Chris Vola, a graduate of the Columbia University MFA Writing Program, is the head bartender at New York City's neo-speakeasy Little Branch, where he trained under the late cocktail pioneer Sasha Petraske. In addition to a short story collection, two poetry collections, and two novels, he is the author of The Cocktail Atlas (2024), Cheers to Today (2022), and Pour One Out (2019). His writings about drinks, literature, food, and pop culture have appeared in print and online journals, including PopMatters, Paste Magazine, The Brooklyn Rail, Thrillist, Supercall, and McSweeney's Internet Tendency. He lives in New York City.