In this new series, TCU Magazine visits with alumni in the food and beverage industry. Send recommendations to tcumagazine@tcu.edu.

Mandy Naglich ’12 wrote How to Taste (2023), teaching readers to use their senses of taste and smell to fine-tune an appreciation of everything from wine to whiskey to chocolate; she draws from her experiences as a certified taster and drinks journalist and also the expertise of scientists. Naglich, based in New York City, is an advanced cicerone, or expert beer taster, of which there are fewer than 200 in the world. She teaches workshops in blind tasting and beer pairing and is a columnist for Taste of Home magazine and digital media company VinePair.

How did your degree in journalism lead you to a career in the food and beverage industry? 

I initially got into the marketing field just to work down student loans and get experience, but then I started as a journalist covering spirits, food and beverage — beer, mostly.  

I started a column with a publication called VinePair about beer and beer brewing. From there, as a reporter, my interest spread out. Now I do a lot of coverage of cocktail culture and spirits. A couple of the certifications I have require an expertise in blind tasting. Because I have that expertise and have those certifications, I’m able to teach other people how to do that.

“How to Taste” is the Schieffer College of Communication alumna’s debut book. Courtesy of “How to Taste”

Whether it’s through reporting and writing for Wine Enthusiast or writing my own books or teaching classes, I really want to focus on helping other people appreciate what I appreciate.

What does it mean to be a professional taster? 

It’s a certification you can get to learn how to taste and identify different compounds across all kinds of food and beverage. So compounds like isoamyl acetate that smells like banana or cis-3-Hexenol that has this aroma of like a green onion — I can smell or taste them in different beverages and identify them. The experience of getting the certification and meeting other tasting professionals is what led me to write the book How to Taste.  

What inspired you to start brewing beer? 

It was something I was curious about. I listened to a lot of podcasts and had lots of trial and error until I was good enough that when my friends tasted it, they couldn’t tell which beer was from the store and which beer I had made.  

In 2016, I won a gold medal at the National Homebrew Competition.  

Which beers are your favorites? 

I definitely lean toward the beers of Belgium. The first time I won a gold medal, it was for a saison, which is a Belgian style beer — it’s a farmhouse ale. My favorite beer is called Duvel; it’s a Belgian golden strong, it’s a little bit higher in alcohol and it drinks like champagne. It’s very, very carbonated, so you have to pour it by tipping it a certain way. Another favorite is Orval. It’s a little bit funky, and uses wild yeast, so every bottle tastes a little different just depending on that wild yeast and how it’s fermenting. It’s a little exciting every time you open it just to see what it’s going to taste like, which is totally different in America. We expect our beers to pretty much taste the same every time.