Katy grew up surrounded by a passion for food and the people who make it, going to Minneapolis farmers markets with her parents and creating dishes from what they found there. She entered the craft side of bartending as one of the members of the opening team at Parlour, one of the original cocktail bars in Minnesota, where she realized that she could turn the passion and creativity she grew up with into a career. Three years later, she decided to shake things up in her life, and bought a one-way ticket to Europe. After three months of traveling, Katy returned to Minneapolis ready to try something new, and joined the bar team at Hola Arepa, where she helmed the bar program for nearly 6 years. Outside of work, she creates time to give back to her community through her work with the Minneapolis/St. Paul chapter of the US Bartenders Guild, where she was on the board in the role of Charity Coordinator for 4 years. She’s excited to utilize her passion for travel and discovery as the Spirits Portfolio Director for New France, introducing consumers to new experiences, spanning the globe, through what is in their glass.