Cat Wolinski

Managing Editor + Writer

United States

Hi, I'm Cat Wolinski. Welcome to my portfolio!

I'm an editor and writer specializing in food and drink (beer, wine, spirits, and non-alcoholic alternatives), men's and women's lifestyle, and small business. I'm a born and bread New Yorker based in Brooklyn.

Please peruse my work from publications including VinePair, the Wall Street Journal, Men's Journal, Men's Health, Craft Beer & Brewing, Civil Eats, and Brokelyn below.

Samples are organized into clickable editing and writing sections:

–EDITING / Features + Profiles
–EDITING / Service + Guides
–WRITING / Features + Profiles
–WRITING / Service + Guides
–MULTIMEDIA /
–"Show All" to see all editing and writing clips in one place.

Thank you for visiting!

Cheers,
Cat

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Portfolio

EDITING / Food + Recipes

VinePair | Mandy Naglich
02/15/2022
Brew Your Own Adventure: Belgian Beer Recipes

Belgian beers are known for a bouquet of aromas featuring many complex layers of fruits, toast, baking spices, and candy. These varied flavors give the impression of a complicated recipe composed of many ingredients, but they're in fact all thanks to one ingredient: Belgian yeast.

VinePair | Katie Brown
01/17/2022
11 Non-Alcoholic Cocktail Recipes From Top Bartenders

With the number of health-conscious consumers on the rise, soaring popularity of low-proof beverages like the Spritz, and more people participating in Dry January than ever before, bars and bartenders are upping their zero-proof cocktail game. Called no-proof, spirit-free, or NA (for non-alcoholic), these balanced drinks are a far cry from previous eras' hastily concocted "mocktails."

VinePair | Beth Demmon
11/26/2021
Is Natural Wine the Key to Unlocking Hard Cider's Second Act?

Conversations about natural wine have been buzzing for the past few years, but the oft-misunderstood slice of beverage alcohol seems to (finally) be coming into its own. Plenty of drink lists, bottle shops, bars and even entire festivals are now dedicated to the naturally fermented, low-intervention, hand-picked hard grape juice.

VinePair | Katie Brown
11/07/2021
14 Bourbon-Spiked Dessert Recipes and What to Drink With Them

Fall is here, and with it comes some of our favorite things: cozy sweaters, crunchy leaves, and, of course, the return of some beloved cool weather flavors. And while many people associate fall with pumpkin, apple, and gingerbread, we at VinePair are most excited for another seasonal staple: bourbon.

VinePair | Joshua M. Bernstein
10/18/2021
Feeling Brine: How Pickles Became the Brewing Industry's Latest Culinary Muse

This October, VinePair is celebrating our second annual American Beer Month . From beer style basics to unexpected trends (pickle beer, anyone?), to historical deep dives and new developments in package design, expect an exploration of all that's happening in breweries and taprooms across the United States all month long.

VinePair
05/22/2020
The Ultimate Guide to French Press Cocktails (Plus Recipes)

Bartenders have been serving small batch cocktails with the French press for years. The coffee brewing tool is just one of the contemporary cocktail renaissance's many contributions to drink culture. Now, home bartenders are also embracing this fashionable way of creating bespoke elixirs of spirits, juices, fruits, herbs, and whatever else they can scrounge up in their kitchens.

VinePair | Emma Cranston
07/12/2021
Lunar Hard Seltzer Is Pioneering Authentic Asian American Flavors

Kevin Wong and Sean Ro have been friends for over a decade. After graduating from the University of Virginia, the two moved to NYC where Wong started a career in finance before moving into tech startups, and Ro worked as a UX designer. The roommates eventually started homebrewing in their shared studio apartment.

EDITING / Pro Tips + Perspectives

VinePair | Stephanie Cain
08/02/2021
The Most Popular Signature Wedding Drinks of 2021, According to Wedding Planners

This month, VinePair is exploring how drinks pros are taking on old trends with modern innovations. In Old Skills, New Tricks, we examine contemporary approaches to classic cocktails and clever techniques behind the bar - plus convention-breaking practices in wine, beer, whiskey, and more.

VinePair
03/05/2021
Drinks With Francis Ford Coppola

On today's episode of "End of Day Drinks," we're talking with the iconic director Francis Ford Coppola. He's known for his amazing movies, but he's also just as well known for his amazing wine. While many know him for Francis Ford Coppola Winery, Francis owns many other wineries.

VinePair | Kristin Braswell
10/09/2020
Why You Should Be Using Fresh Herbs in Your Cocktails

One of the easiest ways to bring fresh, robust flavors to food is by introducing spices and herbs. Cocktails are no different: A few basil leaves or sprinkle of thyme can change a dull drink into a delicious one, adding depth of flavor that liqueurs and mixers just can't compete with.

VinePair | Lauren Mowery
04/13/2020
A Beginner's Guide to Central America's Acclaimed Coffee Varieties

The volcanic topography and tropical climate of Central America make the narrow isthmus between North and South America well-suited for coffee growing. All seven countries in the region grow coffee, and several of them do so with astonishing, specialty-grade results.

VinePair | Christine Clark
03/02/2020
7 Swiss Cheeses That You Should Know (and None of Them Have Holes)

When thinking of Swiss cheese, the floppy, flavorless deli slices with gaping holes may spring to mind. That cheese is an industrialized version - the wheels weigh in at a whopping 225 pounds - of the O.G. Swiss cheese Emmentaler. However, there are many other unique and delicious Swiss cheeses to enjoy.

WRITING / Features + Profiles

VinePair
08/13/2019
How Breweries Are Making Space for Adults With Disabilities

Brewability Lab, the first brewery in the U.S. staffed by adults with developmental disabilities, is making moves. According to a recent announcement, the Denver operation is moving and rebranding as Brewability on Broadway. Founder Tiffany Fixter describes the new location as "far more accessible and conducive to business" than its original space.

VinePair
06/25/2019
Pride and Politics: Gay Beer and Marketing 'Authenticity'

"Babe, can you grab me a beer?" asks a beefy, sports-watching man in an online advertisement launched this month by Loyal Brands. "Babe," a svelte-looking man, joins Beefy on the couch with two beers. The punchline, of course, is that they are drinking Gay Beer.

VinePair
06/17/2019
What We Miss When We Celebrate D.C.'s Revitalized Drinks and Restaurant Culture

"Always changing" is how Anita, a patron at Ben's Next Door, recently described the bar's frozen cocktail selection. Hoping for a raspberry slushie, she instead got strawberry lemonade. Change in any city is inevitable, but it's especially apparent in local bars, and in a city where four- and eight-year presidential terms determine the "vibe."

VinePair
04/30/2019
Lily Waite Is Making the Beer World a Better Place, One Collab at a Time

On Friday, April 26, 2019, at approximately 6 p.m., 40 bars and taprooms across the U.K. celebrated the simultaneous launch of Queer Royale, the first beer released by the Queer Brewing Project. The Queer Brewing Project (TQBP) was created by Lily Waite, an artist and beer writer seeking to raise awareness of LGBTQ issues in the beer industry.

VinePair
03/22/2019
Crowns & Hops Is Bringing Craft Beer to 'The New Now'

"It's like the glitch-in-the-Matrix feeling. You know something's wrong, but you can't put your finger on it," Teo Hunter says, recalling a beer release he attended at a brewery. "Then it just hit me - I was the only black dude in the line."

VinePair
02/26/2019
Inside Oakland's Vibrant Wine Scene Created for and by Black Americans

Oakland's appeal encompasses a cultural cornucopia of food, music, art, and activism. Wine lovers will feel right at home here, too, as a growing network of winemakers in Oakland and the Bay Area is establishing its own identity, apart from its well-established neighbors in Napa and Sonoma.

Men's Journal
06/12/2017
The Most Interesting Man in the World on the Pursuit of Love

Jonathan Goldsmith is an actor best known for his role as the "Most Interesting Man in the World," an advertising campaign character created by the Dos Equis beer company that experienced unbelievable success on television and the internet, achieving meme fame like no other.

Men's Journal
04/20/2017
Finding America's Best Bars With 'Booze Traveler' Star Jack Maxwell

As host of the television show Booze Traveler now entering its fourth season on the Travel Channel, Jack Maxwell has traipsed the globe taking part in drinking customs of cultures around the world. Rarely has he stepped foot in the States for these lubricated jaunts, but the new spin-off series Booze Traveler: Best Bars chronicles par excellence bars throughout the United States.

Men's Journal
05/31/2017
Inside the World of YouTube Beer Reviewers

As the world's second largest search engine after Google, which owns it, and the third most visited site on the Internet, after Google and Facebook, YouTube attracts billions of eyeballs to a medium that creates its own celebrities. A whole generation has become enamored of YouTube stars who are making as much money as, and sometimes more than, traditional television stars.

WRITING / Service + Guides

VinePair
01/05/2022
The 20 Best Non-Alcoholic Beers (2022)

Low- and no-alcohol beers may be drops in the proverbial bucket of total U.S. beer sales, but as more options come to market - the volume of NA beer is expected to increase close to 11 percent in 2022, according to Global Market Insights - it's impossible to ignore its growing prominence in boutique beer shops and health-oriented craft beer drinking communities.

VinePair
10/28/2021
The 25 Most Important IPAs Right Now, Ranked (2021)

This October, VinePair is celebrating our second annual American Beer Month . From beer style basics to unexpected trends (pickle beer, anyone?), to historical deep dives and new developments in package design, expect an exploration of all that's happening in breweries and taprooms across the United States all month long.

Men's Health
10/14/2021
23 Gift Ideas for the Dude With a Home Bar

Shopping for a spirited spirit-lover this season? For the cocktail connoisseur or home bar hobbyist, there's no shortage of knick-knacks to elevate his at-home drinking experience. But, since anyone reading this is likely in a pre-holiday shopping mood to get the perfect gift for their drinking buddy, we've curated a list of 23 must-haves for the living room mixologist.

VinePair
12/20/2019
The 35 Most Important Breweries of the Decade (2010s)

Beer runs on a different timeline than other beverages. In wine years, a decade is a fraction of a family-owned vineyard's story. The same period is barely enough time to age a decent bourbon. But in the last 10 years, beer - craft beer, especially - has undergone seismic shifts.

VinePair
11/19/2019
12 of the Best Wines at Costco Right Now, Ranked

Costco is more than a bargain-buying warehouse. It's an international phenomenon. So loyal are its fans, the conglomerate has inspired Instagram accounts and blogs unaffiliated with its business yet devoted to sharing its wares - and wines. Costco's wine selection includes its own Kirkland brand, as well as bottles from other producers.

VinePair
08/28/2019
20 of the Best Cognacs at Every Age and Price, Tasted and Ranked (2020)

Cognac exports grew for the fifth year in a row this year, and, it turns out, Americans are driving that growth. Of the 211 million bottles that departed from France thus far in 2019, 94 million were sold in the U.S. Cognac is categorized by age designations, most commonly V.S., V.S.O.P., and X.O.

VinePair
07/17/2019
18 of the Best Low-Calorie, Low-Alcohol Beers, Tasted and Ranked

" Better-for-you" beers with lower calories, carbohydrates, and alcohol by volume (ABV) are out in full swing. VinePair gathered a panel to blind-taste and rank more than 30 beers marketed to consumers as having "healthier" ingredients and calorie counts. Given the vast array of options, we divided them into two categories: lagers and ales.

VinePair
05/15/2019
12 of the Best Summer Beers to Throw in Your Beach Bag, Backpack, or Beer Fridge

Summer is an exciting season for beer-drinking. Suddenly, radlers, shandies, citrus-spiked goses, and berry-infused everything start to appear and multiply on store shelves. Each is expertly engineered for fun, frivolity, and refreshment. For this year's pick of our summer favorites, we tasted dozens of new releases from trusted brewers, as well as a few new-to-the-market brands.

VinePair
02/13/2019
The 30 Best Tequilas for Every Budget (2019)

According to the Distilled Spirits Council, Americans purchased 17.2 million 9-liter cases of tequila in 2017, and exports from Mexico to the U.S. increased nearly 200 percent in the last 10 years. Ultra-high-end brands like Patrón and Casa Noble are leading this growth - some offering bottles priced in the thousands - but there are plenty of affordable alternatives that rival even the most luxury brands.

VinePair
02/01/2019
Everything You Need to Know to Start Homebrewing Today

February 2019 marks the 40th anniversary of the federal legalization of homebrewing in the U.S. The modern homebrewing movement spans casual hobbyists and dedicated technicians driving craft beer culture and trends. Its strength is proven in numbers: The American Homebrewers Association, founded in 1978, currently claims 46,000 members.

VinePair
11/02/2018
Everything You Need to Know About Beer Cheese, Including How to Make It

Every June, thousands of people gather in Winchester, Ky., for the annual Beer Cheese Festival. The family-friendly fest has brought out Kentucky locals and tourists around beer, music, arts and crafts, and competitions for 10 years. The spread that keeps everyone coming back? Beer cheese. Beer cheese is prevalent in the Bluegrass State.

Men's Journal
04/18/2017
The 101 Best Beers in America

Our team of experts scoured the country to find the most delicious ales and lagers in all 50 states.

Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine
04/01/2017
Beercation: Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn's beer scene is new. The borough, on the western tip of Long Island (across the East River from Manhattan), is one of five that make up New York City, but its culture influence as a progenitor of trends is widely acknowledged.

QNS
06/06/2016
Queens beer guide: Explore the best craft beers neighborhood by neighborhood

The Queens Bar Guide, accompanying the Queens Beer Book, brings you the best way to discover the exploding craft beer scene in Queens. Consider this as your explorer's guide to great food and drink spots you haven't been to yet, as well as an incentive to revisit neighborhood favorites in: Astoria * Bayside * Forest Hills ...

Thrillist
07/20/2015
11 Drinking Field Trips via NYC Public Transit

Your two-item summer bucket list: 1) get out of NYC 2) drink Check them off at THE SAME TIME with one of these 11 drinking field trips, all of which you can use public transit to get to from Manhattan, then drink all day, and still get home at night.

Brokelyn
Queens Beer Book 2

The annual Queens Beer Book returns for the 2nd year, bringing the best way to discover the exploding craft beer scene in Queens. The limited-edition Queens Beer Book has been carefully curated offering more than 30 beers at more than 30 of the best bars, breweries and beer-centric eateries across Queens for $30, featuring hand-picked venues in Astoria, Long Island City, Sunnyside, Jackson Heights, Ridgewood, Forest Hills, Whitestone and Bayside.

Brokelyn
Beer Book 11: Upper Brooklyn

Clear off your drinking calendars and crack open some new pages in your book o' boozy adventures because the 2016 Beer Books are on sale right now! As Brokelyn readers know, we curate these books every year so you get more than 30 beers at more than 30 of the best beer slinging watering holes, gastropubs, dives and craft beer bars in the borough.

Brokelyn
Beer Book 12: Middle Brooklyn

SORRY, THE MIDDLE BROOKLYN BEER BOOK IS NOW SOLD OUT, but we have a limited supply of the Upper Brooklyn Beer Book Clear off your drinking calendars and crack open some new pages in your book o' boozy adventures because the 2016 Beer Books are on sale right now!

MULTIMEDIA / Video + Infographics

VinePair
The 2021 VinePair Next Wave Awards

Introducing the inaugural VinePair Next Wave Awards, recognizing spirits, wine, and beer professionals who have distinguished themselves in the past year for propelling the industry forward to a brighter, more equitable, and sustainable future. This year's Next Wave Awards celebrate creativity, innovation, and goodwill, and underscore the importance of those pursuits in shaping and revolutionizing drinks culture as we know it.

VinePair
12/27/2021
Beaujolais at the Table: Gage and Tollner [Video]

In this episode of Beaujolais at the Table, VinePair sits down with Gage and Tollner executive chef Adam Shepard to discuss Beaujonomie - a concept, philosophy, and mindset of convivial sharing and lively conversation. The spirit of Beaujonomie sparks a moment of enjoyment while sharing a table, Beaujolais wine, and a meal with family and friends.

VinePair
08/18/2021
How to Stock Your Wedding Bar [INFOGRAPHIC]

Weddings today prioritize the guest experience, and what better way to show friends and family a good time than by stocking the bar full of the favorites? The vast majority of receptions include bar services; 78 percent of couples host an alcoholic bar, and another 10 percent offer zero-proof drinks, according to the WeddingWire's 2020 Newlywed Report.

VinePair
05/14/2021
Drinks With Dia Simms, CEO of Lobos 1707 Tequila and Mezcal

In this episode of "End Of Day Drinks," VinePair's editorial team is joined by Dia Simms, CEO of Lobos 1707 Tequila & Mezcal. Simms details life before entering the spirits industry, explaining how her prior experiences working in the U.S. government and at Combs Enterprises laid the foundation for where she is today.

VinePair
04/23/2021
Drinks With Garrett Oliver, Brooklyn Brewery Brewmaster

In this special episode of "End Of Day Drinks," VinePair's editorial team is joined by Garrett Oliver, brewmaster at Brooklyn Brewery. Oliver is a man who wears many fancy hats, but the past year has seen him stuck inside like the rest of us.

VinePair | Em Sauter
Ale Academy

Welcome to Ale Academy (and Lagers, Too)! In this Intro to Beer Styles course, each comic-ale lesson will introduce a type of beer along with exemplary bottles, plus splashes of history mixed in. Class is taught by the illustrious (and fictional) Dr. Janine D. Clerk, who is the newest head of academic learning at the academy. She’s also a distant relative of the famous Belgian brewing scientist Jean De Clerck. Now that you’re up to speed, it’s time to learn about beer!

VinePair
11/06/2019
The Life of a Beer (Infographic)

Before it hits your lips, beer endures a long, arduous journey. This infographic shows every step it takes to get from hops and grains to your glass.

BeerAffair/Patrick Phillips
10/05/2017
A Minoh Minute

A minute with Minoh Beer, famed women-owned craft brewery in Osaka, Japan.

BeerAffair/Ale Street News
08/30/2017
Brewers Define Craft Beer at BCTC 2017

Brewers at BCTC 2017 (Belgium Comes to Cooperstown) beer festival at Brewery Ommegang answer the question: What Does Craft Beer Mean to You?

BeerAffair/Brokelyn
09/21/2016
Meet Interboro

This is "Meet Interboro" by Patrick Phillips on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

BeerAffair/Ale Street News
08/22/2017
Ale Street News Tours - GABF 2016

Ale Street News Tours the Great American Beer Festival in 2016, with trips to Denver and Fort Collins breweries including New Belgium and Funkwerks. A Beer Affair Production. Producer: Cat Wolinski. Director of Photography: Patrick Phillips.

BeerAffair/Ale Street News
09/08/2016
Mondial de la Biere (English Version)

This is "Mondial Festival English" by Patrick Phillips on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.