Matthew Sharpe

Matthew Sharpe is a Buyer/Manager at Barbur World Foods in Portland Oregon, curating the selection of Wine, Beer/Cider, Coffee, and Cigars in house with a focus on craft & artisanal production. A recovering culinarian of 17 years and an ex-historian, he spends much of his time sharing the stories of what he and his team selected with the store’s clientele while endeavoring to taste everything at least once. In addition, he is involved in the spirits industry, starting in 2009 with the American Distilling Institute as a volunteer, and eventually becoming a lead steward for their spirits judging, a conference staffer, & a proctor for hands-on distilling classes around the country. In 2013, he was tapped to establish the judging program for the American Craft Spirits Association, a national not-for-profit industry trade organization focused on advocacy and meeting the needs of small scale spirits producers. He is also a co-founder and the Director of Operations for the New Orleans Spirits Competition, an international spirits judging presented by Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans, LA every summer.