Derek Brown Biography

Derek Brown (born September 21, 1974) is an American entrepreneur, writer and bartender (a term he prefers to mixologist). In addition to being a leader in the classic cocktail movement, he is an expert on the history and culture of spirits and drinks. Brown travels the world teaching seminars on the importance of alcohol in shaping our society, and learning about regional and local variations of spirits and drinks. He owns bars Columbia Room, The Passenger, Mockingbird Hill, Eat the Rich, and Southern Efficiency in Washington, D.C..

Brown serves on the Board of Directors for the Museum of the American Cocktail. Washington D.C.
Brown was born in Washington D.C. and grew up in Olney, Maryland. He lived briefly in Charleston, South Carolina and Atlanta, Georgia before returning to the D.C. area to attend George Mason University. Throughout high school he was a part of the Washington, D.C. punk scene and is still heavily influenced by its music and DIY attitude[clarification needed]. He credits the band The Clash with opening the world to an 11-year-old boy in the suburbs.