Behind The Scientist

Born into a family of book readers, teachers, and chefs, Riskin started his extraordinary adventures early in life. With a wild imagination and a deep love for both the physical and social sciences (plus a now-devout appreciation for freshly-squeezed milk from grass-fed cows), he’s spent a lifetime analyzing, tinkering with, and improving the world around him, whether it asked for it or not.

After studying psychology, sociology, and biochemistry, Riskin dove into the exhilarating world of bartending and craft cocktailing, which took him across the country. He has since developed an appreciation for the power of great experiences: the precision, the theatrics, the unexpected flourish. This took him to co-founding Tasting House, an event production company dedicated to elevated gatherings and exceptional cocktails, and later inspired Next Level Parties: a reimaging of the private event experience for the modern host.

Never one to leave well enough alone, he soon turned his sights to the ingredients themselves. Unimpressed with the mass-market options for cocktail bitters, he began experimenting with his own herbal extractions. Riskin’s Cocktail Bitters was born: a line of crisp, potent, and aromatic elixirs that reward curiosity and ignite creativity behind the bar.

Meanwhile, his love for learning took him again into new territory: electro-mechanical engineering, and his lifelong love of everything fun took shape under the banner of Gadzooks! Games, Gadgets, & Gizmos, a playful outlet for [3D-printed] game pieces, tabletop accessories, and the occasional absurd invention.

Today, Riskin lives and works in Longmont, Colorado, creating things that delight, surprise, and sometimes explode (on purpose) - but not really.