Paul Tanguay

In a career that has spanned more than 25 years, with stops in multiple cites and countries, if you ask Paul how he got his start he would say: “kitchen rat”. Mr. Tanguay spent the better part of his career working in different the mom and pop -insert style of cuisine- restaurants, high volume brasseries, burgeoning mini-chains and corporate establishments, toiling in different positions and learning the ins and outs of the business.

Mr. Tanguay is an accredited sommelier by the American Sommelier Association and considered one of the pre-eminent sake authorities in the United States. In March 2008, Paul completed the first English language sake sommelier certificate from the Sake Education Council, passing both Levels I and II.

He has been featured in multiple national publications and made several television appearances. Paul was the winner of the 2006 Eastern U.S. Sake Sommelier Competition and ranked among the top ten at the 2006 World Sake Sommelier Competition in Tokyo, Japan. In 2010, he helped form the Sake Education Council; he currently sits on the board of directors as vice-president and treasurer.

His last venture has him paired with master mixologist extraordinaire and alcohol aficionado, Tad Carducci, forming a new beverage consulting company called Tippling Bros. in 2007. Having first met as participants of the first ever B.A.R. (Beverage Alcohol Resource), the premier spirits and mixology organization in the U.S, they now travel wherever their work takes them, sitting on judging panels, lecturing on all things alcoholic and generally living the sporting life. He is also a partner in the Mercadito Hospitality group, with outposts in New York, Chicago and Miami.

Paul lives in Chicago and spends most of his free time in the kitchen cooking up a storm and using every pot in the house.