Author
Carl Busch
Owner
Carl Busch is co-owner of EJ's Wine Shop & Tasting Room and a three-time Iowa's Top Mixologist (2013, 2021, 2023). With 15+ years behind the bar, he's on a mission to make cocktails and wine approachable, no pretension required.
About Carl
Carl Busch has spent over 15 years behind the bars of Eastern Iowa and, somewhere along the way, picked up the title of Iowa's Top Mixologist three times in 2013, 2021, and 2023. Not that he's counting.
In July 2024, Carl took the leap from making drinks for other people's businesses to running his own. He's now co-owner of EJ's Wine Shop & Tasting Room, where he handles daily operations, builds the cocktail menu, and helps customers find bottles they'll actually love, not just the ones with the fanciest labels.
When he's not at the shop, Carl writes and creates cocktail content with his wife, Riley, over at carlbusch.com and on YouTube. He has a particular weakness for amaro (the bitter Italian stuff most people pretend to understand), and he'll happily talk your ear off about it if you let him.
His whole philosophy comes down to this: cocktails and wine should be fun, not intimidating. Whether you're a curious beginner or a seasoned home enthusiast, Carl's goal is to give you the knowledge and the confidence to pour something you're genuinely proud of.
2 posts by Carl
Six Bottles to Drink for National Drink Wine Day
Six bottles we'd hand you on February 18, from a steady $18 Chenin Blanc to a $69 splurge Amarone. The shelf, the prices, the reason for each one.
A Beaujolais Wine Guide for People Who Only Know Nouveau
If you only know Beaujolais through the November Nouveau release, you have only met the warm-up act. The rest of the region is some of the best value in imported wine right now.