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Charles Joly is a global bartending champion, James Beard Award winning beverage designer, content contributor, speaker and philanthropic enthusiast. With over 20 years in the hospitality industry, he has helped to usher in the modern age of the cocktail, while showcasing his talents at premier world events such as the Oscars, Emmys, Grammy’s, Kentucky Derby and beverage leadership summits including Tales of the Cocktail, Diageo World Class and Berlin Bar Convent.
 
As first ever American to achieve a win at World Class sponsored by Diageo, Charles is dedicated to cultivating and educating today’s bartenders and dedicates his time globally to participate in spirited competitions. With culinary roots planted deeply as former beverage director at the famed Aviary in Chicago, Charles’ talents earned him “Top 10 Most Influential Bartenders” by Bon Appetite. In 2014 he launched his own brand, Crafthouse Cocktails. True, bottled cocktails designed to make high quality, unpretentious beverages accessible and bring people together to celebrate. A partnership with Fortessa Tableware Solutions has delivered a functional and stunning line of bar tools and glassware for the home bartender and professional alike found in Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel. in 2021 Charles partnered with the team from Abstract Ice to bring craft ice to cocktail enthusiasts and bars.
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A native of Chicago’s South Side, Charles readily partners with charities dear to him including No Kid Hungry/Taste of the Nation, Meals On Wheels, Habitat For Humanity and rescue animal organizations. When he’s not mixing up cocktails, Charles is spending time with his rescue pittie, Jackson (#AdoptDontShop), scouring vintage and flea markets for buried treasure that he shares on his Instagram account @TellTailVintage and trying to keep his many house plants alive.