David Wondrich is an accomplished American author, known for his work in the fields of humor, entertainment, food, and wine. He was born in Monongahela, Pennsylvania, often referred to as Mon City, and spent his childhood moving around to various popular cities across the nation.
Before becoming an author, Wondrich had a diverse range of jobs and interests. He was a bass player, an English professor, and a ragtime writer. These experiences have no doubt contributed to his unique voice and perspective in his writing.
Wondrich was born near the Monongahela River and was raised mostly in suburban New York City. His early career included a variety of jobs such as house painter, mattress stuffer, messenger, clerk, process server for a mob lawyer, and bass player in numerous bands. Eventually, he went on to earn a doctorate in Comparative Literature, specializing in Latin scientific poetry. This led to a job as an English professor, which he did not enjoy. Instead, he found his passion in writing about jazz and ragtime for the Village Voice and the New York Times, and about cocktails for Esquire.
Wondrich has been the Senior Cocktail Columnist at the Daily Beast and is currently the Editor in Chief of the Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails (2021). His book, "Imbibe," published in 2007, has become an essential text for bartenders and cocktail enthusiasts. It was the first cocktail book to win a James Beard award. His follow-up book, "Punch," published in 2010, has helped revive the tradition of the punch bowl around the world. Wondrich is known for his expertise in cocktails and has made significant contributions to the field.