Meet Crystal and Roger — The Spirits Experts Behind The Liquor Connoisseur®

Google's quality guidelines require that review content comes from people with genuine expertise and experience. Here's exactly who Crystal and Roger are, what they've tasted, who they've interviewed, and why their reviews are worth trusting.

Crystal — Co-Host and Lead Educator

Crystal is the co-founder of The Liquor Connoisseur® and the primary spirits educator behind every episode. She approaches spirits with the same rigor a sommelier brings to wine — building knowledge systematically, category by category, with a commitment to understanding production, terroir, and the human stories behind every bottle.

Crystal leads every private tasting experience The Liquor Connoisseur® offers — from intimate in-home gatherings to corporate events across the Oklahoma City metro. She has personally guided hundreds of guests through structured nosing and tasting sessions, teaching the same methodology that informs every review on this blog.

Roger — Co-Host and Industry Analyst

Roger brings the analytical lens to The Liquor Connoisseur® — evaluating spirits not just for flavor but for value, production integrity, brand authenticity, and cultural significance. His particular focus is the business and culture of spirits: distribution systems, brand strategy, the Black-owned spirits movement, and the industry forces that shape what ends up on shelves.

Together: What Crystal and Roger Have Built

Since launching in 2023, Crystal and Roger have reviewed 136+ spirits across every major category — bourbon, tequila, cognac, Armagnac, rum, Scotch, Irish whiskey, rye whiskey, vodka, gin, mezcal, Bacanora, liqueur, and American Single Malt. They have conducted exclusive interviews with founders and industry leaders from brands including Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, Sorel Liqueur, Du Nord Social Spirits, Black Momma Vodka, Kilinga Bacanora, Fresh Victor, and dozens more.

They have been inside the production facilities of Hochatown Distilling Co. (Broken Bow, Oklahoma), Woodworks Distilling Co. (Oklahoma City), Bardstown Bourbon Company (Bardstown, Kentucky), and Black Momma Vodka's distillery (New Jersey). They attended and covered the Taste of Black Spirits event in Brooklyn, one of the most important annual gatherings of Black-owned spirits brands in the country.

Credentials and Recognition

The Liquor Connoisseur® holds a registered trademark for spirits education and podcast services (USPTO Serial Number 98603108, filed June 2024). Crystal and Roger are Oklahoma City-based spirits educators with a combined tasting history spanning hundreds of expressions across 15+ spirit categories. Their work has been featured across YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and Amazon Music, with a combined audience of over 1,000 YouTube subscribers and growing podcast listener base.

Editorial Policy

Every spirit reviewed on The Liquor Connoisseur® is evaluated using a consistent methodology: appearance, nose (with open-mouth technique), palate (first sip and developed palate), finish, and value at price. No payment is accepted for reviews. No spirit receives a positive review in exchange for gifted product or sponsorship. Where a brand relationship exists (e.g., founder interviews), this is disclosed in the episode. The review itself is always independent.

The Tasting Methodology

Crystal and Roger taste every spirit neat first, at room temperature, using a tulip-shaped glass or Glencairn. The spirit is allowed to rest 2-3 minutes before nosing. The open-mouth nosing technique is used to reduce ethanol impact on the olfactory receptors. Water is added for high-proof expressions (46%+ ABV) to open aromatic compounds. Tasting notes are documented during the session and not retroactively edited.

→ Read our full Tasting Methodology post

→ Book a private tasting with Crystal and Roger

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→ Watch on YouTube @theliquorconnoisseur