After all of that, I wanted a book of my own. I pitched Spirits of the Tarot: a cocktail for each tarot card, incorporating ingredients inspired by the interpretations of the card, and an introduction to tarot and astrology. Adams Media accepted it and I wrote the entire book in just nine weeks! It was published in 2023 and won a Readable Feast Award for Excellence in Beverage, Beer, Wine, and Spirits writing.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I think the most bumps I hit in the road were my own self-doubts if I’m being honest. When Adams Media asked me to write 75 original recipes for Nectar of the Gods I had just signed on to help Ashley with yet another of her beautiful cookbooks — Adams wanted 75 recipes for Nectar of the Gods in just six weeks. My head immediately said, “Nope” but my heart wanted to try it. I was fully ready to tell them that I couldn’t possibly do both when I asked my good friend, Michaela for her thoughts. She gave me this great pep talk and I told them yes the next day. You know what? I did it! And I did it well, I’m so proud of that book and grateful to Michaela for giving me the encouragement I needed. (I have the best friends on the planet!) I know that because of the work I did then, my pitch for my own book soon after was listened to. Now, I’m working with an agent on another cocktail book concept!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a writer and cocktail recipe developer. I’d say I’m most known for my cocktail recipes but I also love writing about and learning about beer and wine. One of my goals is to become a sommelier someday!
I’m most proud of writing Spirits of the Tarot in just nine weeks — yes, that includes all 78 recipes.
What sets me apart from others is a tough question. There are a lot of amazing cocktail creators out there who are hustling just as hard as me. I think I got lucky to have been in the same room as the right people and I had the hustle to back it up.
How do you think about happiness?
I love making a drink for someone and watching their face light up because they just love it. Creating something that gives someone else joy makes me really happy, I think because it’s like a little work of art you can share in a very relatable way. Sharing a drink is my love language!
Pricing:
- $150/hr.
- $200/recipe
Contact Info:
- Website: https://theaengst.com/
- Instagram: @theaengstauthor
- Facebook: @engstythea
Image Credits
Photo credit: Mathew DeCosta