Big Easy Whiskey has named New Orleans hospitality and beverage industry veteran Carlos Quinonez as its national brand ambassador and market manager. The appointment strengthens the New Orleans-based brand’s team as it prepares to expand into new markets in the fourth quarter of 2026.
In his new role, Quinonez will act as the face of Big Easy Whiskey to bartenders, restaurant teams, retailers and distributors. He will lead community engagement and partnerships across Louisiana and in the new markets ahead.
A born-and-raised New Orleanian, Quinonez brings more than 15 years of experience in the hospitality and beverage industry. 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 culture of New Orleans.
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READ THE STORYMost recently, he served as beverage director for the Turkey and the Wolf Group. He also 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,” said Quinonez.
“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. 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.”
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Kieran Walsh, COO and blender of Big Easy Whiskey, said the brand wanted to “genuinely represent New Orleans, not simply one that comes from here”.
“Carlos understands that distinction,” Walsh added. “He brings an authenticity and credibility that simply cannot be manufactured.”
Quinonez’s appointment comes as Big Easy Whiskey prepares for growth in Q4, including launches in Tennessee. The brand has secured distribution partnerships with DET Beverage in Nashville and Athens Distributing Company in Knoxville and Chattanooga.
Big Easy Whiskey is a New Orleans-born, five-year-aged American whiskey made from a traditional bourbon mash. It is infused with a blend of herbs, spices, botanicals and fruit.
The whiskey is currently available at hundreds of bars, restaurants and retailers across Louisiana, and online at bigeasywhiskey.com.
The flavored whiskey category has grown rapidly in the US in recent years, with major players including Jack Daniel’s and Jim Beam expanding their flavored ranges to attract younger consumers.
