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From JAG to Gin – How One Veteran Couple is Disrupting Spirits Discovery

🕒 By Jessie Ott | Thirsty Thursdays @3PM EST
🎙️ Featuring: Mike & Dolly Waskiewicz, Co-Founders of The Bar Book

What if your next favorite spirit wasn’t sitting on a shelf—but in your pocket? That’s the question Mike and Dolly Waskiewicz set out to answer when they created The Bar Book, a revolutionary app that matches people with spirits based on taste, not brand.

These two aren't your typical startup founders—they’re U.S. Army veterans with decades of service, including careers in JAG, global deployments, and legal leadership. Their pivot from the courtroom to the cocktail world is not only inspiring—it’s solving a real market problem.

💡 Why The Bar Book Matters

For consumers, choosing a spirit often means guessing based on a label, a friend’s recommendation, or blind luck. For brands, especially small or veteran-owned producers, getting discovered is an uphill battle.

The Bar Book bridges that gap—think “Dating App for Spirits” meets WSET-certified palate intelligence. It helps you:

• Discover new brands by flavor profile
• Save and track your favorites
• Explore cocktails and where to find them
• Connect with bars and bartenders in real-time
• Give smaller brands visibility based on taste, not budget

🔍 What Makes It Different?

Mike and Dolly are building The Bar Book as a family-run, veteran-powered venture, with real user needs in mind. It’s not about algorithms from Silicon Valley—it’s about the real flavor experience.

And in 2025, they’re opening up the platform to onboard brands, bars, and industry partners. The goal? To democratize discovery and create a community-first platform for the spirits world.

🥃 A Few Takeaways from the Episode:

✅ How their military mindset helps them lead with clarity and kindness
✅ Why flavor tech is the future of beverage discovery
✅ Their favorite spirits, bars, and cocktail must-haves
✅ Why data matters—but people matter more
✅ And how they’re helping veterans & craft distillers shine 🌟

🎧 Listen to the full episode here: [Thirsty Thursdays YouTube Playlist]
🔗 Explore The Bar Book: https://www.thebarbook.com
📲 Free for consumers. Brand onboarding opens 2025.

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