About the Authors
Arturo Rojas Garcia-Luna
An award-winning cocktail chef, spirits expert, and consultant with more than twenty years of experience in the food and beverage industry. Known for his creativity and innovation, Arturo has developed hundreds of original cocktails for top brands, restaurants, and hotels around the world.
He started his career at just sixteen, gaining hands-on experience across Mexico, London, Madrid, and beyond. Along the way, he partnered with some of the biggest names in the spirits world, winning national cocktail competitions and building a reputation as a leading voice in Mexican mixology.
Arturo’s knowledge goes far beyond cocktails. He’s completed advanced studies in wine, distillation, mezcal, and sherry, and regularly consults for mezcal and tequila producers. He’s also a part owner of Los Tonas, a traditional mezcal palenque in Mitla, Oaxaca, where he works closely with artisanal production methods.
Throughout his career, Arturo has had the chance to collaborate with many of the most celebrated chefs in the Americas.
He is the author of Cócteles Mexicanos de la Colección 100% Mexicano (1st printing by Larousse 2012) and was a contributor to The Book of Tequila. Arturo also contributed to the series concept and appears in the Spanish-language Amazon Prime series The Ultimate Mixologist, where he shares his passion for Mexican spirits with a global audience.
Chef James Grant
James is a seasoned chef, a culinary instructor, and author with a distinguished career spanning four continents. Having worked in esteemed 4 and 5 star hotels across Australia, Asia, and the Bahamas, he has honed his expertise in international cuisine while developing a profound appreciation for regional flavors and culinary traditions.
His passion for authentic Mexican gastronomy led him to Mexico, where he served as a chef instructor at two prestigious culinary universities and met and married his Mexican wife. This immersion deepened his understanding of Mexico's rich culinary heritage, ultimately inspiring him to author “Cook Real Mexican”, a self-published book that celebrates the country's vibrant flavors and time-honored cooking techniques.
Beyond the kitchen, James has partnered with Vanilla Trade S.A. de C.V. in Veracruz to promote pure Mexican vanilla, further advocating for high-quality, traditional ingredients.