Olson, Steven “Steve” (1959–), is an educator, lecturer, and writer on wine, beer, and spirits and an early proponent of craft cocktails in the restaurant world. Through his long consulting relationships with Vinos de Jerez and with Ron Cooper and the Del Maguey brand, he was also instrumental in bringing sherry back into the cocktail bar and mezcal to the rest of the world. See Cooper, Ron; Del Maguey mezcal; and sherry. Olson founded his consulting company, aka wine geek, in 1992, built upon his decades-long involvement in the restaurant and beverage industries. Focused on beverage education for trade, consumers, and members of the media, aka wine geek was Olson’s primary enterprise until its disbandment in 2017. In those twenty-five years a great many of the pioneers in the craft cocktail movement could be seen sporting the black aka wine geek shirt at one event or another.
Olson’s experience in the service industry dates back to his midwestern childhood, when he was a soda jerk at his parents’ small-town Iowa store. During his teens, he spent a significant amount of time at a neighboring restaurant, left in charge by its owners, who were indisposed due to a family illness. He opened the kitchen in the morning before school and ran the bar at night, completing his schoolwork in between. After high school, Olsen has said that it was a “no-brainer” for him to further his industry experience during college and beyond—first as a waiter, then sommelier, then general manager. Olson eventually consulted on dozens of restaurants, including the ones at the luxurious Connecticut resort Mayflower Inn, New York City’s Gramercy Tavern, and the legendary Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. At the same time, Olson spent several years involved with industry-focused television productions, notably for the Food Network. In 1996, he teamed up with Master of Wine and Master Sommelier Doug Frost to present the Sterling School of Hospitality, a groundbreaking seminar series aimed at teaching bartenders and managers how to evaluate spirits through blind tasting.
Olson is a founding member of the New York–based Beverage Alcohol Resource (BAR), whose mission is to spread “the healthy and responsible use of beverage alcohol products through innovative and comprehensive training programs and seminars.” See Beverage Alcohol Resource (BAR). In 2017, Olson joined Del Maguey, the company for which he had consulted for so many years, cementing his dedication to traditional Mexican agave spirits and their preservation and propagation.
aka wine geek Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/pg/akawinegeek/about/ (accessed March 5, 2021).
BAR. “Who We Are.” https://beveragealcoholresource.com/who-we-are/ (accessed March 5, 2021).
Sutcliffe, Theodora. “Steve Olson Reflects on 1995 and the Magic of Mezcal for Cherry Heering’s 200 Years.” Drinks World, May 16, 2018. http://drinks.world/steve-olson-reflects-1995-magic-mezcal-cherry-heerings-200-years/ (accessed March 5, 2021).
By: Lauren Viera