Livio Lauro started his beverage career over 25 years ago in Southern Italy at the famous Club Valentino and later at the cocktail-centric Dolce Vita; both located on the beautiful island of Ischia in the heart of the Mediterranean.

The recipient of several prestigious awards in international cocktail competitions, Livio was recognized in 2002 for passing the final Capo Barman AIBES exam, the most prestigious testing series sanctioned by the Italian Bartenders Association.

Livio is widely recognized as one of the most instrumental figures in the resurgence of the United States Bartenders' Guild (USBG) and is the founding President of the Guild's Master Accreditation program, which is the premier national testing body for bartenders in the United States.

His seminars are routinely featured at major beverage trade shows and are recognized as being both innovative and trend setting.

Since 2001, Livio has been employed by Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits in Las Vegas and works alongside the foremost distillers and beverage importers in the world. He also works with many of the most recognizable hospitality corporations by assisting them in the development of successful and profitable Beverage initiatives.

Livio owns some 400 vintage and modern books on mixology, hospitality, alcoholic beverages, and drinking culture and is very passionate about his research on these topics. He is also the author of the Liquid Legacy book and co-author of The Twelve Cocktails and The Beverage Engineer.