Zahra Bates

Zahra Bates had humble beginnings in spirits. She had to beg to be let behind the bar. Learning how to make drinks and provide a quality experience was what got her chasing the cocktail. She honed her skills in London for 5 years, back when it was called “the best cocktail city in the world” by The New York Times. She returned to Los Angeles to fine tune her culinary cocktail ideology, featured on both the Cooking Channel and the Food Network for her culinary cocktail creations.

Zahra went on to co-found Art Beyond the Glass, now in its tenth year, considered to be the definitive event in Los Angeles, and has grown to Oakland, Chicago, Oklahoma City and NYC. This nonprofit focuses on all the arts that can be created in and beyond the glass by local bartenders to strengthen the community in which they live.

Now, Zahra is a passionate educator for Maison Courvoisier and an advocate for everyday Joie De Vivre.