I’m Susan Schwartz, your drinking companion, and every day I’m inspired to live life one cocktail at a time!
How it all began
I think it was written in the cards. If you have a grandmother who introduces you to the best caipirinhas in New York City, a grandfather who owned night clubs in Philadelphia, and a mother whose childhood was spent sipping Shirley Temples, then you too might be inclined to launch a blog honoring the cocktail.
I was intoxicated by the stories behind every bottle, every aroma, and every sip. I truly fell in love with cocktail culture and, upon emigrating to London after a stint in New York city, I launched A Lush Life Manual.
A Lush Life Manual
A Lush Life Manual is the How-To Guide for Living Life One Cocktail at a Time.
What do I mean by that? Every second of the cocktail experience brings me joy: selecting the bar, sitting down, reading the menu, talking to the floor-tender (as my friend and the best floor-tender in the business Alfonso Califano calls it), choosing the cocktail, watching the bartenders at work, and having it placed in front of me. All of this ceremony is as exciting as the actual act of drinking it.
My goal is that each one of the cocktail recipes, spirit reviews, podcast episodes, or Lush Guides gets you as excited as it does me.
Lush Life Podcast
You can read all about a cocktail, but how fabulous to meet the author of that very cocktail or spirit or cocktail book! Lush Life podcast was launched in 2016 to introduce you to the drinks professionals who are the masterminds behind what’s in your glass!
If you’re on iOS, you can listen on Apple Podcast. It’s easy to Google Podcasts or Spotify too. Or click the player or link above to listen to just this episode. (But trust me, you’ll want to subscribe!)
Since launching the Lush Life brand, I have been recognized for all the work I put into my blog and podcast:
- BGTW Member Excellence Awards 2022 – Travel Blogger of the Year – Highly Commended
- SIT-UP AWARD 2019 – RISING STAR OF THE YEAR – WINNER
- BGTW Member Excellence Awards 2020 – Travel Broadcaster of the Year – Finalist
- BGTW Member Excellence Awards 2020 – Travel Blog Post of the Year – Finalist – https://alushlifemanual.com/harrys-bar-bellini
- BGTW Member Excellence Awards 2019 – Best Broadcast, Finalist
- Tales of the Cocktail, Spirited Award, Long-List, 2019
- Traverse Creator Awards 2019, Finalist
- Saveur Magazine Blog Awards 2018, Best Drinks Blog, Finalist
- Vice-Chairman of the Board of the British Guild of Travel Writer
- Level 2 WSET Wine – Passed with Distinction
- Level 2 WSET Spirits – Passed with Distinction
- Speaker at Traverse 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019; TBEX Europe 2018, Also Festival 2017, 2018, 2019, Hotel Marketing Association 2019
I also write two other blogs: musthaveicecream.com and bestbitsworldwide.com!