About Matt Pietrek aka The Rum Wonk
Matt Pietrek, aka Rum Wonk and Cocktail Wonk
Matt Pietrek is among the world’s foremost spirits writers and educators, focusing primarily on rum. He also consults for many of top rum brands. With his spouse, Carrie Smith, he owns and operates Wonk Press LLC, a publishing company focusing on books for spirited people.
Books
Matt is the author of Modern Caribbean Rum: A Contemporary Reference to the Region’s Essential Spirit, the 2023 Spirited Award winner for Best New Book on Drinks Culture, History, or Spirits. The 850-page encyclopedia of rum covers rum making, the rum industry, and features detailed looks at over 75 Caribbean rum producers.
Previously he wrote Minimalist Tiki: A Cocktail Wonk Look at Classic Libations and the Modern Tiki Vanguard, a 2020 Spirited Award finalist for Best New Cocktail or Bartending Book.
He is also a contributor to the Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails, edited by David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum.
Consulting
Matt serves as the community envoy for the West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers’ Association (WIRSPA), a trade group of 30+ rum makers in 14 CARICOM countries, including Jamaica, Barbados, Guyana, and Trinidad. In this role, he works closely with the management and technical staff of member distilleries to connect them with rum enthusiasts and help elevate the category.
Separately, Matt provides consulting services, education, and content creation to many rum makers and rum brands.
Articles
Matt ‘s superpower is explaining complex topics at the intersection of distilled spirits, technology, history and business. He authors two websites: Rum Wonk and Cocktail Wonk.
Rum Wonk highlights advanced, industry-insider perspectives on rum, both past and present, while Cocktail Wonk covers cocktails and other distilled spirits. Before starting Rum Wonk, his rum topic writings appeared on Cocktail Wonk.
Matt has also written for numerous beverage industry publications including PUNCH, Bevvy, Drinks International, ADI Distiller, Distilled, and Bourbon Plus.
Rum Educator
Matt is among today’s top educators on rum, presenting at
The UK Rumfest
Paris Rumfest
Miami Rum Congress
California Rumfest
Arizona Tiki Oasis
The Hukilau
As an expert on distilled spirit regulations and geographical indications (GIs), Matt has presented at two European Union conferences on this subject.
Matt also offers highly advanced 1-on-1 rum education sessions for private individuals.
History
Matt is an avid researcher and collector of historical documents. Brands like Mount Gay, Renegade Rum, Hayman Distillers and Maison Ferrand have commissioned Matt to undertake history-related research. Matt created and oversees Facebook’s Rum History group and is arguably the world’s foremost expert on Royal Navy rum history.
Publishing
Husband and wife team Matt Pietrek and Carrie Smith operate Wonk Press, a new type of profit-sharing publishing company creating uncompromising books about spirits and lifestyle topics. They partner with authors with great content that wouldn’t get the attention of mainstream publishers.
The current Wonk Press portfolio include:
Minimalist Tiki (Matt Pietrek & Carrie Smith)
Modern Caribbean Rum (Matt Pietrek & Carrie Smith)
Polynesiacs – Tiki at Home (Tom Jaynes)
The Tequila Ambassador V.O. (Tomas Estes)
Vestige: Twenty Years of Modern Pin-Up (Susana Vestige)
Recognition
Matt is a four-time Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award finalist in the writing categories and won the category in 2023. In 2018 he was part of Imbibe magazine’s annual list of 75 people, places, and ideas shaping the drinks world.
Social Media
Personal Life
In a previous life, Matt was a software architect for several high-profile companies, including Borland, NuMega and Microsoft, and he wrote three books on Windows systems engineering. He and Carrie live in New Orleans with their boxers (Admiral) Nelson and (Admiral) Rodney.