Lew Bryson has been writing about beer and spirits full-time since 1995. He was the managing editor of Whisky Advocate magazine from 1996 through 2015. He was a Senior Drinks Writer for the Daily Beast from 2017 through 2022. He is currently a columnist for Craft Spirits magazine (“Lew’s Bottom Shelf”). He does a biweekly solo podcast on drinks and food in Central Pennsylvania, Seen Through A Glass, and appears regularly on What’s Brewing PA, the popular NBCSports-TV beer series.

Bryson is the author of Tasting Whiskey (Storey Publishing, 2014), a broad survey of the whiskeys of the world, their history and manufacture; and Whiskey Master Class (Harvard Common Press, 2020), a deep dive on all aspects of whiskey flavor creation. His newest book, American Whiskey Master Class (Harvard Common Press), debuted in September, 2025, with a similar focus to the previous book, but with a focus on American whiskeys.

He has also written four regional brewery guidebooks, and was selected as the 2008 winner of the Michael Jackson Beer Journalism Award (Trade and Specialty Beer Media). He has served as a judge for the American Craft Spirits Association and the Great American Beer Festival, the New York State Brewers Association, Virginia Spirits First Landing Cup, and the ASCOT Awards.

Bryson lives in central Pennsylvania with his wife Cathy and two Pembroke Welsh Corgis, Pippin and Samwise.