Kyle N. McHugh
"The Boozehound"
Chicago, IL & Beyond
Beer, Wine, Spirits, & Bartending Educator + Executive for Hire
Current Clients:
USBG National Charity Foundation President & Board Chair
Kyle McHugh started his career bartending in Washington, DC in 1998. Over the next decade, he worked nearly every position possible in bars and restaurants across the country, including Washington, Los Angeles, and Chicago. In 2007, Kyle formed his beverage consulting, education & events company The Boozehound, and from 2008 - 2010, he opened & operated the retail drink boutique Drinks Over Dearborn. During this time, he also served as a professor of wine & beverage at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Chicago, an instructor for Master Mixologist Bridget Albert’s Academy of Spirits & Fine Service, as well as for the Advanced Mixology & Culinary Academy.
In 2011, Kyle was named a Diageo Master of Whisky and toured the US representing some of the most iconic names in the whisk(e)y world: Johnnie Walker, Oban, Talisker, Lagavulin, Bulleit, Crown Royal, George Dickel, Bushmills, and more. This effort trained Kyle to earn his General Certificate in Distillation from the Institute of Brewing & Distilling based in London, England. In 2016, Kyle joined the original strategic leadership team as the Global Director of Advocacy & Education for the newly-formed craft spirits collective Samson & Surrey, now part of the Heaven Hill Brands family, where he oversaw all aspects of education and ambassadorship for FEW Spirits, Bluecoat Gin, Brenne Single Malt, Widow Jane, Mezcal Vago, and Tequila Ocho for seven years.
Today, Kyle continues his work in the beverage alcohol industry as The Boozehound, consulting with beer, wine, & spirits companies around the globe including current clients Bunnahabhain, Deanston, & Tobermory Single Malt Scotch Whiskies; the Edinburgh Whisky Academy; Curado Tequila; AB InBev’s world class portfolio of beers; and the USA’s largest wine & spirits distributor Southern Glazer’s, to name a few.
Kyle is a spirits judge for the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, World Whisky Awards, TAG Global Spirits Awards, and the Beverage Testing Institute. He is a Certified Spirits Professional with the U.S. Bartender's Guild (USBG), where he also served as National President (2018-2020) and Chairman of the Board (2017-2021). He is a Certified Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers, a Cicerone Certified Beer Seller, a trained BJCP beer judge, and an Executive Bourbon Steward, to name a handful of his certifications. Kyle is also a graduate of the IBA Bartender Training Center Europe (Tallinn, Estonia 2016) and the BAR 5-Day program (New York, NY 2017). In 2021, Kyle joined the Board of Directors of the USBG National Charity Foundation, where he currently serves as President & Chairman of the Board.