New Orleans whiskey brand taps longtime hospitality and beverage industry leader to champion the brand as it prepares for Q4 market expansion
NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Big Easy Whiskey has named New Orleans hospitality and beverage industry veteran Carlos Quinonez as National Brand Ambassador and Market Manager, strengthening the brand’s team as it prepares to expand into new markets later this year.
In his new role, Quinonez is the face of Big Easy Whiskey to the people who pour it and buy it. He will bring the brand’s spirit to life for bartenders, restaurant teams, retailers and distributors, leading community engagement and partnerships at home in Louisiana and in the new markets ahead. Whether he’s behind a bar, hosting an event or sitting down with a distributor, the job is the same: to share what makes Big Easy Whiskey and New Orleans special, and make sure the people serving it are as excited about it as the people drinking it.
A born-and-raised New Orleanian, Quinonez brings more than 15 years of experience in the hospitality and beverage industry. Throughout his career, he has helped shape bar culture here in New Orleans, as well as abroad, through beverage program development, hospitality consulting and partnerships with leading international spirits brands. His experience includes work with the Adolfo Garcia Restaurant Group, Coquette, the Columns Hotel and Fives, where he helped build beverage programs rooted in the character and culture of New Orleans. Most recently, he served as Beverage Director for the Turkey and the Wolf Group, and helped develop a New Orleans inspired bar in Guadalajara called Infhame.
“Big Easy Whiskey has created something that feels true to New Orleans while bringing a different perspective to the flavored whiskey category. “I’ve spent my career in New Orleans’ hospitality and beverage industry, so joining a brand that is authentically rooted in the city is a really exciting opportunity,” said Quinonez. “I’m looking forward to introducing more people at home and beyond to what we’re doing and show them why flavored whiskey should really taste like whiskey.”
“From the beginning, we’ve wanted Big Easy Whiskey to be a brand that genuinely represents New Orleans, not simply one that comes from here. Carlos understands that distinction,” said Kieran Walsh, COO and Blender of Big Easy Whiskey. “He has spent his career creating true New Orleans moments that are now woven into the fabric of this city’s experience. He brings an authenticity and credibility that simply cannot be manufactured. As we take Big Easy Whiskey into new markets, having Carlos out there telling our story, building relationships and representing where we come from will be incredibly important to how we grow.”
Quinonez’s appointment comes as Big Easy Whiskey prepares for continued growth in Q4, including launches in Tennessee through distribution partnerships with DET Beverage in Nashville and Athens Distributing Company in Knoxville and Chattanooga. The expansion will introduce Big Easy Whiskey to consumers and hospitality professionals outside Louisiana while continuing to build on the brand’s presence in its home state.
Big Easy Whiskey is currently available at hundreds of bars, restaurants and retailers across Louisiana, spanning acclaimed dining destinations, renowned whiskey establishments and neighborhood bars.
About Big Easy Whiskey
Big Easy Whiskey believes the world would be a better place if consumers had real spirits from real places that are damn delicious to drink. That’s why we created a New Orleans-born, 5-year-aged American whiskey made from a traditional bourbon mash and infused with our blend of herbs, spices, botanicals and fruit. Created to put the whiskey back in flavored whiskey, its balanced profile complements the character of the spirit rather than masking it with overly sweet or single-note flavors. Big Easy Whiskey can be enjoyed neat, over ice or in cocktails and is currently available at hundreds of bars, restaurants and retailers across Louisiana, and online at bigeasywhiskey.com. Follow @bigeasywhiskey on social media for cocktail inspiration, upcoming events and more.
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SOURCE Big Easy Whiskey
